Todd and Julie Chrisley are back in an Atlanta courtroom, but this time they are the ones filing the charges. The former reality TV stars say their onetime lawyer and his old firm mangled their federal criminal defense, and they have now filed a legal malpractice suit seeking more than $25 million. The complaint, lodged in federal court on June 5, 2026, accuses attorney Christopher Anulewicz and Balch & Bingham of mistakes the couple say led directly to their convictions, prison sentences and the collapse of their television and endorsement empire. The suit demands a jury trial and seeks compensation for lost income, attorneys' fees and other relief.
What The Complaint Alleges
In the new filing, the Chrisleys say Anulewicz failed to aggressively pursue key motions to suppress evidence and allowed "derivative documents" to stand as the centerpiece of the government's case. They label that decision a "catastrophic, unforced error that sent two people to federal prison." According to WSB-TV, the complaint faults Balch & Bingham for assigning a lawyer with limited criminal-defense experience to a complex federal fraud case. The suit says those alleged missteps cost the Chrisleys both their freedom and the careers they had built on camera.
Attorney Allegedly Profited
The malpractice complaint also claims Anulewicz tried to cash in on the relationship. While he was supposed to be focused on their defense, the filing says he steered the couple into putting $75,000 into his brother-in-law's food-truck startup, describing the move as an exploitation of his role as their lawyer. AP News reports the suit further alleges that the firm failed to challenge derivative evidence, including emails, bank records and other documents, that prosecutors later used at trial. The complaint asks for compensatory damages "in excess of $25 million," along with attorneys' fees and additional relief.
Criminal Backdrop And Pardon
The malpractice fight grows out of a high-profile criminal saga that has played out for years. Todd and Julie Chrisley were indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2019 and convicted in June 2022 on charges that included bank fraud and tax evasion. Todd received a 12-year sentence, while Julie was ordered to serve seven years. Their case drew national attention because of the family's reality show and because defense lawyers challenged how investigators seized and handled key evidence.
President Donald Trump granted both of them full pardons in May 2025, erasing the federal convictions and sentences. Their attorneys hailed the move as vindication, according to the Los Angeles Times. The new lawsuit argues that, pardon or not, the original handling of their defense was so flawed that it warrants a multi-million-dollar payout.
Firm's Response
Balch & Bingham and Anulewicz are not exactly rushing to litigate this in the press. Their attorney, Patrick T. O'Connor, said the defendants had not been formally served and declined substantive comment, adding that the matter "will be vigorously defended," according to AP News. The firm has not issued a broader public statement, but the early signal is clear: they plan to fight the allegations. If Balch & Bingham files an answer, expect an opening round focused on whether the malpractice claims clear the legal bar to move forward.
Damages, Timeline And What Comes Next
The Chrisleys say the fallout from their convictions was brutal on their bank accounts. They claim they lost more than $25 million in income when their television show and endorsement deals dried up, and they want that figure back in the form of damages, plus attorneys' fees at trial, according to WSB-TV. The complaint, filed June 5, 2026, in federal court in Atlanta, notes that the couple, who now live in Tennessee, want a jury to decide whether their former counsel's conduct led to both their convictions and their financial collapse.
Procedurally, the case is likely to generate a flurry of pretrial motions over whether the factual allegations are specific and strong enough to survive. The suit marks the latest twist in a long, messy legal saga for a family that once built a TV brand on over-the-top, countrified wealth. Now, instead of sparring with prosecutors, the Chrisleys are asking a civil jury to decide whether their own defense lawyer crossed the line into malpractice and whether that alleged misconduct helped produce the very convictions that later had to be wiped away.
