Turnbull Law Group Complaints: Your Legal Options If You Were Overcharged

Key Takeaways

  • Turnbull Law Group has 115 BBB complaints in the last three years, with 38 closed in the last 12 months, according to public BBB records as of June 2026
  • Multiple documented consumers paid thousands in fees while receiving little or no actual debt relief, according to BBB complaints and reporting by Atlanta News First and NBC Chicago
  • The Georgia Attorney General’s consumer protection division has confirmed a pending investigation into both Turnbull Law Group and Freedom Debt Relief (Atlanta News First, March 10, 2026)
  • Federal and Illinois laws give consumers the right to pursue compensation if a debt relief company collects fees without delivering results
  • 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.

A woman named Ford had about $40,000 in debt when she found Turnbull Law Group. She was drawn to the name. It said “Law Group,” and that felt reassuring. A representative told her the debt could be cut in half. She signed up and started making monthly payments. Over 18 months, she paid Turnbull more than $13,000. Of that total, only $2,300 went toward her actual debt. The rest went to fees. When she finally understood what had happened, she hired a personal attorney to untangle her finances. That attorney did what Turnbull had not. (NBC Chicago, October 9, 2023)

Her story is not from last week. It is from 2023. But the complaints have not stopped. Since then, consumers across the country have filed 115 complaints with the BBB in the last three years alone, with 38 closed in the last 12 months, according to public BBB records as of June 2026. The same patterns keep showing up. Fees collected. Little or no debt settled. Refunds denied.

On top of that, the Georgia Attorney General’s consumer protection division has confirmed a pending investigation into both Turnbull Law Group and its phone-answering partner, Freedom Debt Relief. No charges have been filed, and no enforcement action has been announced as of March 2026. (Atlanta News First, March 10, 2026) But if Turnbull overcharged you, you do not have to wait for a government action to pursue your own claim.

The Record Against Turnbull Law Group

  • Company: Turnbull Law Group NJ, LLC / Turnbull Law Group LLC
  • Headquarters: 1431 Opus Place, Suite 110, Downers Grove, IL 60515 (BBB.org)
  • Additional offices: 332 S Michigan Ave, Suite 900, Chicago, IL and 211 W Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL (BBB.org)
  • Licensed in: 37 states, per Christopher Turnbull’s statement to Atlanta News First, December 30, 2025
  • Fee charged: 28% of total enrolled debt. Breakdown: 4.5% legal retainer plus 23.5% for non-legal services (Atlanta News First, March 10, 2026)
  • Program length: 24 to 48 months (turnbulllawgroupnj.com)
  • BBB status: Not accredited. BBB placed an alert on the company in November 2020. BBB requested fee disclosures and written agreements. Turnbull refused to provide them. (BBB.org)
  • BBB complaints: 115 total in the last three years. 38 closed in the last 12 months. (BBB.org, verified June 9, 2026)
  • Complaint patterns on record: Fees collected with little or no debt relief delivered. Accounts debited after cancellation. Creditor lawsuits filed against enrolled consumers. Refund requests declined. (BBB.org complaints)
  • Pending investigation: Georgia Attorney General’s consumer protection division. Confirmed quote: “Turnbull Law Group as well as Freedom Debt Relief are currently part of a pending investigation.” (Atlanta News First, March 10, 2026)
  • Back-office partner: Freedom Debt Relief answers Turnbull’s calls and handles administrative and customer service functions, per Freedom Debt Relief’s own statement (Atlanta News First, March 10, 2026)

What Turnbull Law Group Consumers Are Complaining About

1. Fees That Far Exceeded the Debt Relief Delivered

The complaint record tells a consistent story. Consumers enroll expecting their monthly payments to go toward creditors. They later discover that most of the money went to Turnbull’s fees instead.

One consumer enrolled with more than $30,000 in debt. She made 11 payments of $550 each, totaling $6,050. More than half of that went to fees. In all that time, Turnbull could not settle even one account that owed less than $1,500. She received zero debt relief and asked for a full refund. Turnbull refused. The company told her in its BBB response that the fees were “earned” because settlements had been negotiated, even though all of those settlements later fell through. (BBB complaint #24556015, consumer answer March 14, 2026)

Another consumer was paying $450 a month. She later checked her records and found that only $106 of the three monthly payments had gone toward actual debt. The other $334 per payment went to fees. She said no one had explained the fee breakdown before she enrolled. (BBB complaint, May 1, 2026)

A metro Atlanta woman paid Turnbull $7,700 in total. According to invoices reviewed by Atlanta News First Investigates, approximately $6,600 of that went to fees. Only around $1,100 reached her creditors. She filed complaints with the Georgia Attorney General, the Illinois State Bar, and the State Bar of Georgia. Only after escalating to all three agencies did she receive an undisclosed partial refund. (Atlanta News First, December 30, 2025)

2. Creditor Lawsuits Filed Against Enrolled Consumers

Some consumers report something even more serious. They were actively enrolled, making monthly payments, and believed Turnbull was handling their accounts. Then a creditor filed a lawsuit against them anyway.

