11 U.S.C. § 528 — Requirements for debt relief agencies

(a) A debt-relief agency must, no later than five business days after first providing bankruptcy-assistance services to an assisted person and before that person’s bankruptcy petition is filed, sign a written contract with the person. The contract must clearly and prominently explain (A) the services the agency will provide and (B) the fees or charges and payment terms. The agency must give the person a copy of the completed and fully signed contract. In any public advertisement for bankruptcy-assistance services or bankruptcy benefits—including general media, seminars, mailings, telephone messages, electronic messages, or other methods—the agency must clearly and prominently say that the services or benefits concern bankruptcy relief under this title. It must also clearly and prominently use this statement, or a substantially similar one: “We are a debt relief agency. We help people file for bankruptcy relief under the Bankruptcy Code.” (b)(1) A public advertisement includes descriptions of bankruptcy assistance connected with a chapter 13 plan, even if it does not specifically mention chapter 13. It also includes statements such as “federally supervised repayment plan” or “Federal debt restructuring help,” or similar statements that could reasonably make a consumer think debt counseling is offered when the service actually provides bankruptcy assistance with a chapter 13 plan or another form of bankruptcy relief under this title. (b)(2) A public advertisement saying that the agency helps with credit defaults, mortgage foreclosures, evictions, excessive debt, debt-collection pressure, or inability to pay a consumer debt must clearly and prominently disclose that the help may involve bankruptcy relief under this title. It must also include the quoted debt-relief-agency statement above, or a substantially similar statement.