/Contents [90 0 R 91 0 R 92 0 R] /Parent 11 0 R RESPONSE: Complaint was not answered /MediaBox [0 0 612 792] BBB Business Profiles are provided solely to assist you in exercising your own best judgment. /Annots [] Its deceiving, unethical and gives the Industry and the legitimate companies a black eye. Defendants to change their business practices and would likely result in diminished profit. Amount Settled: $0.00. PAID ATTORNEY ADVERTISEMENT: 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. endobj << Typically, debt firms instruct consumers to stop paying unsecured creditors and begin saving money to settle those accounts. /Count 10 Given those significant fees, the consumers potential savings on the amount owed was far less than Monarch advertised and explained. I see that with the Debt Validation companies. WebMonarch Legal has completely shut me down. In the examples that the City has seen, and on information and belief in other instances too, Monarch lawyers do not perform debt settlement work. >> /Parent 12 0 R /CropBox [0 0 612 792] Consumer complaints on the Better Business Bureaus website recount similar experiences: Consumers may be unable to access the typical methods for reporting attorney misconduct. Therefore, Monarchs attorneysboth in- house lawyers and those hired on a contract basisare not engaged in the practice of law. You also consent to the recording and monitoring of all calls to and from us and you acknowledge and agree to the terms of our Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use. /Parent 10 0 R Defendants failure to respond causes consumers to suffer all the adverse consequences of having a judgment against them, including having their wages garnished. /Type /Page A prohibition on advising consumers, expressly or by implication, to stop making payments to their creditors and to stop communicating with their creditors. << document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); My Guide to Getting Out of Debt With Proven Methods and Smart Ideas, Major Changes to All Your Federal Student Loans to Be Eliminated in Bankruptcy, Those That File Bankruptcy Do Better Than Those That Dont, Why Income-Based Student Loan Payments Can Be a Terrible Trap. The refund policy appears to exclude most aggrieved consumers. Do you agree with Monarchlegalgroup's TrustScore? See 815 ILCS 505/2JJJ. Resolution Sought /Type /Page /Rotate 0 527 AND 342 NOTICE #1: Notice Mandated by 11 U.S.C. Strategic Financial Solutions also operates and/or works jointly with Timberline Financial, LLC, which lists the same office addresses as Strategic Financial Solutions on its website. One consumer told the City that after making regular payments, he received a summons from a creditor and promptly contacted Monarch. *In Canada, trademark(s) of the International Association of Better Business Bureaus, used under License. /Contents [258 0 R 259 0 R 260 0 R] >> Amount in Dispute: $8,600.00 ] In reality, the Citys investigation indicates that Monarch attorneys are only superficially involved to trick consumers into thinking that lawyers are performing debt resolution services when the work is actually performed by non-lawyers at Strategic (if the work is performed at all). /Annots [] 27 0 obj None of the many publicly accessible consumer complaints filed against Monarch mention bankruptcy proceedings, even though one consumer inquired about it. /Title (Briggs v. Strategic Financial Solutions, LLC et al. Defendants documents reveal that attorneys approve settlements that non- attorney Strategic employees have negotiated without significant review. /Type /Page endobj Defendants tell consumers that they will not begin settling debts until consumers have made at least seven to nine months of payments. /Annots [] The City reviewed each of the three separate consumer files that Monarch provided to identify a clear pattern. 50 0 obj << /Type /Pages /CropBox [0 0 612 792] /Annots [] Login. It was when I filed a complaint with BBB and posted negative reviews that they took action. /Resources 161 0 R Write reviews, ask and respond to questions, After working with them all these time, in which I have paid the total of $15,216.90 to the company plus $2,800 I paid directly to one of the creditors, As a matter of policy, BBB does not endorse any product, service or business. /Contents [142 0 R 143 0 R 144 0 R] /Resources 201 0 R >> /Annots [] 225 ILCS 429/125(a). Third, consumer debts with balances of less than $1,000 are ineligible for refunds. Hiring a lawyer is an important process that should not be based solely on any advertisement. /Resources 261 0 R >> WebYour experience matters. /ProcSet [/PDF /Text /ImageB /ImageC /ImageI] /Parent 12 0 R Flats for sale in Edinburgh City; Homes for sale