If the lawyer is unresponsive and the matter involves a lawsuit, go to the courthouse and look at your case file, which contains all the papers that have actually been filed with the court. If you've hired a new lawyer, ask her for help in getting your file.
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May 16, 2017 ·
Feb 08, 2010 · If you don't have the resources to hire another attorney, unfortunately there isn't much you can do at this point. Any other private attorney would likely require payment up front for legal services, and even as "bad" as you feel like your attorney has been, you probably are better off with him representing you than if you were in pro per (without an attorney).
Feb 26, 2010 · Your bankruptcy attorney fails to challenge bogus creditor claims. Your bankruptcy attorney is not aware of current bankruptcy law. In other words, if you know more about bankruptcy laws than your attorney you may have serious problem on your hands. Your bankruptcy attorney fails to use exemptions to protect your assets. Exemptions are the …
When you should get your money back You should get a refund if you paid your attorney an upfront fee for the service of preparing your file for Chapter 13 bankruptcy (or as an advance against hours worked) and the attorney didn't perform that service or put in any time on your file.Mar 18, 2021
Cases are also closed without a discharge when the Debtor fails to complete the required debtor financial education class. The financial education certificate must be filed in every person, consumer bankruptcy case. If it is not, it will result in the case being closed without a discharge.Nov 7, 2021
Your bankruptcy trustee can ask for up to two years of bank statements. The trustee will look at your statements to verify your monthly payments to make sure they match the expenses you put on your bankruptcy forms.Dec 6, 2021
Non-dischargeable Debts Some examples of debts that are not forgiven by Chapter 7 bankruptcy include the following: Student loans. Child support or alimony payments. The majority of taxes you owe.
According to the United States Courts, the goal should be a discharge because this means the court accepts your bankruptcy case and forgives your debts. A dismissal occurs when something goes wrong with your case and the court is unable to finalize the bankruptcy claim.Apr 14, 2021
Your Chapter 7 bankruptcy trustee will likely check your bank accounts at least once during the process of overseeing your filing. They have a right to perform a full audit of your accounts or check them any time it is necessary.
The bankruptcy trustees go about finding hidden assets by taking a close look at your debts, as well as doing public record searches, online analysis, tax returns, review reports from former spouses or friends, as well as payroll slips that may show deposits into banks or accounts that you have not listed in your ...Jan 29, 2020
Please be aware that your trustee does not have access to your personal account. A separate account is opened to manage your bankrupt estate.
Non-Dischargeable Debt in BankruptcyDebts that you left off your bankruptcy petition, unless the creditor actually knew of your filing;Many types of taxes;Child support or alimony;Fines or penalties owed to government agencies;Student loans;Personal injury debts arising out of a drunk driving accident;More items...•Oct 18, 2021
Generally, the types of assets that you can keep in a bankruptcy include:personal items and clothing.household furniture, food and equipment in your permanent home.tools necessary to your work.a motor vehicle with a value up to a certain limit, usually an older vehicle qualifies.certain farm property.
Bankruptcy does not discharge alimony obligations. However, the automatic stay may influence a person's obligation to pay alimony during a pending bankruptcy. Filing for bankruptcy may also influence any modifications to alimony obligations.Jul 27, 2020
If you want to continue with your Chapter 13 bankruptcy, you must make timely plan payments to the bankruptcy trustee every month. The trustee keep...
When the trustee files the motion to dismiss, you will have a chance to review and oppose it. If you don’t oppose the trustee’s motion, the court w...
If you can’t afford to make your monthly Chapter 13 plan payments, you may have other options available to you including: 1. modifying your plan to...
If the court dismisses your Chapter 13 bankruptcy, it can do so with or without prejudice. Most cases are dismissed without prejudice – meaning tha...
As we discussed, the court or the trustee will typically work with you to resolve a motion to dismiss. Further, if your bankruptcy is dismissed wit...
Below are seven signs that your bankruptcy attorney is incompetent. If you notice any combination of these signs you may want to look for someone else.
If you are tired of dealing with incompetent bankruptcy attorneys and still need help, let us know. Call us or fill out our contact form to set up a free consultation. We enjoy helping people get a fresh start.
If you wish to appeal your dismissal, you must file a notice of appeal within 14 days after your case is dismissed (but you can also file a motion for an extension of time). In addition, you will need to file other formal paperwork (such as a legal brief) ...
If you can't afford to make your monthly Chapter 13 plan payments, you may have other options available to you including: modifying your plan to reduce your payment amount. requesting a hardship discharge, or. converting to Chapter 7 bankruptcy.
If you can't afford to make your monthly Chapter 13 plan payments, you may have other options available to you including: 1 modifying your plan to reduce your payment amount 2 requesting a hardship discharge, or 3 converting to Chapter 7 bankruptcy.
