A credit report lawyer handles claims under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) against the credit bureaus and the lenders, collectors and other companies that report to them. You need one when an error on your credit report has cost you something (a loan, a better rate, an apartment, a job, or your time) and the bureau or the company did not fix it after you disputed. The FCRA lets you recover damages and makes the company that broke the law pay your attorney’s fees (15 U.S.C. §§ 1681n, 1681o). That is why our case review is free and you pay nothing unless we win.
- Richard H. Kim, principal attorney. Rated 10.0 out of 10 on Avvo, with 35 client reviews averaging 5.0 out of 5 stars (as of August 2026).
- Where we have filed. FCRA cases since 2016 in the federal courts for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the District of New Jersey, and districts in Georgia, Texas, California, Ohio, Maryland and Massachusetts.
- Who we have sued. Of the 89 matters on our case list as of October 2026, 73 named Equifax, Experian or TransUnion.
When a credit report error becomes a case
Not every error is a lawsuit. The FCRA puts three duties on the companies involved, and a case usually starts where one of them was skipped:
- The bureau must use reasonable procedures to make its reports as accurate as possible (§ 1681e(b)). Blending a stranger’s accounts into your file is the classic failure.
- The bureau must reinvestigate when you dispute, generally within 30 days, and delete or correct what it cannot verify (§ 1681i).
- The company that supplied the information must investigate when the bureau passes your dispute to it (§ 1681s-2(b)). A lender that “verifies” a paid account as unpaid, or a collector that verifies a debt you never owed, is where many cases come from.
The errors we see most often: a paid, settled or discharged debt still reported with a balance; on-time payments reported late; another person’s accounts in your file (a mixed credit file); accounts opened by an identity thief that stay after you send the police report; and being reported as deceased.
How a case works
- Free review. Send your credit reports, your dispute letters and the bureaus’ answers. We tell you whether there is a claim.
- The dispute record. If you have not disputed in writing yet, we tell you how. A claim against the company that furnished the information starts with a dispute to the bureau.
- Demand or filing. Most cases are filed in federal court, where the FCRA is enforced.
- Resolution. Many cases settle. The FCRA allows actual damages, statutory and punitive damages where a violation was willful, and attorney’s fees (§§ 1681n, 1681o).
- Cleanup. Settlement terms normally require the error to be deleted or corrected.
What a credit lawyer does about credit report errors
Many people search for a credit lawyer or a credit attorney when the problem is an error on a credit report: an account that is not theirs, a debt shown as unpaid after they paid it, or someone else’s information mixed into their file. For that problem, a credit lawyer’s job is to make the credit bureau that kept the error, or the company that reported it, follow the Fair Credit Reporting Act. That is the work this page describes. If the information is accurate, no lawyer can have it removed; our credit repair lawyer page explains the difference.
Who we sue
- Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. See our credit bureau lawyer page and how to sue a credit bureau.
- Lenders, card issuers, servicers and collectors. See suing a creditor for false credit reporting.
- Mixed credit files. See mixed credit report lawsuit.
- Background check and tenant screening companies. See suing a background check company.
For the federal statute itself and the claims it allows, see our FCRA lawyer page.
What it costs
Nothing up front. The FCRA makes the defendant pay your attorney’s fees if you win, so our case review is free and you pay nothing unless we win.
Where we practice
The Kim Law Firm is in Philadelphia and handles matters directly in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The FCRA is a federal law enforced in federal court. If you are somewhere else, contact us anyway: some matters can be handled from here, and some are better sent to a consumer lawyer where you are. We will tell you which rather than let a deadline run.
Admitted in Pennsylvania and New Jersey; available to appear pro hac vice in other federal courts.
Common questions
Do I need a lawyer to fix my credit report?
Not always. Start with a written dispute to the bureau. You need a lawyer when the dispute comes back “verified” and the error stays, or when the error has already cost you credit, housing or a job.
Can a credit report lawyer remove errors from my credit report?
A lawyer cannot order a bureau to delete anything. A lawsuit or settlement under the Fair Credit Reporting Act can require the correction and can recover damages for the harm the error caused.
How much does a credit report lawyer cost?
Under the FCRA, a company that violates the Act pays the consumer’s reasonable attorney’s fees (15 U.S.C. §§ 1681n, 1681o). Our case review is free, and you pay nothing unless we win.
How is a credit report lawyer different from a credit repair company?
A credit repair company sends disputes for a fee. A lawyer brings legal claims for damages under the FCRA when disputes fail, and is regulated by the courts and the bar.
How long do I have to sue over a credit report error?
Generally two years from when you discovered the violation, and no more than five years from when it happened (15 U.S.C. § 1681p). Do not wait for the deadline.
What can a credit lawyer do?
A credit lawyer who handles credit report errors reviews your reports and your dispute history, identifies which company failed under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and brings the claim against the credit bureau, the company that reported the information, or both. The FCRA allows actual damages, statutory and punitive damages for willful violations, and attorney’s fees (15 U.S.C. §§ 1681n, 1681o).
Are credit lawyers worth it?
When an error cost you something (a denial, a higher rate, a lost job or apartment, or your time) and the company did not fix it after your dispute, an FCRA claim can recover damages, and the company that broke the law pays the attorney’s fees. When the information is accurate, no lawyer can lawfully remove it.
How much does a credit lawyer cost?
For an FCRA claim, our review is free and you pay nothing unless we win. The FCRA makes the company that violated it pay the consumer’s reasonable attorney’s fees and costs (15 U.S.C. §§ 1681n(a)(3), 1681o(a)(2)).
Lawyer responsible for this page: Richard H. Kim, Esq., The Kim Law Firm, LLC, Philadelphia.