Todd and Julie Chrisley Sue Lawyer for Malpractice After Fraud Conviction
Chrisley Knows Best stars Todd and Julie Chrisley have filed a lawsuit against their former lawyer, Chris Anulewicz, and the law firm Balch & Bingham.
According to court documents obtained by Us Weekly on Tuesday, June 9, the reality stars are accusing Anulewicz of legal malpractice that they claim contributed to their conviction and imprisonment following a public fraud case.
Anulewicz "had no meaningful defense experience," the couple claimed, and the firm knew that or should have known that, per the lawsuit documents. According to the Chrisleys, the firm let the attorney lead the case "because the Chrisley name meant money, publicity and the kind of high-profile notoriety that brings in business."
The lawsuit also alleges that Anulewicz "found time to steer the Chrisleys into a $75,000 investment in his brother-in-law's startup food truck business - exploiting his position as their attorney to benefit himself and his family while neglecting his duty to them."
"The result of defendants' conduct was a catastrophic, unforced error that sent two people to federal prison for crimes they would never have been convicted of had their lawyers done their job," the lawsuit claims. "The consequences of defendants' failures were catastrophic."
An attorney representing Balch & Bingham and Anulewicz told the Associated Press that he couldn't comment on the suit because his clients haven't been served. At the same time, he said, "It will be vigorously defended."
Us Weekly has reached out to attorneys for Anulewicz, Balch & Bingham and the Chrisley's for additional comment.
Back in June 2022, an Atlanta jury found Todd, 57, and Julie, 53, guilty of tax evasion, bank and wire fraud and conspiracy.
Todd was sentenced to serve 12 years in federal prison, while his wife received seven years.
In May 2025, President Donald Trump announced that he was pardoning the couple, which allowed the pair to return home and reunite with their children.
"Congratulate your parents. I hear they're terrific people. This should not have happened," Trump, 79, told Todd and Julie's daughter Savannah Chrisley following his presidential pardon. "They have good children."
In the couple's lawsuit, Todd and Julie shared the impact they claim their conviction had on their entire family.
"They lost their television show and endorsement deals, costing them more than $25 million in income. Their reputations were destroyed," the lawsuit alleges. "They have spent millions more in appeals and post-conviction proceedings, all of it an attempt to undo harm that a single timely motion would have prevented. A lawyer with actual criminal defense competence, supervised by a firm that took its professional obligations seriously, would never have let this happen."
The Chrisleys are asking for a jury trial and seeking more than $25 million in damages.
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This story was originally published June 9, 2026 at 2:13 PM.