Key Takeaways
- The Georgia Attorney General confirmed that Freedom Debt Relief and Turnbull Law Group are both under a pending investigation. No charges have been filed as of this writing (Atlanta News First, March 10, 2026)
- Georgia law limits debt relief fees to 7.5% of what a client pays monthly toward their debts. Turnbull Law Group charges 28% (Georgia AG: Debt Adjustment Companies)
- Freedom Debt Relief answered Turnbull Law Group’s phone calls and handled client communications. That connection is why Freedom Debt Relief is named in the same investigation (Atlanta News First, March 10, 2026)
- Georgia law gives you the right to sue a debt relief company that overcharged you. You can recover all fees you paid plus $5,000 in additional damages, and you do not have to wait for the state investigation to finish (Georgia AG: Debt Adjustment Companies)
- Justice Consumer Law offers a free consultation. If we win, the other side pays our legal fees. If we don’t, you owe us nothing.
In December 2025, a woman in metro Atlanta hired Turnbull Law Group to negotiate her debts. She paid the company more than $6,000 in fees. She said Turnbull did not resolve as many of her debts as she had expected. She filed complaints with the Georgia Attorney General, the Illinois Attorney General, and the State Bar of Georgia, then canceled her contract. Atlanta News First investigated her case and published a report. After that report went public, she said she reached a private settlement with Turnbull for a refund. (Atlanta News First, December 30, 2025)
That report led Atlanta News First to investigate a second consumer. Victoria Walker was an IT analyst who had lost her job. Unexpected medical bills and credit card debt had left her $14,000 in debt. She found Turnbull Law Group online, signed a contract, and was told that attorneys would handle her debt negotiations. She spoke to the assigned attorney once, during the intake call. After that, the attorney never contacted her again. Walker saw the first Atlanta News First investigation on YouTube and decided to cancel her Turnbull contract. She said that the decision saved her $4,000 in fees she would have paid if she had stayed in the program. (Atlanta News First, March 10, 2026)
When Atlanta News First asked the Georgia Attorney General about both companies, a spokesperson confirmed that Turnbull Law Group and Freedom Debt Relief are both part of a pending investigation. The spokesperson did not provide additional details. No charges have been filed against either company. (Atlanta News First, March 10, 2026)
If you are currently enrolled with Freedom Debt Relief or Turnbull Law Group, this investigation is directly relevant to you. The rest of this blog explains what the investigation is about and what your legal options are right now.
What the Georgia Attorney General Is Examining
1. Georgia Has a Law That Caps Debt Relief Fees
Georgia’s Debt Adjustment Act sets a maximum fee that debt relief companies can charge. Under that law, a debt adjuster cannot charge more than 7.5% of the amount a client pays monthly toward their creditors. (Georgia AG: Debt Adjustment Companies) That cap protects people who are already struggling financially from being charged excessive fees on top of their debt.
Turnbull Law Group charges 28% of the total debt a client enrolls. (Atlanta News First, March 10, 2026) That figure is nearly four times the 7.5% limit. Whether charging 28% violates Georgia law is the question the Georgia AG investigation is examining.
2. Turnbull Says the Law Does Not Apply to It
Georgia’s Debt Adjustment Act has one exception. The law does not apply when debt work is performed as part of practicing law in the state. (Georgia AG: Debt Adjustment Act) Turnbull Law Group says this exception covers its business because it is a law firm, not a regular debt settlement company.
Attorney Christopher Turnbull said Georgia-licensed attorneys represent his clients. He said his firm has helped 17,000 Georgians settle $380 million in debt. (Atlanta News First, March 10, 2026) The Georgia Attorney General has not confirmed or denied whether that exception applies. The investigation is open, and no findings have been announced. (getoutofdebt.org, March 11, 2026)
3. Why Freedom Debt Relief Is Named in the Investigation
Freedom Debt Relief is a national debt settlement company based in San Mateo, California. It is not a law firm. When consumers called Turnbull Law Group, those calls were answered by Freedom Debt Relief employees. Freedom Debt Relief also handled other client service tasks on Turnbull’s behalf.
Freedom Debt Relief confirmed this arrangement in a public statement. The company said it provided non-legal administrative services to Turnbull Law Group, including answering and routing calls. (Atlanta News First, March 10, 2026) Because Freedom Debt Relief was involved in how Turnbull’s clients were communicated with and managed, the Georgia AG included Freedom Debt Relief in the same investigation as Turnbull.
What Georgia Law Lets You Do Right Now
1. You Can File Your Own Lawsuit Without Waiting
Georgia law gives every consumer the right to file a private lawsuit against a debt adjustment company that overcharged them. This right exists independently of whatever the Georgia AG decides to do. You do not need to wait for the state investigation to finish before pursuing your own claim.
Under O.C.G.A. Sections 18-5-2 and 18-5-3.2(a), if a debt adjustment company overcharged you or mishandled your account, it must refund every dollar you paid in fees. Under O.C.G.A. Section 18-5-4, you can also seek an additional $5,000 in damages on top of that refund. (Georgia AG: Debt Adjustment Companies) A consumer protection attorney can file this action on your behalf.
