A litigator check flags phone numbers tied to known TCPA and consumer-protection litigators (both serial plaintiffs and their attorneys). Trestle’s Litigator Check Add-on is available in Phone Validation API, Real Contact API, and Caller Identification API. It refreshes litigation data daily from federal and state court filings, and automatically grades flagged numbers as F so they drop out of your outreach before you dial.
What is a litigator check? #
A litigator check flags any phone number that is part of a TCPA or similar consumer regulation litigation in the past. It covers both the plaintiff and the attorneys involved in the litigation. We provide Litigator Checks so businesses can avoid calling these potential serial litigators to prevent unnecessary litigation that can be a cost and resource drain.
While TCPA is one of the prominent regulations for outbound dialing, we also flag other consumer protection litigators to ensure that we provide comprehensive coverage and minimize any risk to the business:
- Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA)
- Consumer Finance Protection Bureau (CFPB)
- Fair Debt Collection Protection Act (FDCPA)
- Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)
This has a low hit rate, as expected, but businesses generally filter out these numbers from their dial lists. Many litigators involved in TCPA cases are known as serial litigators who actively look for violations, and who sometimes register new phone numbers to evade detection. Litigator Check Add-on also flags associated numbers, not just the ones already on record.
How is this litigator database built and maintained? #
We source this data from aggregators who monitor every litigation being filed in federal and state courts. It’s tedious work to review each filing, categorize it, and extract the plaintiff and attorney details, which then have to be standardized and made available via API calls. The data is updated daily, so you’re screening against the most recent filings rather than a stale list.
Because litigation is tracked at the person level rather than just the individual number on a case, the check can also surface additional numbers associated with a known litigator who may use alternative contacts.
What does TCPA non-compliance actually cost? #
The TCPA carries statutory damages of $500 per violation, rising to $1,500 per violation when the conduct is found to be willful or knowing (47 U.S.C. § 227(b)(3)). Damages are assessed per call or text, and statutory damages are uncapped, so a single bad list can scale into a serious number quickly.
The exposure is amplified by how these cases are litigated: nearly 80% of TCPA lawsuits are filed as class actions, with settlements that have ranged from $5M to $60M. A small population of serial litigators in your dial list can turn into an outsized, recurring legal cost. Screening them out before contact is one of the cheapest forms of risk reduction available to an outbound team.
How do we provide litigator checks? #
Litigator Checks are an add-on to Real Contact API, Caller Identification API, and Phone Validation API. Please reference the API docs for each API for guidance on how to update your integration.
How often should this check be performed? #
Every time a dial is performed and/or after 30 days since the last check done. Numbers change hands, and litigation might have happened recently since the first time this lead came through the door. For various reasons, we recommend checking the numbers for potential litigation.
Does the Litigator Check Add-on have additional costs? #
Yes, it does. The pricing for the Litigator Check Add-on starts at $0.005/query, with volume discounts available.
Can Litigator Checks be included in Batch Processing? #
Yes, Litigator Checks are available when you process a batch file. A check box is available to select which add-ons you would like included.
Why aren’t Litigator Checks part of Real Contact API, Caller Identification API, or Phone Validation API by default? #
Our identity APIs serve multiple use cases, including fraud prevention, call center operations, and lead verification. Litigator checks are very specific to outbound dialing, so it didn’t make sense to include these in our response and impact all customers. Hence, the add-on can be enabled on a per-customer basis.
What is the typical hit rate? Or how many times do we typically see a litigator hit across our customers? #
We typically see around 1% hit rate across our customers.
Will this flag impact Real Contact API grades? #
Yes. If the Litigator Check Add-on has been enabled and phone.is_litigator_risk = TRUE, then the Phone Contact Grade is automatically set to F. This is because these leads are associated with known litigators or serial TCPA plaintiffs and should not be contacted.
If phone.is_litigator_risk = FALSE or NULL, there is no impact on the Phone Contact Grade.
Where does litigator screening fit in my outbound dialing workflow? #
Litigator screening isn’t a one-time cleanse. Numbers change hands and new cases are filed constantly. The most reliable approach is to screen at two points and recheck on a schedule:
| Stage | When to run the check | Why it matters |
| At onboarding / list ingestion | When a new lead or list first enters your system | Catch known litigators before they ever reach a dialer or CRM segment |
| Pre-call (at the point of contact) | Immediately before a dial or text | Compliance is enforced at the moment of contact, when liability attaches |
| Periodic recheck | Every 30 days for numbers already in your system | Accounts for ownership changes and newly filed litigation |
Litigator Check Add-on slots in alongside the rest of your contact-data stack. Use it in Phone Validation API to drop disconnected and invalid numbers, and Real Contact API to grade contactability A–F. For the full picture of a compliant, high-connect dialing operation, see our Outbound Dialing Optimization solutions and our guide to phone number reputation lookups, which covers related carrier-level compliance signals like spam/scam labeling.
Not sure how many litigators are hiding in your dial list? Upload a batch of records for a free data assessment and see your contact-data health before you dial. No signup or card required.