Hiring an Attorney or Paraprofessional to Collect an Arizona Judgment

You won your small claims case and the debtor is not paying. You have been staring at garnishment forms, constable fees, and service deadlines, and you are wondering whether it is worth hiring someone to handle this. Here is what you need to know about getting professional help with Arizona judgment collection — and when it makes financial sense.

Attorneys Are Allowed After Judgment

During the small claims trial, attorney representation was restricted under A.R.S. § 22-512. That restriction lifts once the judgment is entered. Under A.R.S. § 22-520 and Rule 18 of the Arizona Rules of Small Claims Procedure, either party may retain an attorney for post-judgment collection without the other side's consent.

This means you can hire a lawyer to handle garnishments, debtor examinations, liens, and other enforcement tools — even though you were not allowed to bring one to the hearing.

What Collection Attorneys Actually Do

A collection attorney handles the paperwork and procedural steps that the court will not do for you. Specifically:

• File and serve garnishment writs (wage and bank)
• Petition for debtor examinations and conduct the questioning
• Record judgment liens with the County Recorder
• File writs of execution for property seizure
• Calculate post-judgment interest and maintain the balance ledger
• Respond if the debtor files an objection or claim of exemption
• File the Satisfaction of Judgment when you are paid in full

They also handle the strategic decisions: whether to garnish wages or levy a bank account first, whether the debtor's assets are worth pursuing, and whether a voluntary payment plan makes more sense than formal enforcement.

What It Costs

Arizona collection attorneys typically work on one of two fee structures:

Hourly rates range from $150 to $350 per hour. For a straightforward garnishment on a known employer, the total bill might be $500 to $1,000. For a contested collection with debtor exams, multiple enforcement tools, and objection hearings, costs can easily reach $2,000 to $3,000.

Contingency arrangements are less common for small claims judgments but do exist. Some attorneys will take a percentage of the collected amount — typically 33% to 40% — instead of charging hourly. This makes sense for larger judgments but can eat most of a $2,000 or $3,000 recovery.

For a $5,000 small claims judgment, five hours of attorney time at $200 per hour costs $1,000 — one-fifth of the maximum recovery.

Arizona Legal Paraprofessionals

Arizona licenses legal paraprofessionals (LPs) to provide limited legal services directly to the public. LPs may charge around $150 to $300 per hour.

An LP with a limited-jurisdiction civil endorsement may provide authorized legal services in civil matters before Arizona Justice or municipal courts. This can include preparing and filing garnishment applications and debtor-examination petitions, and arranging service, within the scope of that LP's license.

Why the Court Clerk Cannot Help You

Many creditors call the Justice Court clerk expecting step-by-step guidance on what to file next. The clerks are explicitly prohibited from giving legal advice — their role is to accept filings and provide blank forms, not to recommend collection strategies or help you complete paperwork.

As the official court filing instructions state: the clerks are not attorneys and cannot give legal advice. Their responsibility is to take your court filing and provide forms. This is not unhelpfulness — it is a legal requirement that protects both the court and the parties.

When Hiring Help Makes Financial Sense

Consider professional help when the judgment is on the higher end (closer to the $5,000 small claims limit), the debtor has substantial assets but is actively evading collection, or you have already attempted enforcement on your own and run into procedural obstacles.

Handle it yourself when the judgment is under $2,000 and attorney fees would consume a large portion of your recovery, the debtor has identifiable wages or bank accounts and you just need to file the right forms in the right order, or you are comfortable following step-by-step procedural instructions.

The middle ground: use a self-help resource to handle the straightforward enforcement steps yourself, and bring in professional help only if you hit a specific obstacle — a contested debtor exam, a complex exemption claim, or a debtor who has moved out of state.

Our Arizona judgment collection guide walks you through each enforcement tool with the exact forms, deadlines, and filing sequences — designed for creditors who want to handle collection themselves without paying attorney rates for procedural knowledge.

See more Arizona guides →