Managing Attorney
In January 2022, Attorney Kimberly Hamel Wochholz became the lead attorney at DCSD. Mrs. Wochholz is from Kissimmee, Florida. She graduated with honors from the University of Central Florida in 2004. While enrolled at the University of Central Florida she interned with the Legal Aid Society of Orange County, Florida; whose principal undertaking is to provide professional legal services for the disadvantaged.
Mrs. Wochholz then enrolled in the College of Law at Stetson University. During law school she completed the Honors Program and served as an editor on the Stetson Law Review. She also served as an intern with the family law division of the 13th Judicial Circuit, Hillsborough County, Florida, and later joined The Consumer Rights Law Group as a law clerk.
Mrs. Wochholz graduated magna cum laude from Stetson Law and was admitted to the Florida Bar in 2011. Since that time, Mrs. Wochholz has proudly litigated hundreds of cases against banks, bill collectors, and other companies on behalf of consumers. Mrs. Wochholz practices exclusively under consumer protection statutes that require businesses to pay the attorney’s fees of prevailing consumers. She is passionate about holding businesses accountable and protecting her clients.
For more than a decade prior to becoming the lead attorney at DCSD, Mrs. Wochholz worked closely with DCSD and handled many Fair Debt Collection Practices Act claims on behalf of DCSD clients.
Our Promise to You
Our Mission is simple: to relieve the stress of debt-burdened seniors and disabled individuals. We are not a bankruptcy firm, but offer a low cost alternative that could free you from the stress caused by bill collectors when you have debts you cannot afford to pay.
Every day, millions of Americans are harassed by debt collectors by the phone, by mail, and through the court system. Debt Counsel for Seniors & Disabled was founded when a group of experienced consumer rights litigators recognized that the most vulnerable Americans are in the need of the most help.
Our Story
Debt Counsel for Seniors & Disabled was opened in Tampa, Florida in 2017 by attorneys who began by spending every day in the courtroom litigating credit card cases. Working on hundreds, if not thousands of cases, we noticed that most consumers did not show up for court, and when they did, few of them knew their rights. It wasn’t long before our founding attorneys switched sides and began representing consumers against the lawsuits brought by banks, bill collectors, and credit card companies. Today, DCSD’s lead attorney is an experienced federal litigator who doesn’t just defend credit card lawsuits and garnishments, but actually brings suit against banks and bill collectors for federal and state regulatory violations. In 2022, with the goal of reducing overhead and passing on those savings to our clients, DCSD went completely virtual, operating from Orange County, Florida. Although DCSD no longer maintains any brick-and-mortar offices in Florida, we are available by appointment virtually to all clients.
Banking is one of the most heavily regulated industries in America. It should come as no surprise that the laws governing loans, credit cards, and bill collectors are many and complicated. Bill collectors are governed by both state and federal laws. Communications from bill collectors are highly regulated. The law is clear that if a bill collector violates the law, that bill collector has to pay damages to the consumer – even if the consumer owes the debt.
In the course of her dozen years as a litigator, Ms. Wochholz has encountered thousands of consumers who are still unaware of their rights, or who mistakenly believe that bankruptcy is the only way to get bill collectors off their backs. Recognizing a need to protect the most vulnerable of Americans, Debt Counsel for Seniors and Disabled was founded not just to educate consumers about their rights, but to offer legal representation at a price that anyone can afford. Not everyone qualifies to be a DCSD client. We only represent individuals with low income or who receive income from a protected source such as disability, social security, or certain pensions. We do not represent businesses or do bankruptcy or criminal law. Rather, we represent good honest people who simply cannot afford to pay their bills.
Our goal is to stop the phone calls, stop the letters, and stop the harassment from bill collectors so our clients can live stress free without the worry of harassment from collectors for bills they cannot pay. DCSD allows our clients to focus on more important things than battling debt collectors. We provide you with peace of mind knowing you can get on with your life rather than worrying about whether or not you can afford to pay a past due debt.
Debt Counsel for Seniors & Disabled is a law firm dedicated to protecting seniors and disabled individuals from creditor harassment without a costly bankruptcy. If you receive social security, veterans benefits, or disability, your income may be protected from creditors. If you are being harassed by debt collectors, you may have legal protections available to you. Contact us today to see how DCSD may be right for you.
Debt Counsel for Seniors & Disabled has been a lifeline for its clients. DCSD allows its clients to focus on more important things than battling debt collectors and provides them with peace of mind knowing their income, such as Social Secuirty and disability, is protected.
What do I need to do to get protected?
If you’ve been harassed by debt collectors, talk to us today to discover your options.