If you've never done it before, you can try to cook up a batch of cookies without a recipe. Sooner or later you'll get something that tastes good, but the kitchen will be quite a mess and you will have wasted a ton of time.

If you've never done it before, you can also try to repair your car's transmission by yourself. Chances are you're not going to drive your car for a while. And the mess in the garage will dwarf whatever mess you made in the kitchen.

And if you've never done it before, you can try to repair your own credit report. But, as is the case with many repair jobs, using the trial-and-error method of credit repair could make your credit rating much worse, not better. You only have one credit history, and if screw things up while tinkering around, it may be years before you can get the mess cleaned up.

Think how much faster you'd have great cookies with an expert baker helping you. And how much quicker your car will be back on the road with a master mechanic digging into the internal workings instead of you being the one with grease under your fingernails. It might even be worth spending a dollar or two getting the help.

So while many would have you believe self credit repair is so simple a caveman could do it, cleaning your credit report can actually have as many complexities as reassembling your transmission. There's much more involved than just mailing a few letters or submitting an online form.

Law firms like Lexington Law who specialize in credit correction understand the credit repair process, know what to say and how to say it, and have experiencing using the credit repair tactics most people aren't even aware exist. For the inexperienced, making a single improper statement can result in your dispute being dismissed which can delay your credit repair efforts by months. Working with someone who can lead you through all the tricks and traps might even help shorten the time it takes to get results.

Be wary of the phrase "There's nothing a credit repair firm can do for you that you can't do yourself for free." While technically accurate, it is very misleading. There is also nothing a baker or a mechanic can do for you that you can't do for yourself, if you have the time and energy to master the same skills and knowledge.

Also, as anyone can tell you, there are good and bad chefs out there. There are good mechanics, and scam artists with wrenches. The credit repair world is full of vultures, too. But there are also solid, established, consumer-focused law firms whose credit repair services can be extremely valuable. And they can keep you from making a mess too tough to clean up.