Century Law Firm, the Jacksonville-based debt-settlement operation run by attorney Erik Rosskopf, draws a split verdict in its reviews and complaints: aggregate ratings on Trustpilot, Google, and the Better Business Bureau sit near the top of the scale, while a consistent minority of clients report programs that stretched years past what they were told, fees that were never spelled out upfront, and trouble canceling. If you’re weighing whether to enroll, or trying to understand charges already hitting your account, the pattern in those complaints matters more than the star average.
What the Ratings Actually Show
The headline numbers are strong. Trustpilot shows a 4.9 out of 5 across roughly 1,586 reviews, with nearly 90% of customers giving five stars.1SoloSuit. Century Debt Settlement Reviews Google sits at 4.8 out of 5.2Best5Compared. Century Law Firm Review The BBB profile for the Law Office of Erik Rosskopf shows a 4.84 out of 5 average across 413 customer reviews, with A+ accreditation held since 2014.3Better Business Bureau. Law Office of Erik Rosskopf Customer Reviews
Satisfied clients most often praise the staff as friendly and knowledgeable and describe the information they received as clear.1SoloSuit. Century Debt Settlement Reviews Customer service and communication are the recurring positives.4TryAscend. Century Law Firm Review Clients have reported debt reductions of 50% to 65% of their original balances over programs typically running 24 to 60 months.2Best5Compared. Century Law Firm Review
One caveat on the BBB grade: the rating heavily weights how a company responds to complaints, not whether the underlying complaints have merit. An A+ mostly signals that the firm engages with the BBB process.
The Complaints That Keep Repeating
The negative reviews follow a strikingly consistent pattern across BBB, Google, and consumer forums. Three problems dominate.
Programs That Run Years Longer Than Promised
The single most common complaint is timeline creep. BBB complaints include a client whose program jumped from 48 to 68 months and another whose timeline ballooned from 60 to 98 months.5Better Business Bureau. Law Office of Erik Rosskopf BBB Complaints Google’s one-star reviews echo the same frustration, with clients describing programs “dragged on for much longer than expected.”4TryAscend. Century Law Firm Review
The firm’s response is that any timeline provided at enrollment is an estimate, not a guarantee, and that the retainer agreement says so. According to the firm, extensions typically happen because a client adds new debts to the program or misses payments, and clients sign a form approving each addition. Complainants frequently counter that verbal promises, and even email confirmations of a fixed term, did not match what the firm later relied on in the contract language. In at least one case, after a client challenged an extension, the firm honored the original 48-month term and confirmed no additional payments would be required.5Better Business Bureau. Law Office of Erik Rosskopf BBB Complaints
Difficulty Canceling
Several BBB complainants described a runaround when trying to leave the program. The issues include ACH bank drafts continuing after a cancellation request, assigned representatives becoming unresponsive, and delays in releasing money held in the escrow account.5Better Business Bureau. Law Office of Erik Rosskopf BBB Complaints The firm maintains that its program is voluntary and clients can cancel at any time. The complaints suggest that isn’t always the practical experience.
