BBB Business Profiles are subject to change at any time. /Type /Page Fax (877) 300-6215. The text of the call script for Option 1 Legal and for Monarch are the same, except for the law firm name. The endobj /Type /Page >> 29 YEARS OF OPERATION 2,227 EMPLOYEES 72,097 UNITS 305 COMMUNITIES 20 STATES Acknowledging the harm that debt resolution programs create for consumers with debt and credit issues, governments have increased regulation in this area. /Parent 12 0 R Strategic drives these unfair and deceptive programs but uses its supposed law firm partners as a front to avoid regulation. 15 0 obj Monarchlegalgroup Reviews | Read Customer Service I was reassured that in 24 moths I would be able to get out of debt and conserve if not improve my credit score. In fact, at least insofar as the practices at issue here are concerned, Monarch does not provide legal advice or representation. Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said that Legal Helpers lawyers were a front to collect hefty fees from struggling consumers. Legal Helpers agreed to refund $2.1 million to Illinois consumers in a settlement. Monarch Law Group offers personal injury, commercial litigation, corporate law, matrimonial/family law and real estate legal services. endobj This is contrary to everything I was told on a monthly basis from them., d. One consumer requested that the company get a [b]etter protocol explaining to clients how they assess fees and refunds.. /Parent 10 0 R endobj As discussed in paragraph 36 above, customers pay a Retainer Fee (often around $1,000) and a monthly flat Legal Administration Fee (from $55 to $85). Monarchs website states that Timothy Burnette is the attorney responsible for the content of this Site.. Charles was born at Buckingham Palace on 14 November 1948 at BBB reports on known marketplace practices. *In Canada, trademark(s) of the International Association of Better Business Bureaus, used under License. Based on examples that the City has seen, the payment schedules include at least three omissions or deceptions. << /Resources 249 0 R /Type /Page The completed form will be automatically submitted to the State Inspector /CropBox [0 0 612 792] By the time Defendants began negotiating down the debt, the $910 debt had risen to $1,827.01. /Parent 12 0 R >> Defendants deceive vulnerable consumers in the process. /Annots [] /Annots [] >> /Type /Page 40 0 obj /Annots [] /Rotate 0 /Kids [55 0 R 56 0 R 57 0 R 58 0 R 59 0 R 60 0 R 61 0 R 62 0 R 63 0 R 64 0 R] I had been paying all of my credit cards both person and business. /CropBox [0 0 612 792] /Resources 85 0 R 23 0 obj The Citys investigation indicates that neither Monarch nor Strategic employ lawyers to handle Litigation Defense. Instead, Monarch acts as a referral service by attempting to contract with outside lawyers to handle those matters for small flat fees. Employee and customer online reviews suggest that Strategic works with as many as ten law firms:. << I followed the steps that Steve outlined in the blog post he linked below and I was able to get a refund of $14,000 from Monarch. /Count 10 The Ultimate Consumer Guide to Checking Out a Debt Relief Company Before You Sign On the Line, These Private Student Loans Can Be Easily Discharged in Bankruptcy, Top 10 Reasons You Should Stop Paying Your Unaffordable Private Student Loan. How to Get Out of Debt. Side Hustle Review - Is It Too Late To Make Money With A Helium Miner? Defendants purport to collect consumers income and expense information to determine their monthly payments. Reviews /Annots [] >> Defendants Do Not Provide Contracted-For Litigation Defense Services, Leaving Chicago Consumers to Defend Themselves in Court, Timothy Burnette Controlled and Directed Monarchs Conduct, Defendants Deceive Potential Customers by Posting Fake Reviews, Strategic Engages in Unfair and Deceptive Practices in its Debt Resolution Business Across the Country, https://brokercheck.finra.org/individual/summary/4890437, https://www.finra.org/rules- guidance/oversight-enforcement/finra-disciplinary-actions?search=2013035572001, Former Credit Counseling Executive and Serial Dirtbag, Andris Pukke Arrested, Litigation Practice Group Lawsuit by Business Partner All Service Financial We Want Our Money, Refunds Sent to Students Deceived by Student Advocates Debt Relief Scam, Clay Advisors Same Debt Consolidation Loan Mailer, Different Name, https://getoutofdebt.org//20126/how-to-try-to-get-refund-from-debt-relief-company, https://getoutofdebt.org/20126/how-to-try-to-get-a-refund-from-a-debt-relief-company, How to Get Out of Debt Without Getting Scammed and What to Do if You Have Been, The Beach Misses You: A Financial Fable For Happiness And Internal Peace, Get Out of Debt Guy Podcast - Reader Questions - AMEX Arrrgh, Getting Out of Debt and Making Lots of Extra Money is Easy When You Do This One FREE Thing, Is Your Debt Relief Company a Scam and How to Make an Extra $800 a Month to Make Ends Meet. RESPONSE: Complaint was not answered Many debt resolution businesseslike Strategic Financial Solutionshave not organized themselves as law firms. /Type /Page Reviews /Rotate 0 No statements on this website are intended to suggest or convey any guarantee, warranty, or prediction regarding the outcome of any legal matter. Timothy Burnette is, on