Question 1

Is Campbell Credit Law a credit repair company?

Accepted Answer

No. We are a regulated Ontario law firm. Unlike unregulated credit repair companies, our work is supervised by a lawyer licensed by the Law Society of Ontario and governed by professional conduct rules, confidentiality obligations and mandatory insurance.

Question 2

Can you guarantee my credit score will improve?

Accepted Answer

No. No lawyer or firm can lawfully guarantee a specific credit score outcome. We pursue accurate reporting under applicable statutes. Correcting inaccurate, obsolete or duplicated information may improve your score, but the degree, if any, depends on your overall credit profile and the scoring model used.

Question 3

How long can a collection or missed payment stay on my credit report?

Accepted Answer

In most provinces, adverse information such as collections, judgments and write-offs generally must be removed after six years from the date of the original default, subject to the specific consumer reporting legislation in your province. Some jurisdictions, such as Quebec, apply different periods.

Question 4

What is 're-aging' and why is it a problem?

Accepted Answer

Re-aging occurs when a creditor or collection agency updates a 'date reported' or 'date assigned' field to make an old debt appear more recent, effectively resetting the statutory retention clock. This practice is not permitted; the retention period runs from the date of original default, not from any later administrative date.

Question 5

Do I need to have missed payments to have a valid dispute?

Accepted Answer

No. Many disputes involve accurate accounts that are misreported for other reasons: accounts belonging to someone else, duplicate reporting by both a creditor and a collection agency, incorrect balances, or debts discharged through bankruptcy or a consumer proposal still shown as active.

Question 6

How do I get a free copy of my credit report?

Accepted Answer

Every Canadian consumer is entitled to a free mailed or in-person disclosure of their credit file from Equifax Canada and TransUnion Canada. See our Resources page for the specific request process for each bureau.

Question 7

What happens after I submit my intake?

Accepted Answer

We conduct a confidential file review, examine your uploaded credit disclosures for statutory discrepancies, and, where a dispute is warranted, prepare formal correspondence for lawyer review before it is signed and sent to the bureau, collection agency or creditor involved.

Question 8

How long does a bureau have to respond to a dispute?

Accepted Answer

Provincial consumer reporting legislation generally requires a reinvestigation to be completed within a defined period, commonly around 30 days, after which the disputed information must be corrected or deleted if it cannot be verified. We track this deadline for every matter we open.

Question 9

Will contacting your firm stop collection calls?

Accepted Answer

Once a matter is opened and, where appropriate, formal correspondence is sent asserting that a debt is disputed or that direct contact should cease, collection agencies are subject to provincial collection agency legislation restricting continued contact. This is assessed on a case-by-case basis and is not guaranteed to stop all contact immediately.

Question 10

Does using your services create a lawyer-client relationship immediately?

Accepted Answer

No. Browsing this website or submitting an intake form does not, by itself, create a solicitor-client relationship. A retainer is confirmed in writing before we act on your behalf. See our Legal Disclaimers page for details.

Question 11

What provinces and territories do you serve?

Accepted Answer

We work with consumers across Canada, applying the consumer reporting, collection agency and privacy legislation applicable to their province or territory of residence. Provision of services outside Ontario may be limited by law society and jurisdictional rules; we will advise you if a matter falls outside our ability to act.

Question 12

What does it cost to have my file reviewed?

Accepted Answer

Fee arrangements are confirmed in writing before representation begins and depend on the nature and complexity of your file. We do not publish blanket pricing because every matter differs; ask us directly during your confidential intake.

Question 13

Can you remove accurate, up-to-date negative information from my report?

Accepted Answer

No. We cannot and will not ask a bureau, creditor or collection agency to remove information that is accurate, verifiable and within the statutory retention period. Our work targets information that is inaccurate, unverifiable, obsolete or otherwise non-compliant with applicable law.

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