how to find a bankruptcy attorney

How to find bankruptcy court?

The best way to find this information is to review the rules of the bankruptcy court website for your area. Lieberman said everyone thinking of filing should start with that web site to gain the best understanding of rules and procedures. The Court Locator tool will help you find the bankruptcy court in your area.

What are the best places to get answers to bankruptcy questions?

Legal clinics: Local legal groups, bar associations and social service agencies sometimes offer clinics that provide answers to commonly asked bankruptcy questions. There may even be a lawyer or referral to a lawyer who will do the work pro bono. The local bar association should be able to guide you to the clinics; Google works as well.

How much is Chapter 7 bankruptcy?

Bankruptcy fees — $338 for Chapter 7, $313 for Chapter 13 – can be paid in installments, or if the need is great, even waived. The fee can be waived if you can show that your income is below 150% of the poverty level for your size family in your state, and (this is important) that you do not have the wherewithal to pay the fees in installments. To try and have fees waived, file Form 103B: Application to Have the Chapter 7 Filing Fee Waived.

What is the best way to get financial help with bankruptcy?

Organizations that provide aid services can sometimes be the best option to find financial help with filing. These organizations are nonprofits that do the same work as the bankruptcy attorney, but usually do it for free.

What is the first meeting with an attorney called?

One key fact to always remember about attorneys: The first meeting, called a consult, is free. That meeting allows you to lay out your situation, and gives the attorney the chance to offer suggestions or help. Listen carefully. The way the attorney approaches your case will tell you something about how reputable he or she is.

Can a paralegal help with bankruptcy?

Hiring a paralegal is an option, but a paralegal cannot give legal advice, and may not even be allowed to help with filings depending on the rules in a particular state or bankruptcy court .

Is it bad to file for bankruptcy without an attorney?

Be warned: The risk of filing without an attorney is significant, and the consequences of filing for bankruptcy are large.

Why do bankruptcy attorneys help?

It helps if the attorney has empathy for the client’s situation. Maybe they’re enduring a divorce, he says. Or their kid is sick or the car broke down or they lost their job. The go-to bankruptcy attorney knows overwhelming financial strife often creates more problems and increases misfortune.

How to find a lawyer for a home?

Ask neighbors. Ask friends and relatives. (Yes, you have to swallow your pride.) Perhaps there are lawyers on your homeowner’s association board. There surely are lawyers on the board of your church. Ask all of them for recommendations.

What does it mean to be a certified attorney?

Investigate whether your candidate attorneys are certified, which, according to the American Board of Certification (abcworld.org), “means that the certified attorney has met rigorous, objective standards and has demonstrated knowledge in bankruptcy and/or creditors’ rights law.”

What are the three ES in bankruptcy?

Reed Allmand, a certified bankruptcy attorney based in Dallas, stresses that the selection of an attorney be guided by the “three Es”: Empathy, Experience, and Expense.

Who is the bankruptcy judge in Tampa?

Bankruptcy judges have a term for such situations, says Tampa-based Bankruptcy Judge Catherine Peek McEwen. “We call it ‘a mess.’ ”

Do you have to be insolvent to ask "How much is this going to cost"?

You don’t have to be insolvent to ask: “How much is this going to cost?”

Is bankruptcy a complicated process?

Bankruptcy courts groan under the weight of desperate debtors who tried to represent themselves. Bankruptcy law is complicated and exacting. Many self-represented filers wind up worse off than they were before, losing their possessions without discharging any of their debts.

What can a lawyer do for bankruptcy?

A lawyer can help you assess your financial situation to determine whether other debt relief alternatives might be in your best interest. And if bankruptcy is your best route, a lawyer can tell you whether you qualify for Chapter 7 or Chapter 13.

Why do you need a bankruptcy lawyer?

Benefits of working with a bankruptcy lawyer. If you’re struggling financially, bankruptcy may seem like the most direct way to solve the problem. A good bankruptcy lawyer can help determine if another option would actually be better for your situation.

How many bankruptcy cases do you file a year?

How many bankruptcy cases do you file each year? Morgan suggests working with a lawyer who’s filing two to five cases every month, or roughly 50 per year.

How much does a bankruptcy attorney charge?

In general, you can expect to pay $500 to $3,500 for a Chapter 7 bankruptcy and $2,500 to $6,000 for a Chapter 13 bankruptcy.

What happens when you file Chapter 7?

When you file Chapter 7 bankruptcy, certain assets are exempt from the proceedings, which means you get to keep them. Your lawyer should understand which exemptions you qualify for and help you not lose assets unnecessarily. Help complete paperwork that’s required to file your bankruptcy petition.

What is the bankruptcy process?

The bankruptcy process involves disclosing a lot of personal financial information, and you’ll want to make sure you’re working with someone you feel comfortable with. That may mean you need to speak with a few candidates before you find the one who’s right for you. In this article, we’ll explore how to find and vet people for the job.

Why is it important to have a lawyer?

Because there’s so much at stake, it’s essential that your lawyer works with you from the beginning and knows the ins and outs of your financial situation. If you won’t be meeting with your attorney until the meeting of creditors, you may want to find someone else to work with.

What is bankruptcy law?

Bankruptcy is a complex legal procedure with very specific rules. Most attorneys who handle bankruptcies are bankruptcy specialists and many lawyers who are not bankruptcy specialists will not take bankruptcy cases.

Is bankruptcy a difficult process?

Bankruptcy is a difficult process that requires professional assistance. Professional assistance can be expensive and when you’re considering bankruptcy it’s hard to think about adding another cost to a list that’s already hard to manage.

Bankruptcy Lawyers Can Help You

If you're experiencing severe financial difficulties, bankruptcy can provide a path to debt relief and help you get a fresh start.

Types of Bankruptcy

A bankruptcy attorney can help you determine if the process is right for you or if other debt relief options are better suited to your needs.

Why File For Bankruptcy?

People wind up filing for bankruptcy for many reasons, often involving outside forces or unforeseen expenses: Medical debt and unexpected health care costs can quickly spiral out of control, credit card debt can accrue due to business expenses or needing to use a credit card during periods of unemployment and low cash flow, investments in the stock market, real estate or other financial vehicles might suffer due to a financial crisis, or a supply chain shutdown can cause debt to cascade in times of pandemic (such as the coronavirus/COVID-19 outbreak) or due to oil price fluctuations.