If you are in need of any kind of credit repair or assistance, keep in mind that while there are legal options, there are no lawyers that specialize SPECIFICALLY in “credit repair”. The closest thing you will find to credit repair lawyers are legal professionals who offer their services to organizations that offer services such as credit report cleanup and repair.
There are literally millions of people in all of North America who find themselves struggling with their credit score at one point or another. Mostly, it’s due to mistakes they make themselves, but there are still occasions when an error might show up on an individual’s credit report that will affect the score negatively and unfairly. This is why it’s important to do regular checks and reviews. In fact, you can legally obtain copies of – and review – your own credit report annually from all 3 bureaus.
It’s free only once a year. If you need to pull them on a regular basis, you’re typically required to a monthly fee. If you’re new to the credit reporting industry, the three bureaus in the US are Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax.
If you see anything that concerns you, and think there might be an error, or perhaps something that you think that isn’t all that fair to have been reported, you should review the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and consult with an organization that offers credit repair. Lawyers and paralegals are in some networks, so make sure you choose on that includes actual legal professionals and has a good reputation.
Credit Repair Lawyers’ Scams and What to Check
Obviously there are going to be scams to watch out for, with one of the most obvious being “credit repair lawyers” promising to raise your score within a very short amount of time – but for a fee, of course. Never, ever pay upfront. Remember that just because somebody claims to be a “lawyer” who specializes in credit repair \ doesn’t mean they are. In fact, that’s a huge red flag that there is a scam involved in and that you should avoid any claims or promises that are good to be true.
You can also take the approach of writing letters to the credit bureaus and requesting that something be removed yourself. State your claim concisely and provide any evidence or proof you might have. There are sample letters online to help you.
The downside to this approach is that you will be all on your own. It might not be too much of a hassle with just one or two errors, but if there seems to be a major issue with a lot of incorrect information, or if it seems obvious that you have had your identity stolen, you’ll definitely want to have some legal experts to help you.
One legitimate place to get started with your search for “credit repair lawyers” is Lexington Law. They really do have some knowledgeable attorneys in their network who offer consultation and assistance; a paralegal is assigned to every case.