Consumer Protection Lawsuit Filed Against Knoxville Resident

Consumers asked to provide information

Tennessee Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III, on behalf of the Division of Consumer Affairs, today announced the filing of a lawsuit against a Knoxville resident for violating the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act.

According to the lawsuit, Jonathon Trotter is a paralegal in Knoxville, Tennessee who has advertised his ability to provide legal advice, legal services, and notary services to Tennessee consumers on Facebook. Mr. Trotter is not an attorney and is not overseen by an attorney. As a result, the State alleges Mr. Trotter has provided consumers with erroneous and ineffective legal documents and advice, and consumers have suffered substantial harm.

The complaint alleges that by advertising and providing legal advice and services to consumers, Trotter is violating the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act and Tennessee’s Unauthorized Practice of Law statutes.  As part of the lawsuit, the State is seeking a Temporary Injunction ordering Trotter to immediately stop providing legal advice and services to consumers and all related advertisements and solicitations.

Anyone who has hired Jonathon Trotter for legal advice, legal services, or notary services, is urged to contact the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office at (615) 741-1671 or toll free within Tennessee at 1-877-275-7396.

To find out if an attorney is licensed to practice law in Tennessee, and to find out if the attorney is in good standing, call the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility at (615) 361-7500 or visit the website at www.tbpr.org/.

Consumers with complaints about individuals or businesses engaged in unfair or deceptive trade practices should contact the Tennessee Division of Consumer Affairs at 1-800-342-8325 (toll free inside Tennessee) or (615) 741-4737.