Even small inaccuracies on a credit report, such as your marital status or dates at a job, can damage your good credit. By ordering your credit report and checking it, you can correct these errors and also identify bigger problems, such as false claims by creditors (which could be a tip-off that you've been a victim of identity theft, in which case see below). While it is not difficult to contest an incorrect credit report, it does take organization, diligence, and time — up to 18 months to make sure a falsity has been permanently removed. You, not a lawyer, are the best person to aggressively pursue the corrections, because you know your situation best, says Peg Healy, legal editor of Credit Repair (Nolo, $25, www.amazon.com).

TIP: If your credit report reveals that someone else has been using your identity, go to to get the forms and instructions you need to start fixing the problem.

WHAT YOU CAN SAVE: Consumer-protection lawyers typically charge $100 to $250 an hour, and this can be a lengthy process, warns Healy. Most important, you save time by representing yourself, since you can usually handle things faster than a lawyer can. That's valuable, because bad credit impedes your ability to get credit cards and loans.

WHAT YOU RISK: The process can be upsetting and frustrating. If you aren't organized or can't cope emotionally, Healy suggests getting a friend or a relative to help out.

GET A LAWYER IF:

You are facing criminal charges for fraud committed in your name.

A creditor or a credit bureau refuses to correct a mistake after you make the request, in which case you can sue the firm. "But don't do that until you've tried everything else: demands for correction, negotiation, and finally complaints to the Federal Trade Commission and your congressperson," says Healy.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Credit Repair, by Robin Leonard and Deanne Loonin (Nolo, $25, www.amazon.com).

Money Troubles: Legal Strategies to Cope With Your Debts, by Robin Leonard (Nolo, $30, www.amazon.com).

The Ultimate Credit Handbook, by Gerri Detweiler (Plume Books, $14, www.amazon.com).

Your state's consumer protection agency (find links or phone numbers at www.consumer.gov/idtheft).