A consumer law attorney defends the rights of consumers of goods and services against unfair business practices, deception, and fraud. Consumer law covers a wide range of topics, including contract disputes, product liability, and credit reporting issues. A consumer law attorney may also defend consumers against aggressive debt collection tactics or businesses that advertise in deceptive or fraudulent ways, in addition to these areas.
While many countries’ laws presume that consumers are responsible for making informed purchasing decisions and entering contracts, it is also acknowledged that some businesses may ask customers to agree to terms that they cannot reasonably be expected to understand. In cases where a consumer is bound a contract with ambiguous or deceptive terms, a consumer law attorney may be able to help the consumer obtain a release from the contract. When a consumer is about to make a large purchase or enter into a service agreement, it may be in his best interests to consult with a consumer law attorney and have him review the contract to ensure that the terms are favorable to the consumer.
Consumers’ rights are protected law in many countries when they are sold shoddy goods or services. When a company refuses to compensate a customer who has been harmed a defective product or poor service, a consumer law attorney may file a lawsuit against the company in the hopes of recovering compensation for her client. Consumer law attorneys may file a class action lawsuit against a company if there has been a clear pattern of negligence on the part of the company, not only to secure compensation for their clients, but also to draw attention to a potential threat to public safety.
Consumer debt collection and credit reporting rights enforcement are two areas in which some consumer law attorneys specialize. These lawyers defend their clients from aggressive and, in some cases, abusive debt collection tactics used both original creditors and collection agencies. A consumer law attorney may file a lawsuit on behalf of a client in situations where the law provides remedies for victims of such practices. Similarly, a consumer law attorney may be able to help a client whose credit has been tarnished unfairly due to identity theft or creditor errors. In such cases, the attorney may contact creditors and credit bureaus to request that negative credit information be removed, or the attorney may file a lawsuit against creditors and credit bureaus that refuse to correct errors.