Credit Damage and Lawsuits From Creditors
Because the program requires clients to stop paying creditors directly, accounts go delinquent and eventually charge off. That hits credit scores hard. One consumer reported being denied an apartment because of charge-offs and late payments accumulated during the program, being sued by creditors two or three times, and having a lien placed on their home while enrolled. That same person reported never receiving settlement letters confirming accounts were resolved.6JustAnswer. Century Law Charged Anything Ordered Other BBB complainants reported being sued by creditors despite hiring the firm partly to avoid legal action.5Better Business Bureau. Law Office of Erik Rosskopf BBB Complaints
p>Credit damage is inherent to the debt-settlement model and not unique to Century. Reviews suggest, though, that the firm doesn’t always spell out that consequence upfront, “leaving customers feeling misled,” as one review summary put it.4TryAscend. Century Law Firm Review
Complaint Volume
The BBB profile shows 25 complaints filed in the last three years, with five closed in the most recent 12-month period. Some were marked “resolved” after the firm provided refunds or clarified program terms. Others were marked “answered,” meaning the firm responded but the consumer either didn’t accept the response or didn’t follow up.5Better Business Bureau. Law Office of Erik Rosskopf BBB Complaints
The Fees, Which the Firm Doesn’t Publish
A big driver of the complaint pattern is that Century doesn’t publicly disclose its fee structure. There are no upfront enrollment fees and no cancellation fees. Beyond that, consumers have to go through a free consultation to find out what the monthly service charge or percentage-of-debt fee will actually be.7BestCompany. Century Law Firm Debt Relief Review
One detailed account from a former client enrolled from 2019 through 2026 described the recurring charges as a $90 monthly legal admin fee, a $10.95 monthly fee to a third-party account administrator called Reliant Account Management (RAM), a $20 annual RAM fee, and $10-per-payment processing fees for each creditor payment, which could add $10 to $30 per month.8Get Out of Debt. How Can Century Law Firm Charge Me Fees Every Month Stretched over a program of five, six, or eight years, those numbers matter. Consumer advocates generally suggest looking for firms charging less than 20% of enrolled debt.9TryAscend. Debt Relief Company Reviews
Why the “Attorney Model” Matters Here
Century operates as the Law Office of Erik Rosskopf, P.A., and that legal structure isn’t cosmetic. The FTC’s Telemarketing Sales Rule, amended in 2010, prohibits debt-relief companies from collecting fees until they have actually settled at least one debt and the consumer has made at least one payment under that settlement. There’s no blanket exemption for attorneys, but firms that meet with clients face-to-face before enrollment are likely exempt from most TSR provisions.10Federal Trade Commission. Debt Relief Services and the Telemarketing Sales Rule
Some debt-settlement operations have adopted an “attorney model” specifically to sidestep the advance-fee ban and state licensing rules that exempt lawyers.11Center for Responsible Lending. Debt Settlement Firms Adopt Attorney Model to Evade State and Federal Rules According to one former client’s account, Century Law Firm has used local notaries sent to sit with prospective clients during conference calls, characterizing the notary as a “company representative” to satisfy the in-person meeting requirement.8Get Out of Debt. How Can Century Law Firm Charge Me Fees Every Month
Century is separately connected to Century Support Services, which uses an entity called Century Legal Group for creditors that require an attorney in settlement discussions. Century Legal Group’s role, according to the firm’s own disclosure, is limited to communicating with those creditors and does not include legal advice or representation of the client directly.12Century Support Services. Century Legal Group Benefits
For context, federal regulators are actively targeting this structure. In January 2024, the CFPB and seven state attorneys general sued Strategic Financial Solutions, alleging it operated through shell companies and “façade law firms” to collect more than $100 million in illegal advance fees before settling any debts, and that non-lawyer employees performed the actual negotiations.13Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. CFPB and Seven State AGs Sue Strategic Financial Solutions Century Law Firm is not a defendant in that case and has not been accused by any regulator of the same conduct. The lawsuit is relevant only because it illustrates the questions consumers should ask about who is actually negotiating their debts and when fees are being charged.
Questions to Ask Before You Sign
The recurring complaints and the regulatory backdrop point to a short list of things to nail down before enrolling:
- Get the full fee breakdown in writing: monthly legal admin fee, third-party account administrator fees, any per-payment processing charges, and any percentage of enrolled debt. Add them up across the full estimated program length.
- Treat the timeline as an estimate on the low end. The firm’s own contract says timelines are not guaranteed. If you’re quoted 48 months, plan for the possibility of 60 or more.
- Confirm the credit impact. Stopping payments will cause delinquencies and charge-offs that stay on your credit report for years. If you’ll need to rent, refinance, or pass a credit check during the program, factor that in.
- Ask who will actually negotiate your debts, whether a licensed attorney or staff members, and get the answer in writing.
- Get the cancellation process and the timeline for returning escrowed funds spelled out in writing before you enroll, and keep a copy.
Debt-settlement contracts in this industry commonly run 10 to 30 pages and include clauses stating that verbal promises from sales representatives are superseded by the written agreement.8Get Out of Debt. How Can Century Law Firm Charge Me Fees Every Month Whatever a representative tells you on the phone, the document you sign governs the relationship.