in Edinburgh City; Apartments for Rent in Edinburgh; /Type /Page /Kids [25 0 R 26 0 R 27 0 R 28 0 R 29 0 R 30 0 R 31 0 R 32 0 R 33 0 R 34 0 R] /MediaBox [0 0 612 792] >> /Parent 9 0 R >> << /CropBox [0 0 612 792] For example, Monarch reserves the right to refuse to provide legal defense services if the client does not submit all pages of the summons, complaint, exhibits, and pleadings to Monarch, and requires submission within 15 or 7 days, depending on the state. /Annots [] https://getoutofdebt.org//20126/how-to-try-to-get-refund-from-debt-relief-company. Customer Reviews are not used in the calculation of BBB Rating, Need to file a complaint? To further reduce the likelihood of providing legal representation, Monarchs retainer agreements place severe restrictions on the provisions of those services. /Contents [246 0 R 247 0 R 248 0 R] 2013035572001), at 4, available at https://www.finra.org/rules- guidance/oversight-enforcement/finra-disciplinary-actions?search=2013035572001.]. /Type /Page The City of Chicago filed a lawsuit against Strategic Financial Solutions, Burnette Legal Group, Timothy Burnette, and Monarch Legal Group on July 26, 2022. In November 2020, BBB investigated Monarch Legal Groups >> >> Defendants deceive vulnerable consumers in the process. Individual customers who submitted testimonials to a third-party site were not compensated for their submission. >> In some instances, the testimonials may be shortened and/or include correction to grammatical or typographical errors. /Parent 4 0 R 40 0 obj By the time Defendants began negotiating down the debt, the $910 debt had risen to $1,827.01. /MediaBox [0 0 612 792] << Be the first to review! /CropBox [0 0 612 792] In a previous phone call, a representative said Monarch would resolve the lawsuit to avoid garnishment. /Type /Page /Parent 13 0 R /Resources 277 0 R /MediaBox [0 0 612 792] endobj Webmonarch legal group complaints. /Contents [234 0 R 235 0 R 236 0 R] Despite the overwhelmingly negative reviews, Defendants quote five positive consumer reviews in an advertising brochure titled: Reducing Your Debt & Restoring Stability to Your Life: A Welcome Guide to a Fresh Start. These comments are quoted to Vanessa R., Richard D., Jack F., Amanda G., and Nick L. On information and belief, these five reviews are fake. /Rotate 0 WebContact Us. >> Everyone has been extremely nice, helpful, explaining everything thank you. WebWe are personally invested and highly committed to the success of the project at every phase. Defendants begin collecting these fees immediately and on a monthly or bimonthly basis. Consumer complaints to the Better Business Bureau show that many consumers do not understand the very limited circumstances in which Monarch will refund fees: a. << /Type /Page endobj But the consumer informed Monarch of other expenses, including student loans. They help people file for relief under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. In exchange for the advertised services, Defendants charge significant up-front costs and monthly fees. >> 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. >> /MediaBox [0 0 612 792] On information and belief, Defendants do not care about consumers successful completion of the plan because their up-front fee structure allows them to make most of their profit during the first year of the payment program. However, BBB does not verify the accuracy of information provided by third parties, and does not guarantee the accuracy of any information in Business Profiles. After several payments, the consumer paid $75 to the creditor and $50 in fees. If a Strategic employee communicates with the consumer at all before a hearing date, the employee will instruct him or her to go to court alone. From 2013 to 2014 he pled guilty to state criminal charges and settled with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)s disciplinary body for creating ATM cards and withdrawing money from client accounts without authorization. 20 0 obj /Type /Catalog /Rotate 0 Standard phone and data charges will apply. * ekVCwIqhpjZDhWI`kN9R=46lz+5, Briggs v. Strategic Financial Solutions, LLC et al. 30 0 obj /Type /Page /MediaBox [0 0 612 792] /CropBox [0 0 612 792] endobj 55 0 obj >> How BBB Processes Complaints and Reviews. /Count 1 Defendants include in the total used to calculate their Service Costs not only the enrolled debt at the time that the consumer signs an agreement but also the additional debts and fees that accrue after the consumer heeds Defendants instruction to stop making payments to creditors. >> Suggested companies. Defendants make these representations in order to secure consumers participation in their debt resolution program. /Contents [186 0 R 187 0 R 188 0 R] Defendants have a surprising