Creditor: In a debt collection case, the Creditor can be 1) the company that opened the original account 2) a company that is servicing the debt for the original creditor, or 3) a company that bought the debt and is collecting the debt for itself
Creditor's Attorney: The attorney who signed and filed the lawsuit for the Creditor. All pleadings and documents filed in the case by the Defendant must be sent to the Creditor Attorney.
Defendant: You are the Defendant if you are the person named as defendant in the lawsuit that the creditor claims owes money on the account.
Plaintiff: The Plaintiff is the one who files and makes claims in the lawsuit. In a debt collection case, this is the Creditor.
Sanction: A fine or other penalty a judge orders when a Plaintiff or Defendant files a Motion for Sanctions because has the other party has not obeyed a court order or the court rules or the party has otherwise acted improperly in the case. Sanctions can be imposed on either side and can include being required to pay attorneys fees or even having the case dismissed. The judge typically imposes a sanction when a Plaintiff or Defendant was already ordered to do something by a motion to compel. If a party disobeys a court order compelling that action, a Motion for Sanctions can be filed.