Consumer Law

CTM Legal Group was founded with a passion for empowering the working class. In that vein, protecting our clients’ rights in the marketplace has been a cornerstone of our practice from day one. Consumer law encompasses a vast variety of law, but at its focus, consumer law is about protecting the everyday consumer from unfair or deceptive practices by unscrupulous businesses. Your rights as a consumer are powerful, but you must utilize them. Our firm is committed to helping our clients assert their consumer rights properly and forcefully. Whether you are buying or selling a home or purchasing everyday goods and services, there are numerous laws that that surround the transaction. The experienced attorneys at CTM Legal Group can assist you in these matters and protect your rights.

We are all consumers and we all engage in purchasing goods and services on a regular basis. Making smart purchases and protecting your financial well-being can be overwhelming especially in a constantly changing environment. Debt collectors may use harassment and other unscrupulous tactics that are prohibited by federal and state law. CTM Legal Group can help fight these tactics. We can also help you evaluate whether bankruptcy might be the best solution to stop the constant collection attempts. You may also have a dispute with a company regarding deceptive practices in the marketplace, or even a dispute over a bill that has gone too far.. Some of our clients have been the victim of deceptive trade practices by unreputable or illegitimate businesses, while others have simply been unfairly charged for goods or services that were not provided or were otherwise unsatisfactory. Whether you are a victim of consumer fraud, or merely are engaged in a dispute that is costing you money or negatively impacting your credit, CTM Legal Group can help you. Our attorneys have experience with consumer disputes of all kinds, and we have helped hundreds of clients assert their rights.

Clients should be mindful that consumer law issues can often involve one or more other practice areas listed below.  

Consumer Rights Litigation

We are all consumers and we all engage in purchasing goods and services on a regular basis. Making smart purchases and protecting your financial well-being can be overwhelming especially in the constantly changing environment. Whether you are the victim of debt collectors using illegal tactics or the victim of deceptive practices by a merchant, CTM Legal Group can help you. Fortunately, there are many laws that protect consumers from deceptive companies and debt collectors. Our attorneys are experienced with the state and federal laws and have helped hundreds of clients deal with deceptive companies and illegal debt collection activities.

Real Estate Transactions

The real estate attorneys at CTM Legal Group have regularly represented both individual and institutional buyers and sellers of real estate. We are committed to providing our real estate clients cost-effective representation with maximum peace of mind.

For most people, the day they buy or sell a home is one of the most important days of their financial lives. Buying or selling your home should be a time of happy transition. However, real estate transactions involve complexities that can turn a sale or purchase into a stressful challenge.

Typically, in any residential real estate transaction, the buyer is excited to be buying and the seller is eager to sell. However, neither party wants ugly surprises down the road. Your real estate attorney’s job is to do everything possible to avoid ugly surprises. Unlike the realtors, lender, or the person on the other side of your sale, your attorney has no incentive to upsell you or pressure you to close the deal. In fact, your attorney is duty-bound to recommend you walk away from the sale if they feel it is your best option. This is why so many people seek the peace of mind of having their own attorney when buying or selling their home.

CTM Legal Group attorneys include the following services to home buyers and sellers at an affordable one-time flat rate:

Buyers:

• Work with the real estate agents to ensure the real estate purchase reflects the parties’ intent;
• Negotiate with the seller’s attorney to ensure the contract is fair and protects your interests;
• Ensure that the seller makes the repairs to the home that he or she is required to make under the contract;
• Assist and answer questions about the lending process and documents, and communicate with the lender as needed;
• Review the documents the buyer will be expected to sign at closing;
• Attend the closing, where we will explain the documents to you as you sign and ensure you walk away with clean and clear title to your new home.

Sellers:

• Work with the real estate agents to ensure the real estate purchase reflects the parties’ intent;
• Negotiate with the buyer’s attorney to ensure the contract is fair and protects your interests;
• Clear clouds on title and obtain a title insurance commitment that will permit you to provide clear title at closing;
• Monitor the buyer’s compliance with their end of the contract;
• Prepare the documents necessary to complete the transaction;
• Work with local tax and water authorities to ensure a smooth transition of the property to new ownership.

Most importantly, CTM Legal Group believes real estate representation goes beyond checking off a list of tasks. Unlike many of our competitors, at CTM Legal Group you will not be handed off to a paralegal the day that you decide to engage our firm. Your real estate attorney will be intimately involved with your transaction from day one. We believe that the most important thing we provide to a client in a real estate transaction is piece of mind. This means your attorney is always available to discuss your upcoming sale or purchase. We love clients who ask questions, and we endeavor to have you breezing through your closing with confidence.

Tenant’s Rights

Few business relationships can be as tumultuous as the relationship between a tenant and his or her landlord. Tenants in Illinois enjoy some strong legal protections. Unfortunately, very few tenants really understand what their rights are. As a result, landlords often get away with unscrupulous and even abusive conduct toward their tenants. We strongly believe that the working class deserves fair treatment from their landlord. This means the right to live in a safe home, peaceful enjoyment of the home without undue entry by the landlord, fair dealings in payment of rent, and a timely return of any security deposit funds put down by the tenant. We love advocating for abused tenants. If you are a current or former tenant, and you believe your landlord is taking advantage of you, our attorneys want to hear your story.

Debt Defense and Bankruptcy

Unexpected circumstances, such as job loss, major illnesses or injuries, can cause debt to pile up. With a diminished income you may feel trapped with nowhere to turn. Under overwhelming pressure, these financial problems can quickly become mental and even physical burdens. No matter what troublesome financial situation you find yourself in, the legal system most likely provides you a clear, safe and sensible course back to financial health. The attorneys at CTM Legal Group have helped hundreds of distressed consumers navigate their way through difficult financial straits. Our attorneys include career-long bankruptcy practitioners as well as former creditor attorneys who now represent people in financial difficulty.

If you find yourself in such a situation, don’t try to “go it alone.” Your creditors have great attorneys and know their rights well. Even the playing field and give us a call. In a free one-hour consultation, an attorney can provide you with:

• An Honest Assessment of your Situation.
• Answers to Questions you have about your Legal Rights.
• A Plan for attacking your situation, reducing your legal risk, and minimizing your financial liability.

In many cases, a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy may be your best course of action. CTM Legal Group attorneys have years of combined experience with bankruptcy, who are ready to fight to get you a fresh start.