2. You Can Also File a Complaint With the Georgia AG
Filing a complaint with the Georgia AG is a separate step from filing a lawsuit. You can do both. Call the Georgia Attorney General’s consumer protection division at (404) 651-8600, or toll-free in Georgia at (800) 869-1123. You can also file a complaint online at consumer.georgia.gov/resolve-your-dispute. (consumer.georgia.gov)
What You Should Know If You Are Still Enrolled
Freedom Debt Relief says on its own website that you can cancel your enrollment at any time. There is no cancellation fee and no penalty for leaving the program. When you cancel, Freedom Debt Relief is required to return whatever money remains in your dedicated account within seven business days, after subtracting any fees it has already earned. (freedomdebtrelief.com/faq)
Before you do anything, pull together every payment record you have. Note how much you paid in total, how much went to fees, and which debts were actually settled. That information is what an attorney needs to evaluate your situation.
Your Legal Options If You Were Harmed
1. What You May Be Entitled to Claim
You may be entitled to compensation if Freedom Debt Relief or Turnbull Law Group:
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- Charged fees higher than what Georgia law permits for debt relief companies
- Collected fees before settling any of your enrolled debts, which may violate the FTC Telemarketing Sales Rule
- Did not disclose the $9.95 monthly account fee before you signed your contract
- Continued charging your account after you submitted a valid cancellation request
- Told you that attorneys would actively manage your case, but provided little or no legal work
2. The Laws That Protect You
2.1 Credit Repair Organizations Act (CROA), 15 U.S.C. §§1679 through 1679j
This federal law prohibits debt relief companies from collecting fees before they deliver results. It also requires a written contract before any services begin. If those rules were broken in your case, you can claim actual damages plus punitive damages. The company pays your attorney fees if you win, which means you can pursue this claim without any money up front. (JCL: CROA claims)
2.2 FTC Telemarketing Sales Rule, 16 CFR § 310.4
This federal rule prohibits debt relief companies from charging any fee until at least one of your debts has been settled, you have agreed to that settlement, and you have made your first payment toward it. If fees were taken before any of those three steps were completed, that is likely a federal violation. (JCL: CROA claims)
2.3 Georgia Debt Adjustment Act, O.C.G.A. Section 18-5-1 et seq.
This Georgia law caps debt relief fees at 7.5% of your monthly creditor payments. If a company charged you more, you can sue to recover all fees paid plus $5,000 in additional damages. Breaking this law is also a misdemeanor and a violation of the Georgia Fair Business Practices Act. (Georgia AG: Debt Adjustment Companies)
2.4 Illinois Consumer Fraud Act, 815 ILCS 505
This Illinois law allows consumers to recover actual damages plus attorney fees when a company uses deceptive business practices. Courts can add extra penalties when those practices target people in financial hardship. The deadline to file is three years from when the violation occurred. (JCL: Consumer fraud protection)
Why Justice Consumer Law for This Case
We Focus Only on Consumer Protection. Every case we take involves a company accused of cheating consumers. We do not handle unrelated areas of law. Attorney Marwan R. Daher has close to a decade of experience representing clients in federal court against debt relief companies, creditors, and credit reporting agencies. (JCL: About Us)
You Pay Nothing Unless We Win. If we take your case and win, the other side is required by federal law to pay our attorney fees. If we do not win, you owe us nothing. There is no financial risk to you.
We Know This Situation. We understand how Freedom Debt Relief and Turnbull Law Group worked together, what fees consumers were charged, and which laws apply when those fees cross a legal line.
We Pursue the Full Amount. We go after every dollar you are entitled to under Georgia, Illinois, and federal consumer protection laws.
Take Action Today
The Georgia Attorney General confirmed a pending investigation into Freedom Debt Relief and Turnbull Law Group. Georgia law gives you the right to sue for a full fee refund plus $5,000 today, without waiting for that investigation to finish. Freedom Debt Relief paid $25 million to settle a federal lawsuit in 2019 over similar allegations. If your enrollment did not deliver what you were promised, your legal options are open right now.
Contact Justice Consumer Law today:
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- Free consultation: tell us what happened with your enrollment
- No attorney fees unless we recover money for you
- Cases handled against Freedom Debt Relief and Turnbull Law Group nationwide
Important: Legal deadlines apply to every type of claim. The sooner you contact us, the more options you have.
FAQs
Is Freedom Debt Relief under criminal investigation in Georgia?
No. The Georgia AG confirmed a pending investigation, but that is not a criminal charge. It means the office is reviewing consumer complaints and the companies’ fee practices. No charges have been filed, and no enforcement action has been announced.
What is the Georgia Debt Adjustment Act?
It is a Georgia state law that limits what debt relief companies can charge. The limit is 7.5% of the amount you pay monthly toward your creditors. If a company charged you more than that, you can sue to recover every dollar paid in fees plus $5,000 in extra damages.
Do I have to wait for the investigation to finish before I can take legal action?
No. Georgia law gives you a private right to sue right now, separate from anything the state is doing. You do not need the investigation to conclude before filing your own claim.
Does the investigation affect people outside Georgia?
The Georgia Debt Adjustment Act applies to Georgia residents. If you enrolled from a different state, federal laws still protect you, including the FTC Telemarketing Sales Rule and the Credit Repair Organizations Act. Both apply in every state. Contact an attorney to find out what options are available in your situation.
How does Justice Consumer Law’s no-cost guarantee work?
You pay nothing unless we win. When we win, federal law requires the other side to pay our attorney fees. You pay nothing out of pocket at any point.