A federal law designed to protect consumers is doing the opposite for creditors rights attorneys — stripping them of defenses and heightening their exposure to legal malpractice suits.

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act aims to combat unfair, abusive and deceptive debt collection practices.

But a series of court decisions against law firms, plus the act's provision of attorney fees for prevailing plaintiffs — but not prevailing defendants — are creating an unintended consequence: an aggressive plaintiffs bar and a new cottage industry putting attorneys on trial.