If you don't make your Chapter 13 bankruptcy monthly plan payments, the bankruptcy trustee will ask the court to dismiss your case. If the court does dismisses your Chapter 13 bankruptcy for nonpayment, you may be able to appeal the dismissal to a higher court.
If the court dismisses your Chapter 13 bankruptcy, it can do so with or without prejudice. Most cases are dismissed without prejudice – meaning that you can file another bankruptcy case right away.
If you lost money because of the way your lawyer handled your case, consider suing for malpractice. Know, however, that it is not an easy task. You must prove two things:
If that doesn't work, as a last resort you may need to sue your lawyer in small claims court, asking the court for money to compensate you for what you've spent on redoing work in the file or trying to get the file.
Every state has an agency responsible for licensing and disciplining lawyers. In most states, it's the bar association; in others, the state supreme court. The agency is most likely to take action if your lawyer has failed to pay you money that you won in a settlement or lawsuit, made some egregious error such as failing to show up in court, didn't do legal work you paid for, committed a crime, or has a drug or alcohol abuse problem.
If you can't find out what has (and has not) been done, you need to get hold of your file. You can read it in your lawyer's office or ask your lawyer to send you copies of everything -- all correspondence and everything filed with the court or recorded with a government agency.
If you're not satisfied with your lawyer's strategy decisions or with the arguments the lawyer has been making on your behalf, you may even want to go to the law library and do some reading to educate yourself about your legal problem.
If you want to sue for legal malpractice, do it as quickly as possible. A common defense raised by attorneys sued for malpractice is that the client waited too long to sue. And because this area of the law can be surprisingly complicated and confusing, there's often plenty of room for argument.
But all states except Maine, New Mexico, and Tennessee do have funds from which they may reimburse clients whose attorneys stole from them.
If you aren't sure about something, contact your attorney for guidance. There are also some things you should avoid doing. If you find you've already done some of the things to avoid, let your attorney know right away. If you try to undo your actions, you could actually make the situation worse.
Speak with your attorney prior to doing this. DO NOT use your credit cards or acquire new debt. Unplanned medical debt may be an exception, as you may not have a choice about incurring the debt. But if you use credit shortly before filing bankruptcy, you may end up having to repay some or all of that debt.
DO NOT withdraw funds from your retirement accounts to repay debts without discussing this with your attorney. This is almost always a bad idea. DO NOT transfer any assets (real estate, car, money, or anything of value) to family or friends, without first contacting your attorney.
Your attorney may also ask for copies of bills and collection letters, as well. DO consider opening a new bank account, especially if you do your banking somewhere that you owe money. The bank may close your account when you file bankruptcy, so it's a good idea to already have a new bank account set up when you file.
There are certain jurisdictional limits regarding the maximum amount of damages that a person can seek in small claims court, such as $5,000.
Mediation is less like a trial and more like a discussion. Both parties appear before a neutral trained mediator. They may all be in the same room or they may be put in different rooms as the mediator moves back and forth. The goal is to reach a resolution that both parties are satisfied with without having to go to court.
Legal fees are the amount that an attorney charges for his or her services, such as by providing you with legal advice, preparing legal motions and appearing in court. Legal costs are other expenses that arise in your case, such as filing fees, postage and copying expenses. Make sure that this information is specifically spelled out in ...
Even if a local bar association does not offer a program, you may be able to arbitrate your dispute. This process usually involves one or more neutral individuals who are typically trained in arbitration and alternative dispute resolutions. The neutral arbitrators hear both sides of the case and make a decision at the end. Both parties usually agree to make the arbitrator’s decision binding. This process may be less expensive and less time-consuming than going to court.
If you believe you have a valid complaint about how your lawyer has handled your case, inform the organization that governs law licenses in your state. Usually this is the disciplinary board of the highest court in your state. In some states, the state bar association is responsible for disciplining lawyers.
A lack of communication causes many problems. If your lawyer appears to have acted improperly, or did not do something that you think he or she should have done, talk with your lawyer about it. You may be satisfied once you understand the circumstances better. I have tried to discuss my complaints with my lawyer.
In a lawyer-client relationship, acting responsibly involves duties on both sides—and often involves some hard work. You have a right to expect competent representation from your lawyer. However, every case has at least two sides. If you are unhappy with your lawyer, it is important to determine the reasons.
For example, a lawyer may not be involved in writing a will for a client who leaves the lawyer substantial money or property in that will. Keeping Clients’ Property. If a lawyer is holding a client’s money or property, it must be kept safely and separately from the lawyer’s own funds and belongings.
Communication. A lawyer must be able to communicate effectively with a client. When a client asks for an explanation, the lawyer must provide it within a reasonable time. A lawyer must inform a client about changes in a case caused by time and circumstances. Fees.
A lawyer must be loyal to his or her client. This means that a lawyer cannot represent two clients who are on opposite sides in the same or related lawsuits. And, ordinarily, there can be no representation of a client whose interests would conflict with the lawyer’s interests.