Credit Repair Attorney: What They Do and When You Need One

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A credit repair attorney can help when a credit bureau or lender refuses to fix information that is clearly wrong. But many people pay for help with disputes they could file themselves for free. Here’s how to tell the difference.

What does a credit repair attorney do?

• Reviews your credit reports for errors, identity theft and outdated negative items
• Sends dispute and verification letters to the credit bureaus and the companies reporting the information
• Negotiates with creditors and collection agencies
• Takes legal action when a bureau or lender violates the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)

Your rights under federal law

Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA): you have the right to dispute inaccurate information, and the bureaus generally must investigate within 30 days. Information they can’t verify must be corrected or removed.

Credit Repair Organizations Act (CROA): credit repair companies can’t charge you before they’ve performed the services, must give you a written contract, and must let you cancel within three business days. No one can legally remove accurate, timely negative information.

When you can do it yourself

If the problem is a simple error — a late payment you made on time, a paid debt still showing a balance, an account that isn’t yours — you can dispute it directly with each bureau at no cost. Our 4-step guide to fixing your credit walks through it, and the CFPB explains the dispute process.

When an attorney makes sense

• A bureau keeps “verifying” information you can prove is wrong
• You’re a victim of identity theft and accounts keep reappearing
• A debt collector is reporting a debt you don’t owe or has violated collection laws
• Errors are costing you a mortgage or job opportunity and you have documentation

Many consumer-protection attorneys take FCRA cases with no upfront fee because the law allows them to recover fees from the company that broke it. Ask about fees before you sign anything.

Keep watching your credit

After a dispute, check that the fix sticks. SmartCredit and Credit Karma send alerts when your reports change.

Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links, and we may earn a commission if you sign up, at no extra cost to you. This article is general education, not legal advice. Dan Frio | NMLS #246527 | PBT Bancorp | NMLS #257781. Mortgage products are originated by PBT Bancorp, NMLS #257781. Equal Housing Lender.