Is an attorney required

Most of the companies I have heard about that advertise settlement or negotiation of debt are highly suspect. I have seen numerous instances of these type of companies charging the consumer outrageous fees (ranging from $600 to multiple thousands), then the company appears to do nothing more than send letters to the consumer's creditors. Often the next event is a lawsuit by one of the creditors against the consumer, followed by the settlement company either attempting (and failing) to advise the consumer how to defend himself, or simply abandoning the consumer.

Considering the above, in my opinion, it usually doesn't matter whether an attorney is overseeing this kind of business or not, because it is usually a bad idea to use such a company for a consumer regardless.

If you are considering using a debt settlement company, I would instead suggest contacting a competent attorney who deals with debt issues.