The Semrad Law Firm, LLC
Overview
Consumer bankruptcy and debt-relief law firm offering Chapter 7, Chapter 13, foreclosure-defense, wage-garnishment, repossession, and related services. The firm states that it was established in 2003. [1]
Tax Status & Ownership
| Entity type | Nonprofit, 501(c)(3) |
| Legal name | The Semrad Law Firm, LLC [1] |
| EIN | 47-2628456 [3] |
| Headquarters | 11101 S. Western Avenue, Chicago, IL 60643 [1][3] |
Published Fee Schedule
| Structure | flat |
| One-time setup fee | $0 up-front advertised for qualifying Chapter 7 matters; not a complete fee schedule and not necessarily the total cost. [1][5] |
| Directory summary | No money down for Chapter 7, then $2,400–$2,600 charged after filing. A July 2026 N.D. Ill. ruling held this fee agreement violated the Bankruptcy Code and ordered disgorgement. |
The provider’s pages also separately identify court filing fees, which are not attorney fees. Complaint-sourced dollar amounts were not used. [1][5]
Coverage
Official office-location pages support 3 states: Illinois, Georgia, and Texas. The Patrick Semrad biography claims 5 states plus Europe but does not identify all states or provide a matching office list. No independent source in the reviewed set verified the broader five-state/Europe claim. [1][5]
Accreditation & Licensing
BBB’s Chicago/Northern Illinois profile states that the organization’s profile covers the headquarters and corporate-owned locations and lists six locations. The Aurora profile separately states BBB accreditation. [2][6]
Regulatory & Complaint History
| CFPB complaints | |
| BBB complaints closed, 3 yr | 8 |
| Figures as of | September 18, 2026 |
BBB’s consolidated Chicago/Northern Illinois profile reported 19 complaints in the prior three years and 8 complaints closed in the prior 12 months when reviewed. These are BBB complaint figures, not adjudicated legal findings. [2]
Cited Sources
- The Semrad Law Firm, LLC official website — The Semrad Law Firm, LLC (September 14, 2026) — First-party provider website.
- DebtStoppers — About Us and Contact Us — The Semrad Law Firm / DebtStoppers (September 14, 2026) — First-party source for stated history, services, principals, and claimed coverage; marketing claims are not independently verified.
- The Semrad Law Firm, LLC — BBB Business Profile and Complaints — Better Business Bureau (September 14, 2026) — BBB business profile for accreditation, alternate names, management, locations, and complaint counts; entity-type label conflicts with court and trademark records.
- The Semrad Law Firm, LLC — Delaware Chapter 11 case information — BKAlerts / Delaware bankruptcy docket index (September 14, 2026) — Secondary docket index reproducing debtor name, EIN, DBA, and former-name information; used because the underlying docket was not directly retrievable.
- DEBTSTOPPERS trademark record — USPTO-derived trademark record (September 14, 2026) — Records original registrant Robert J. Semrad & Associates LLC and later owner The Semrad Law Firm, LLC; third-party presentation of USPTO data.
- Patrick Semrad — provider biography — The Semrad Law Firm / DebtStoppers (September 14, 2026) — First-party source for managing-partner designation and broader five-state/Europe coverage claim; the broader coverage was not independently verified.
- The Semrad Law Firm — Aurora BBB profile — Better Business Bureau (September 14, 2026) — Independent BBB location profile for accreditation, alternate names, entity-type label, business start date, and named management.
- The Semrad Law Firm — Atlanta BBB profile — Better Business Bureau (September 14, 2026) — Separate BBB location profile used to check accreditation across locations; reviewed result did not establish a separate accreditation status.
- In re Harmon, Order Imposing Sanctions — U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of Georgia (September 14, 2026) — Primary court order documenting confirmed Rule 9011 sanctions involving the Semrad firm and designated attorneys.
- In re Marla C. Martin, Memorandum Opinion Finding Violation of Rule 9011 and Imposing Sanctions — U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of Illinois (September 14, 2026) — Primary court opinion documenting the 2025 Rule 9011 violation and $5,500 sanction.
- Consumer Bankruptcy Firm Waives $90K in Fees After USTP Inquiry Reveals Lapses in Diligence — U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Trustee Program (September 14, 2026) — DOJ/USTP primary government announcement of the 2026 agreement and remedial terms.