One consumer received a court subpoena on February 17, 2026, for a debt she had specifically contracted Turnbull to settle. A court case was now moving forward against her. She alleged in her BBB complaint that Turnbull had not fulfilled its obligation to resolve that account. (BBB complaint #24536798, February 17, 2026)

3. Accounts Debited After Cancellation

Canceling the program did not always stop the payments. One consumer’s mother signed up on a Saturday and decided to cancel by Monday. She sent an email and a certified letter. Turnbull acknowledged both. Three days later, the company still debited her account and continued sending active program emails. (BBB complaint #24743883, April 13, 2026)

Another consumer completed Turnbull’s program, paid off all enrolled debts, and graduated. Turnbull then continued debiting her account for weeks after graduation. The company also had nearly $7,000 in excess funds sitting in its account that it did not return promptly. (SoloSuit.com, January 2026)

4. Wrong Debts Enrolled on a Representative’s Advice

One consumer was advised by a Turnbull representative to include a student loan with a remaining balance of $1,500 in the program. Student loans are generally not eligible for debt settlement. The loan went into default as a result. That default damaged the consumer’s credit and stayed on his record. (BBB complaint #24849524, May 14, 2026)

What the Public Record Shows About Turnbull Law Group

1. The BBB Complaint Pattern

The BBB placed an alert on Turnbull Law Group following a November 2020 investigation. When the BBB requested fee disclosures and written agreements from the company, Turnbull refused to provide them. The BBB stated it could not offer confidence in the company’s business practices as a result. Turnbull is not BBB accredited. (BBB.org; SoloSuit.com, January 2026)

2. The Georgia AG Investigation

A spokesperson for the Georgia Attorney General’s consumer protection division confirmed to Atlanta News First that both Turnbull Law Group and Freedom Debt Relief are currently part of a pending investigation. The spokesperson declined to comment further. No charges have been filed, and no enforcement action has been announced as of March 2026. (Atlanta News First, March 10, 2026)

3. What a Consumer Advocate Said

Liz Coyle is the Executive Director of Georgia Watch, a statewide nonprofit consumer advocacy organization. She told Atlanta News First: “These law firms that claim that they’re going to help people get out of debt… almost certainly they’re making those people’s lives significantly worse, leaving them in even more debt and worse because their business model is to encourage the consumer to stop paying the creditor.” (Atlanta News First, December 30, 2025)

Your Legal Options If Turnbull Law Group Overcharged You

Signs You May Have a Legal Claim

You may be entitled to compensation if Turnbull Law Group:

    • Charged fees before settling any of your enrolled debts, which may violate the FTC Telemarketing Sales Rule
    • Did not provide a clear written fee breakdown before you signed your enrollment agreement
    • Collected fees that were disproportionate to any debt relief actually delivered
    • Debited your account after you submitted a valid written cancellation notice
    • Failed to respond to a creditor lawsuit even though your contract required legal representation
    • Enrolled accounts on a representative’s advice that caused lasting credit damage

How to File a Complaint Against Turnbull Law Group

If you believe Turnbull Law Group overcharged you, you can file complaints with the following agencies:

Filing a complaint with these agencies does not prevent you from also pursuing a private legal claim. Both can run at the same time.

