What does a consumer protection lawyer do?
Consumer protection lawyers help people who were cheated or harassed by businesses — car dealers, lenders, debt collectors, credit bureaus and sellers of defective products. Federal laws like the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and Fair Credit Reporting Act, along with state lemon laws, give consumers powerful remedies.
Many consumer protection statutes require the business to pay the consumer’s attorney fees if the consumer wins, which makes representation accessible.
Common consumer protection cases
- Lemon law (defective vehicles)
- Debt collector harassment
- Credit report errors
- Auto dealer fraud
- Predatory lending
- Robocalls and telemarketing
When should you hire a consumer protection lawyer?
- A new vehicle keeps returning to the shop for the same defect
- Debt collectors are calling at work, threatening you or collecting debts you don’t owe
- A credit bureau will not correct errors on your report
How much does a consumer protection lawyer cost?
Consumer attorneys frequently charge nothing up front because fee-shifting statutes let them recover fees from the business when the consumer wins.
Questions to ask in your consultation
- Does the law in my case allow you to recover fees from the company?
- Do you handle these cases on contingency?
- What documentation should I collect?