Thanks, WindowShopper. It's funny how much my two worlds collide.
I went through a lot of trial and error correcting my own credit after a lengthy divorce, and when I realized how much consumers are being manhandled by unsavory credit repair agencies, it made my stomach turn.
As a paralegal, I bill out between $50-$200 an hour to our clients, depending on the subject matter and task at hand, but seriously... most people with extensive credit issues have no business paying that much for restoration even if they could afford it. And, to be fair, everything I'm doing CAN be done by the average person... it would just be much more time consuming for them to research and apply the applicable law, then maintain accurate records and follow up appropriately. As far as basic dispute letters - I couldn't live with myself if I charged $1000 much to perform what has basically become an automated process in my mind. Carefully crafted, personalized correspondence is much more effective with the CRAs.