§ 6129 Attorney Debt Purchase Ban

Business and Professions Code·California

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Key Takeaways

•Lawyers can't buy things like IOUs or promises of payment if they plan to sue over them.
•If a lawyer does this, they can go to jail for up to 6 months.
•They might also have to pay a fine up to $2,500, or both.

Example

A lawyer buys a signed IOU from someone who is owed money, planning to sue the person who owes the money.

This is against the law. The lawyer could go to jail or pay a fine because they bought the IOU just to sue over it.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source

View on CA.gov

§ 6129 Attorney Debt Purchase Ban

Every attorney who, either directly or indirectly, buys or is interested in buying any evidence of debt or thing in action, with intent to bring suit thereon, is guilty of a misdemeanor. Any violation of the provisions of this section is punishable by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding six months, or by a fine not exceeding two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500), or by both. (Amended by Stats. 1976, Ch. 1125.)

Last verified: January 23, 2026

Key Terms

imprisonment crime fine misdemeanor punishment evidence violation

References

Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
California Legislature. Business and Professions Code. Section 6129.

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Key Takeaways

Example

Key Terms

Related Statutes

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