range of exclusively 5-star and 1-star reviews, with no scores in the middle of the range. << BBB Business Profiles are provided solely to assist you in exercising your own best judgment. On information and belief, Defendants estimates for other Chicago consumers contained similar inaccuracies. Both these promises appear in the Payment Schedule section of Monarchs retainer agreements. /MediaBox [0 0 612 792] /Parent 8 0 R /Parent 4 0 R /MediaBox [0 0 612 792] WebMonarch Legal has completely shut me down. Monarch provides the law-firm faade while Strategic Financial Solutions carries out the debt resolution program. /Type /Page /Contents [118 0 R 119 0 R 120 0 R] Webaction complaint against Defendants Strategic Financial Solutions, LLC (SFS), its subsidiary LLC d/b/a Monarch Legal Group (Monarch), receive a percentage of monthly charges paid by the client to SFSs billing processor (generally between 3% and 10%), with the lions share going to SFS. endobj /Annots [] If you are able to qualify which should not be too difficult I recommend their services most highly. | Read 41-44 Reviews out of 44 /MediaBox [0 0 612 792] Defendants legal fees also reinforce the deception that attorneys will be performing the debt settlement work, including by representing consumers in court. << Defendants state that these two promises are good faith estimates. But closer inspection of these estimates show that the estimates are often, if not always, improbable because of the high fees charged for Monarchs and Strategics services. /Rotate 0 /CropBox [0 0 612 792] 34 0 obj 42 0 obj get quotes and more. /MediaBox [0 0 612 792] WebView customer complaints of Monarch Legal Group, BBB helps resolve disputes with the services or products a business provides. /Contents [254 0 R 255 0 R 256 0 R] /Type /Page 31 0 obj endobj Thank you Sir. But the Citys investigation indicates that Defendants services are not performed by lawyers, and lawyers do not actually supervise the non-attorneys settling debts. /CropBox [0 0 612 792] Contact Us Monarch Legal Group. Do you agree with Monarchlegalgroup's TrustScore? /Annots [] First, that program is most profitable for Defendants. PRIVACY POLICYTERMS AND CONDITIONS. 56 0 obj Defendants also repeatedly fail to provide litigation defense services to consumers when creditors sue them. The Citys investigation indicates that Defendants do not employ defense attorneys and often tell consumers to defend themselves. /Parent 4 0 R 1-877-450-8853, Positive: Professionalism, Quality, Responsiveness, Value. WebMonday-Friday, 9AM - 5:30PM ET. /Resources 109 0 R endobj Strategic provided similar services, albeit operating under a different structure, to the now-shuttered Carolina Legal Services firm, as described in paragraph 12 above. /Annots [] 38 0 obj << In other instances, Defendants assure consumers that Defendants will handle the litigation and, when an attorney fails to appear, the court enters a default judgment against the consumer. Because so much of each payment goes to Defendants fees (particularly at the beginning of the agreement), consumers with multiple accounts to settle continue accruing significant interest and late charges for months, if not years. One day I received in the mail, a personal loan offer. >> endobj << /Parent 8 0 R /Resources 177 0 R /MediaBox [0 0 612 792] 22 0 obj /CropBox [0 0 612 792] /Annots [] endobj /Resources 129 0 R endobj A customer representative then told the consumer that Monarch could not guarantee that a lawyer would be available to represent the consumer at the hearing. /MediaBox [0 0 612 792] endobj /Resources 209 0 R c. Another consumer wrote: I called and then they told me after I had paid them a little over $300 a month for 7-9 month period that there was nothing in my account just $100 and that the rest went to their fees, fees for providing no service. The creditor filed a motion to reinstate and for default judgment for failure to pay the settlement payments, and the consumer was left vulnerable to wage garnishment and other negative consequences. /Annots [] /Parent 12 0 R >> /Metadata 2 0 R Defendants intend for prospective consumers to rely on falsified positive reviews so that they decide to participate in Defendants program. It is not a lawyer referral service or prepaid legal Dissatisfied consumers have further limited recourse because Defendants require consumers to sign arbitration agreements and class action waivers. 57 0 obj How many stars would you give Monarchlegalgroup? To reduce its fee and finish the last two settlements! 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 /Parent 12 0 R Then I was told I qualified for a debt consideration program. /Resources 105 0 R

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