Is This Debt Collector Legitimate?
Check the company, the claimed debt, and the payment request before sharing money or private information.
Read the guide →Resources
Official sources we trust. Each link opens the agency or organization's own website.
Find free and low-cost legal help near you
Search by ZIP code for free legal aid, self-help, and lawyer referral resources in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
Practical guides before you follow an outside link
Checklists to help you organize the problem and find the right official resource.
Sued for Debt? Organize Your Next Steps
Identify the court and required response, organize your records, and prepare useful questions for qualified legal help.
Read the guide →Bank Account Frozen by a Creditor?
Find out why funds are held, identify protected deposits, and locate the applicable exemption or hearing process.
Read the guide →Wage garnishment
- U.S. Department of LaborFact Sheet #30: Wage garnishment protections of the CCPA (opens in a new tab)
Federal limits on how much of your pay can be garnished, with exceptions.
- Consumer Financial Protection BureauCan a debt collector take or garnish my wages or benefits? (opens in a new tab)
When collectors can garnish wages or benefits and how to claim protections.
- Consumer Financial Protection BureauCan a debt collector take my Social Security or VA benefits? (opens in a new tab)
Which federal benefits are protected and the two-month bank rule.
- U.S. Department of LaborWage garnishment (opens in a new tab)
Overview of federal wage garnishment law and enforcement.
Your rights with debt collectors
- Consumer Financial Protection BureauDebt collection (opens in a new tab)
What collectors can and cannot do, and how to respond to them.
- Consumer Financial Protection BureauWhat information does a debt collector have to give me? (opens in a new tab)
What a validation notice must include and how to dispute a debt.
- Consumer Financial Protection BureauWhat should I do if I'm sued by a debt collector or creditor? (opens in a new tab)
Why responding by the court deadline matters.
- Federal Trade CommissionDebt collection FAQs (opens in a new tab)
Answers to common questions about collection calls, letters, and disputes.
Free and low-cost legal help
- Legal Services CorporationFind legal aid near you (opens in a new tab)
Search by address to find a legal aid office funded by LSC.
- LawHelp.orgLegal information and forms by state (opens in a new tab)
State-by-state guides, court forms, and legal aid directories.
Courts, credit, and bankruptcy
- USA.govState, county, and municipal courts (opens in a new tab)
Links to state court websites, local rules, forms, and self-help centers.
- U.S. CourtsBankruptcy basics (opens in a new tab)
How Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy work, from the federal judiciary.
- AnnualCreditReport.comGet your free credit reports (opens in a new tab)
The official site for free reports from all three credit bureaus.
- Consumer Financial Protection BureauAdvisory opinion: suits on time-barred debt (opens in a new tab)
CFPB position that collectors may not sue on time-barred debt.
Local rules matter
Deadlines, forms, and filing fees differ by state and by court. Always confirm details with your court clerk, a self-help center, or a licensed attorney.
Facing wage garnishment?
Learn what federal law protects and where state rules come in.