<prompt> Human: I want to say thank you to everyone who takes a minute to read this and give me their honest opinion. I appreciate your time. Ive been very studious and critical while looking debt relief, debt management, and debt consolidation and I cant find anyone to give me what I can feel like are straight and honest answers about debt settlement.Ive talked with several organization, including CCCS, a few law group representative type set ups including Gershfeld Law Group, and debt consolidations loan option and Ive yet to speak with someone who will give me an honest answer to Why do I need you to middle man this negotiation for me? What EXACTLY are you doing with the money Im paying for your services? What exactly are you fees?... I dont like it.Ill start with where Im at and the directions Im looking to go, Ill try to keep it as brief but thorough as I can and make my questions clear so I dont waste anyones time. Appreciate you for making it this far.I have about 12,000 in Credit Card Debt between 18.9 and 22.9 interest. My minimum payments are about 350 and of that 350 about 300 in pure interest. Im drowning. Ive tried putting extra here and there but I cant make any lasting progress with life, dentist, kids, expenses, etc etc.In all of my questions, I feel like anyone needs a clear purpose for any of these endeavors, so heres mine:My goal or end game is very clear: Debt free with a solid credit score in 5 years, ready to purchase a home with a much cash savings as I can manage to put away so that I may purchase a nice home with a large down payment at a great APR.Its important to point out that in to goal, my credit score 3 years from now means absolutely nothing to me in the grand scheme of things. 5 years. Debt Free. Cash Savings. Solid credit score of 700.First Major Question:Where do I start and whats the success rate on self settling directly with credit card companies. I.E. - Calling in and saying paraphrasing here I owe you 4,000. In the interest Ive paid in the last 10 years you could pay me 2,000 and still walk away with a huge profit. What can I settle the debt with you for in a lump sum payment?I know people do it. I know it happens. I know these Credit Representation companies do it... what exactly stops me from just calling them myself and asking the same questions? Except tactfully, of courseMy reading and calling and probing tells me the phrase Hard Times seems to be magic key. A Hard Times Settlement is apparently the thing that all these lawyer representative groups do. Ive read about this as extensively as the internet will allow to my knowledge, and Ive also worked in sales for 8 years.The whole proposition of a settlement is The payments arent coming anymore. You can sell this a creditor for .15c on the dollar or I can pay you 30c on the dollar right now and call it even stevens. Your call. but again... tactfully. And Im 100 that that isnt lawyering, thats salesmanship. Why do I need a lawyer?So to recap that - Where the hell do I find out how to negotiate with the credit card companies myself and WHY is this resource so difficult to find?! What advice do you have? Do you know of success stories??And that brings me to second point, which needs a little more explanation. If youre still with me, thank you SO much.Im currently speaking with Gershfeld who is lawyer representation company. Essentially, I set up a savings accounts and agree to pay a certain amount into it each month, an amount much less than my current minimums, and cease payment to my credit card companies at that point. They, in turn, represent me with their lawyers to the credit card company. Which to the best of my knowledge and ability to ask questions seems to translate to we direct all of their calls to our voice mail so you dont have to hear it because again - Why do I need a lawyer for missing my credit card payments? Literally no one will answer that question.So in short, I pay 210mo for 36monts WAY less than my minimums to this savings and they negotiate a settlement with my creditors. This totals 7500 and includes their fees and their profits and their commissions - pretty damn inviting, really. No interest. No extra penalties. I can back out any time. Way better than 12,000 at 22 APR. Like... way better.Heres what I know:They also do lump sum, up front settlements. I offered to sell some assets and pay that in cash. A bluff, to be honest. They said they can use that same amount of money up front and settle with my credit card holders, again, under Hard Times, without anything going to collections.I also pressed him about what guarantee I have about the credit lines going to collections. Im hiring you - what can you promise me? 36 months no payment is a long time not to go to collections... There isnt a guarantee. At all. But my lawyer representative will be there to take all their calls... okay... sounds peachy...Heres my end all be all question, and I felt like I cant ask it without explaining all of those other options first, because settling direct with the credit card companies would be preferable to this but I cant find ANY solid resources on it.Note: 5 years. I know this will wreck my credit in the short term.Whats to stop me from stopping my credit card payments and just letting them go to collections. While I cease payment, I save and work and save and work Sales, Commission, have a very flexible income in that regard and budget and work and save.When my credit debts do go to collections and the collections call begin, negotiate a pay off under the pretense of a fast turn-over. I.E. - You bought my debt for 15c last week and this is the first time youve called me about me. Ill give you 25c on the dollar if you wanna call it a day on move on. Easy profit. We all win.I know debt collections companies negotiate. They pay X, their only goal is to reclaim that debt for a profit on X. I cant help but presume ease of turnover is a huge negotiating tool for debt collectors. And I just cant see why I need a lawyer for that...Under the pretense of 5 years - Stop payment. Let my credit score plummet. Settle for pennies on the dollar with the debt collectors in very short order after collections on my 12,000 worth of debt. Start saving cash and rebuilding my credit using the thousands of various methods available to do so.Am I completely out of my mind?Thank you for your time...  <response>: I cant really help you I just dont know the answers, but this was a huge wall so I tried to condense it in order to make it a bit easier on anyone that can give you the proper help...The situation: 12K credit card debt, interest rates between 18.9 and 22.9. Drowning.Goals: In 5 years, be debt free, have cash savings, and score of 700.Question 1: Where do I start?Question 1a: Can I call the credit card companies directly and settlenegotiate debts? How?Question 2: What happens if I just stop paying my credit card debt?Question 3: How does this plan sound? Stop paying credit card debt, let it go into collections, settle with collections for less money than my debt. Keep in mind, I do not care about short term credit score, only what it will be in 5 years. 