Key Takeaways
- Turnbull Law Group charges 28% of your total enrolled debt in fees, broken down as 4.5% for a legal retainer and 23.5% for non-legal services. On $100,000 in enrolled debt, that comes to $28,000 in fees regardless of how much your balances are actually reduced. (Atlanta News First, December 30, 2025)
- The debt settlement industry standard is 15% to 25% of enrolled debt. Turnbull’s 28% sits above that range. (debt.org, February 5, 2026)
- Georgia law caps debt relief fees at 7.5% of the monthly payment to creditors under the Georgia Debt Adjustment Act, O.C.G.A. Section 18-5-1. Turnbull claims a law firm exemption under §18-5-3 to charge more. (consumer.georgia.gov)
- Both Turnbull Law Group and Freedom Debt Relief are currently part of a pending investigation by the Georgia Attorney General’s consumer protection division (Atlanta News First, March 10, 2026)
- 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 metro Atlanta woman fell behind on credit card bills after she and her husband relocated. She had found a new job, but her husband was still looking for work. One income was not enough to keep up with their payments. She searched online for help and found Turnbull Law Group.
She signed a contract agreeing to pay 28% of her total debt in fees. She expected that money to go toward paying her creditors. Over several months, she paid Turnbull $7,700 in total. According to invoices reviewed by Atlanta News First Investigates, approximately $6,600 of that went to the firm’s fees. Only around $1,100 reached her actual creditors. She filed complaints with the Georgia Attorney General’s consumer protection division, 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)
Other consumers report the same problem. BBB complaints on file show people paying hundreds of dollars a month, only to find most of it went to fees rather than debt. 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.
The Georgia Attorney General’s consumer protection division has confirmed a pending investigation into both Turnbull Law Group and 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) Consumers may still pursue individual claims under federal and Illinois laws.
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)
- Fee is based on total original enrolled debt, not on the amount actually settled (Atlanta News First, December 30, 2025)
- Georgia law cap: 7.5% of the monthly payment to creditors under O.C.G.A. Section 18-5-1. Turnbull claims a law firm exemption under §18-5-3. (consumer.georgia.gov)
- 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)
- 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 Actually Charges
1. The 28% Fee and What It Means in Dollars
Turnbull Law Group charges 28% of your total original enrolled debt. That figure is set when you sign. It stays fixed whether your debts are fully resolved, partially settled, or not settled at all. (Atlanta News First, December 30, 2025)
Here is what that looks like in real numbers. Enrolling $14,000 means Turnbull collects $3,920 in fees. Enrolling $30,000 means $8,400 in fees. Enrolling $100,000 means $28,000 in fees, regardless of how much your creditors actually accept. (getoutofdebt.org, March 11, 2026)
That 28% is split two ways. A 4.5% legal retainer covers attorney representation. The other 23.5% goes toward what Turnbull calls “non-legal law-related services.” (Atlanta News First, March 10, 2026) That means more than four-fifths of the fee is not paying for legal work.
2. How the Fee Compares to the Industry
Turnbull’s 28% is higher than what most debt settlement companies charge. The industry standard runs between 15% and 25% of enrolled debt. (debt.org, February 5, 2026) The most common structure sits between 15% and 20%. (getoutofdebt.org, March 16, 2026) Bankrate confirmed in a March 2026 analysis that fees in this industry typically stay within that 15% to 25% range. (Bankrate, March 11, 2026)
The difference shows up clearly on a $30,000 enrollment. Industry fees on that amount typically run between $4,500 and $7,500. (getoutofdebt.org, March 6, 2026) At Turnbull’s 28%, the same enrollment produces $8,400 in fees. That is higher than the top of the standard range.
3. What Georgia Law Says About These Fees
Georgia’s Debt Adjustment Act, O.C.G.A. Section 18-5-1, caps debt relief fees at 7.5% of the monthly payment a consumer makes to creditors. (consumer.georgia.gov) That limit applies to debt adjustment companies operating in the state.
The gap between that cap and Turnbull’s fee is significant. On a $100,000 enrollment, the 7.5% cap would allow a maximum of roughly $7,500 in fees. Turnbull charges $28,000 on that same amount. The difference is $20,500 that comes from the consumer’s pocket, not from the creditor. (getoutofdebt.org, March 11, 2026)
Georgia’s statute includes one exemption. Section §18-5-3 says the fee cap does not apply to “debt adjusting incurred in the practice of law.” (consumer.georgia.gov) Turnbull argues that the exemption applies to its business because it is a law firm. The Georgia Attorney General has not yet publicly resolved whether that argument is valid. The investigation remains pending as of March 2026.
4. How Turnbull Justifies the Charge
Christopher Turnbull told Atlanta News First that the law firm exemption applies because his firm employs Georgia attorneys who represent clients. He said the firm is licensed in 37 states and has helped 17,000 Georgians settle $380 million in debt since 2018. He also said the firm does not collect fees before delivering results. (Atlanta News First, December 30, 2025)
Not everyone agrees with that view. 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)
What Consumers Paid vs. What They Got
1. Three Documented Cases
The metro Atlanta woman is not the only consumer whose experience is documented in the public record. Two others tell a similar story.