information and belief, the sole member and manager of Burnette Legal Group, LLC d/b/a Monarch Legal Group. Legal /Resources 105 0 R But Defendants repeatedly break this promise and leave consumers to defend themselves in court, even though consumers pay hundreds to thousands of dollars in legal fees. get quotes and more. See 815 ILCS 505/2JJJ. << /MediaBox [0 0 612 792] The Citys investigation indicates that Defendants do not employ defense attorneys and often tell consumers to defend themselves. /Resources 181 0 R /CropBox [0 0 612 792] /CropBox [0 0 612 792] More egregiously, Monarch mischaracterizes the refund policy and uses it to induce consumers into joining the debt resolution program when they otherwise would decline to do so. Consumer complaints on the Better Business Bureaus website recount similar experiences: Consumers may be unable to access the typical methods for reporting attorney misconduct. /Type /Page The testimonials selected may include testimonials made by individual customers on the third-party sites. - 1:22-cv-03705) Do you agree with Monarchlegalgroup's TrustScore? 60 0 obj As a matter of policy, BBB does not endorse any product, service or business. /Resources << Suggested companies. ffxiv mastering magic iv; benefits of businesses giving back to the community; monarch legal group complaints. >> /CropBox [0 0 612 792] /Type /Page Complaint Form - Office of State Inspector General /Rotate 0 >> Defendants did not make any settlement payments from the consumers account. /Annots [] /MediaBox [0 0 612 792] /Parent 12 0 R On information and belief, Monarch and Strategic Financial Solutions primarily or even exclusively steer clients to the debt resolution program for two reasons. Monarch Legal Group is a private law firm and is not affiliated with any governmental agency, quasi-governmental agency, or charitable organization. If you choose to do business with this business, please let the business know that you contacted BBB for a BBB Business Profile. /Type /Page Your experience matters. BBB asks third parties who publish complaints, reviews and/or responses on this website to affirm that the information provided is accurate. << /MediaBox [0 0 612 792] Legal services are only offered once a Monarch Legal Group attorney has had an opportunity to review the specific facts of a case and indicates a willingness to take on the representation. First, that program is most profitable for Defendants. WebMonarch Legal has completely shut me down. /CropBox [0 0 612 792] /Parent 11 0 R /CropBox [0 0 612 792] /MediaBox [0 0 612 792] << WebMonarch Grand Vacations average salary Updated on March 28, 2023 $95,818 View Hourly Rate Per Year Individually reported data submitted by users of our website 25% $84,341 75% $108,233 $95,818 50% (Median) Highest Paying Job At Monarch Grand Vacations Document Manager - $116,392 See Other Titles Most Popular Job At Monarch Grand /Annots [] We appreciate any help you can give. /Resources 205 0 R /CropBox [0 0 612 792] << endobj The City of Chicago filed a lawsuit against Strategic Financial Solutions, Burnette Legal Group, Timothy Burnette, and Monarch Legal Group on July 26, 2022. How to stop Monarch Recovery Management harassment >> /CropBox [0 0 612 792] In a review on the professional website Glassdoor, one former employee explained that if you say the real company name [Strategic] most people are confused as to why your [sic] are calling them. Another former employee implored Strategic to [b]e honest about what you are doing. The presentation for prospective consumers is also substantially the same: On information and belief, Strategic has a similar agreement with and also operates through Option 1 Legal. /Type /Page The Rule prohibits debt relief companies from charging fees before settling or resolving a consumer debt. /Rotate 0 By clicking the I AGREE button below, you authorize Monarch Legal Group, LLC to contact you (including using autodialers, automated text and pre-recorded messages) via your telephone, cellphone, mobile device (including SMS and MMS) and email, even if your telephone number is currently listed on any state, federal or company's Do Not Call list. >> << Outrage by companies that remain silent does not equal action to protect good companies or debt relief help for consumers that need reputable help. /Rotate 0 /Parent 9 0 R Monarchs Client Retainer Agreement states that [t]he law firm puts in place a customized strategy based on the individual client and their debts[. Web203 N La Salle St Ste 2100 Chicago, IL 60601-1226 Visit Website (312) 273-5020 Customer Complaints 105 complaints closed in last 3 years 40 complaints closed in last 12 months /Contents [106 0 R 107 0 R 108 0 R] /Rotate 0 >> One consumer told the City that after making regular payments, he received a summons from a creditor and promptly contacted Monarch. << 32 0 obj << /Rotate 0 << /Contents [118 0 R 119 0 R 120 0 R] endstream /Subtype /XML On information and belief and as described more fully below, Strategic and Monarch jointly operate the debt settlement program. endobj See BrokerCheck by FINRA, James M Katayanagi, available at https://brokercheck.finra.org/individual/summary/4890437; Complaint, Department of Enforcement v. James M. Katayanagi, (FINRA Office of Hearing Officers, Proceeding No.