Illinois Consumer Law Lawyer

What is an Illinois Consumer Law Lawyer?

An Illinois Consumer Law Lawyer is an attorney, barred in the State of Illinois, who represents clients in civil actions against businesses that have violated either state or federal consumer protection laws. Consumer protection laws are designed to protect the public from unfair practices by businesses and corporations including predatory lending, deceptive trade practices, fraudulent advertising, unscrupulous contracts, and many others.

What are Consumer Protection Laws?

Consumer protection law is a broad term that describes both the federal and state governments’ regulations to protect both consumers and business by enforcing fair trade practices and truthfulness in the marketplace. Consumer protection laws involve antitrust; food and drugs; banking; communications; real estate; health insurance; and digital media; among other things. On the federal level these statutes and regulations are enforced by the Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice. Violations of Illinois’ own consumer protection laws are regulated by the Office of the Attorney General. The Office of the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division. This division is divided into the Consumer Fraud Bureau; Charitable Trust Bureau; Franchise Bureau; Health Care Bureau; and the Military and Veterans Rights Bureau.

On the federal level a number of statutes exist to protect consumers such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act, The Truth in Lending Act, and the Consumer Protection Act. These deal with lending institutions but there are many more that encompass every area of consumer rights.

Illinois Consumer Law lawyers represent plaintiffs in actions against businesses in civil suits, in conjunction with the federal or state prosecution, for damages due to these unfair trade practices. Illinois Consumer Law Lawyers represent clients who have been damaged by unfair trade practices that can include lemon laws, failure to warn, manufacturing and design defects in products liability, fair housing violations, and numerous other cases where the consumers rights have been violated due to, among other things, the gross imbalance of power in the marketplace that business has over the consumer.

Illinois’ Office of the Attorney General will permit you to file a complaint online through www.ag.state.il.us by downloading one of three complaint forms to be filed with the Consumer Protection Division. The Attorney General’s website also offers a link to a number of legal aid and referral services where you can find an Illinois Consumer Law Lawyer to help you litigate against companies that have violated consumer laws.

Why do I need an Illinois Consumer Law Lawyer?

Whenever you are dealing with a violation of your rights by a business entity it is important that you have an Illinois Consumer Law Lawyer on your side. Corporations often believe themselves to be above the law and regulations associated with accurately representing their product or following regulations to protect consumers. Business’ hide their unfair practices in pages of fine print in contracts and warranties. An Illinois Consumer Law Lawyer can see through legalizing and upholding your rights as a consumer. Many lawsuits that deal with unfair practices by businesses go to court in the form of class action lawsuits in which a number of clients, sometimes in the thousands, will be represented by an Illinois Consumer Law Lawyer. These actions are prevalent in suits involving failure to warn on consumer products and pharmaceutical products. An Illinois Consumer Law Lawyer will be able to help you get the justice you deserve, and at the very least, intimidate the business to settle the case without going to court.

Where do I find an Illinois Consumer Law Lawyer?

If you are a resident of Illinois or your cause of action arose out of your dealings with the State of Illinois and you have been a victim of violations of consumer protection laws then you should seek representation from an Illinois Consumer Law Lawyer. Almost all Illinois Consumer Law Lawyers have websites that can be easily accessed through a simple internet search. These websites will often give detailed descriptions of the Illinois Consumer Law lawyer’s education, certificates, areas of practice, and results that they have attained through representing clients.

www.ilf.isba.org is an ABA recognized referral service that helps individuals find Consumer Law Lawyers, among other lawyer. The service is free to use and can be very helpful in retaining Illinois consumer law lawyers. You can also contact the service by calling 888-641-1806. Once that is done someone from the Illinois Lawyer Referral service will contact you to refer you to Illinois consumer law lawyers in your area that will be helpful. By using the referral service you will receive a 30 minute consultation with an Illinois consumer law lawyer for a minimum of $25. The service provides referrals for all types of consumer issues including lemon laws; breach of contract; collection agency harassment; credit issues; and repossessions. You can also access the Attorney General’s Office at www.ag.state.il.us which will direct you to a number of legal aid services in your area that will help you find Illinois Consumer Law Lawyers in your area.

Laws-Info.com has a valuable referral service. Clicking on the “find a lawyer” link and you will be able to access the laws.com referral service. Put in your name, contact information, location, and a brief description of your legal problem and laws.com will be able to put you connect with Illinois Consumer Law Lawyers in your area that will help you.

What Questions to Ask an Illinois Consumer Law Lawyer?

When you meet with your Illinois Consumer Law Lawyer you will want to have a number of questions prepared to ask. You should interview at least 3 Illinois Consumer Law Lawyers to determine which one is right for you. Some examples of questions that you may want to ask are:

■ How long have you been practicing consumer law in Illinois?

■ What is your trial experience and record?

■ How many of your cases settle and what have been the results?

■ What is the main issue with my case?

■ What problems do you see in my case?

■ Where did you go to law school?

■ How many cases like mine have you handled and what were the results?

■ What are your rates?