Federal and State Laws That Apply

1. Credit Repair Organizations Act (CROA), 15 U.S.C. §§1679 through 1679j

A debt relief company cannot collect fees before it delivers results. A written contract must be provided before any services begin. If those rules were violated, you may be entitled to actual damages plus punitive damages. Attorney fees are recoverable under this law, which means you do not need money up front to pursue a claim. (JCL croa-claims)

2. FTC Telemarketing Sales Rule, 16 CFR § 310.4

A debt relief company cannot charge fees until at least one debt has been settled and the consumer has made at least one payment toward that settlement. If Turnbull collected fees from you before any debt was resolved, that may already be a federal violation. (JCL croa-claims)

3. Illinois Consumer Fraud Act, 815 ILCS 505

This law covers deceptive business practices and allows you to recover actual damages plus attorney fees. Courts may apply enhanced penalties when the conduct targets financially vulnerable consumers. The statute of limitations is three years. (JCL consumer-fraud-protection)

4. FDCPA, 15 U.S.C. §1692k

If a debt collector contacted you in a way that violated your rights, you may be entitled to up to $1,000 in statutory damages plus attorney fees. The statute of limitations is one year from the violation. (JCL debt-collector-harassment)

5. What Evidence to Gather Right Now

The sooner you gather your records, the stronger your position. Start with these:

      • Your original enrollment contract: This shows the fee terms you agreed to
      • All fee statements and payment records: these document what you paid versus what went to creditors
      • Every email and call log from Turnbull: these show what was promised versus what was delivered
      • Your credit reports from the enrollment period: these show any damage caused by stopping creditor payments
      • Any bank statements showing debits that occurred after you submitted a cancellation request
      • Any documents from creditors received while enrolled: lawsuits, subpoenas, or default judgments

Better Alternatives to Turnbull Law Group

Alternative Cost Credit Impact Success Rate Time to Complete
Nonprofit Credit Counseling Free to $50 per month Neutral to Positive High 3 to 5 years
Direct Creditor Negotiation $0 Varies Moderate to High 6 to 18 months
Chapter 7 Bankruptcy $1,500 to $3,000 Negative initially, recovers faster Very High 4 to 6 months
Turnbull Law Group 28% of enrolled debt Very Negative Not guaranteed 24 to 48 months

 

1. Nonprofit Credit Counseling

    • Free or low-cost help with no credit damage required
    • Debt management plans that keep your credit intact
    • Find approved counselors at justice.gov

2. Direct Creditor Negotiation

    • Call your creditors directly at no cost
    • No fees paid to any third party
    • Many creditors prefer working directly with consumers

3. Legal Consultation

Why Justice Consumer Law

Exclusive Consumer Protection Focus: We only handle cases against companies like Turnbull Law Group that are accused of violating consumer rights.

No Risk to You: Our no-cost guarantee means you pay nothing unless we recover money from Turnbull Law Group or another company that harmed you.

Experience with Debt Relief Cases: We understand the specific tactics companies like Turnbull Law Group are accused of using, including alleged fee nondisclosure, post-cancellation debits, failure to respond to creditor lawsuits, and fees collected with little or no debt relief delivered.

Maximum Recovery: We fight to recover every dollar you may be entitled to under federal and Illinois consumer protection laws.

Take Action Today

Turnbull Law Group has had 115 BBB complaints in the last three years. The Georgia Attorney General has confirmed a pending investigation. Multiple consumers across different states have documented paying thousands of dollars in fees while receiving little or no debt relief in return. If that happened to you, your legal options are available right now.

Contact Justice Consumer Law today:

    • Free consultation to review your Turnbull Law Group case
    • No attorney fees unless we recover money for you
    • Experienced representation against debt relief companies accused of violating consumer rights

Remember: Time limits on legal claims are strict. The sooner you act, the more options you have.

FAQs

Do I need to wait for the Georgia AG investigation to finish before I can take legal action?

No. A government investigation and a private legal claim are two separate things. You can pursue your own claim right now without waiting for the Georgia AG to take action. Contact an attorney to review your situation.

What if Turnbull Law Group says the fees were legally earned?

Turnbull has told multiple BBB complainants that fees were earned because settlements had been negotiated. Whether that argument holds up legally depends on the specific facts of your case and whether the fee timing complied with the FTC Telemarketing Sales Rule and the Credit Repair Organizations Act. An attorney can review those facts with you.

How long do I have to file a claim against Turnbull Law Group?

It depends on the type of claim. Illinois Consumer Fraud Act claims carry a three-year limit. FDCPA claims carry a one-year limit. Other federal claims carry different deadlines. Contact an attorney as soon as possible so you do not miss your window.

What if I already canceled my Turnbull contract?

Canceling does not waive your right to pursue a legal claim. If fees were collected before any debt was settled, if your account was debited after cancellation, or if you suffered other harm during enrollment, you may still have legal options available. Gather your records and contact an attorney.

How does Justice Consumer Law’s no-cost guarantee work?

You pay no attorney fees unless we win. When we win, federal law requires the other side to pay our legal fees. You pay nothing out of pocket.

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