Is it legal for creditors to contact neighbors and family ?

[christine m]

I am currently going through the bankruptcy process and i have obtained a lawyer. However my creditors are releasing personal information to my neighbors and to my In-Laws who live next to me. My in-laws were told I wrote a bad check and was wanted... and the neighbors across the street were contacted over the phone by another company and left a message using the neighbors first name telling her it was imperative that she respond and when she did they asked for information about me and my husband and told her we were being investigated the same company also left a similar message on my in- laws answering machine. do they have the right to do this to us?