Victoria Walker was an IT analyst in Atlanta. She was between jobs when she enrolled $14,000 in debt with Turnbull. At 28%, the firm would have collected around $3,920 in fees. She spoke to her assigned attorney one time. That was the intake call. She never heard from that attorney again. She came across the Atlanta News First investigation online, understood what the fees would cost her, and canceled. That decision saved her an estimated $4,000. (Atlanta News First, March 10, 2026)
A third consumer filed a BBB complaint in February 2026. He had more than $30,000 in debt. He made 11 payments of $550 each, totaling $6,050. He reported that 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. He received zero debt relief. He asked for a full refund. Turnbull refused, saying in its BBB response that the fees were “earned” because five settlements had been negotiated, even though all five later fell through. (BBB complaint #24556015, consumer answer March 14, 2026)
2. What the BBB Record Shows
The pattern continues in other BBB complaints. One consumer was paying $450 a month. She later found that only $106 of the three monthly payments had gone toward actual debt. The other $334 per payment went to fees. She also said no clear fee breakdown had been given before she enrolled. (BBB complaint, May 1, 2026) Others asked for refunds of thousands of dollars after months of payments produced no results. Turnbull declined those requests, stating in each BBB response that the fees had been “earned.” (BBB complaint #24556015, business response March 6, 2026)
Why This Fee Structure Is a Red Flag
1. You Pay on Total Debt, Not Settled Amount
Most debt settlement companies base their fees on the amount they actually settle on your behalf. Turnbull bases its 28% on your total original enrolled balance from the moment you sign. (Atlanta News First, December 30, 2025) If your program ends early, if settlements fall through, or if accounts are not resolved, the fee is not reduced. You owe it based on what you enrolled, not on what gets done.
2. Stopping Creditor Payments Damages Your Credit
Turnbull’s program, like most debt settlement programs, requires you to stop paying your creditors when you enroll. Accounts then go delinquent and eventually show up as charge-offs on your credit report. (getoutofdebt.org, March 6, 2026) One BBB complainant reported that several of her accounts moved into charge-off status while she was enrolled, and her credit score dropped as a result. (BBB complaint, May 1, 2026) Industry data shows debt settlement programs typically cause a 75 to 150 point credit score drop, with recovery taking two to four years after the program ends. (debtprepai.com, December 2025)
3. The 23.5% Is Not Legal Work
Only 4.5% of Turnbull’s 28% fee covers the legal retainer. The remaining 23.5% pays for what Turnbull calls “non-legal law-related services.” (Atlanta News First, March 10, 2026) When you call Turnbull, the phone is not answered by a Turnbull attorney. It is answered by Freedom Debt Relief. That company described its own role to Atlanta News First as providing “non-legal administrative services to Turnbull Law Group and its clients by providing administrative and customer service support, including answering and routing calls.” (Freedom Debt Relief statement to Atlanta News First, March 10, 2026) Most of what you pay is funding that operation, not direct legal representation.
Your Legal Options Against Turnbull Law Group
1. Claims You May Be Able to File
You may be entitled to compensation if Turnbull Law Group:
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- Collected 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 disproportionate to any debt relief actually delivered
- Debited your account after you submitted a written cancellation notice
- Enrolled your accounts on a representative’s advice, which caused credit damage
2. Federal and State Laws That Apply
2.1 Credit Repair Organizations Act (CROA), 15 U.S.C. §§1679 through 1679j
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- A debt relief company cannot collect fees before it delivers results
- A written contract must be provided before any services begin
- Violations may entitle you to actual damages plus punitive damages
- Attorney fees are recoverable, so pursuing a claim costs you nothing up front
2.2 Illinois Consumer Fraud Act
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- Covers deceptive business practices and allows recovery of actual damages plus attorney fees
- Courts may apply enhanced penalties when practices target financially vulnerable consumers
- Statute of limitations: three years (JCL website)
2.3 FTC Telemarketing Sales Rule, 16 CFR § 310.4
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- Debt relief companies cannot charge fees until at least one debt has been settled and the consumer has made at least one payment toward that settlement
- If fees were collected before any debt was resolved, that may already be a federal violation
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
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- 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
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- Call your creditors directly at no cost
- No fees paid to any third party
- Many creditors prefer working directly with consumers
3. Legal Consultation
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- Bankruptcy often costs far less than years of settlement program fees
- Provides immediate legal protection from creditors and active lawsuits
- Our page on debt settlement versus bankruptcy versus legal defense walks through all three options clearly
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, fees collected with little or no debt relief delivered, and charges that consumers allege were disproportionate to results.
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 charges 28% of your enrolled debt in fees. The Georgia Attorney General has confirmed a pending investigation into the company, according to Atlanta News First reporting from March 10, 2026. The public BBB record shows 115 complaints in the last three years. If the company’s fee structure harmed you, your legal options are available right now.
Contact Justice Consumer Law today:
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- 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: There are strict time limits on legal claims. The sooner you act, the more options you have.
FAQs
Is Turnbull Law Group’s 28% fee legal?
Turnbull claims its fee structure is legal under a law firm exemption in Georgia’s Debt Adjustment Act. The Georgia Attorney General has confirmed a pending investigation into both Turnbull and Freedom Debt Relief as of March 2026. No charges have been filed. If you believe the fee structure harmed you, contact an attorney to review your situation.
Why is 28% higher than what other debt settlement companies charge?
The industry standard runs between 15% and 25% of enrolled debt. Turnbull’s 28% is above that range. The fee is also calculated on your total original enrolled balance, not on what actually gets settled, so it stays fixed even if results fall short.
How long do I have to take legal action over Turnbull’s fees?
Illinois Consumer Fraud Act claims carry a three-year limit. Other federal claims carry different deadlines. Contact an attorney as soon as possible so you do not miss your window.
What evidence do I need to challenge Turnbull Law Group’s fees?
Gather your enrollment contract, all fee statements, payment records, emails, and call notes, and your credit reports showing damage during enrollment. If fees were collected before any debt was settled, document that timeline carefully.
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.