Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Attorney
Chapter 7 Bankruptcy is a personal bankruptcy.
It is usually declared if there is really no way that a person can pay off the debts that they owe. For example if the wages that they bring in will not meet the debts that they owe over a period of years, this can be anywhere between 3 and five years.
Also if a person has no income at all then it would be very hard to put a repayment plan together for them (this is known as Chapter 13 bankruptcy).
A chapter 7 bankruptcy lawyer should be an attorney, or a lawyer who has experience of dealing with personal bankruptcies. They will:
- Work with you to make sure that you are filing the correct type of bankruptcy for your situation
- Make sure that ALL your paperwork is filled in correctly and accurately reflects your financial situation. This is a great help as many people who are attempting to complete their own bankruptcy struggle with some of the legal jargon they are presented with
- Deal with creditors if the need arises
- Take part in any meetings that may happen with creditors and
- Represent you in court when filing the motion for bankruptcy
Fees vary, however you should be able to get a competent and professional attorney for approximately $2000. This amount can often be less. However it is important that you do not go for the cheapest cut price offer. Remember, your bankruptcy is a very serious financial matter.
These are probably the most important finacial decisions that you will face, and you want to be sure that any attorney you hire will be able to give you the time that you need. Time does cost money. So any attorney offering their services for a couple of hundred dollars would need to be questioned about the amount of time they can give your particular case.
Questions To Ask A chapter 7 Attorney
Here are some questions you may want to ask any specialist that you are considering hiring to work with you at this time. Remember you are making a sizeable investment in whoever you choose, both financially and emotionally so a little work up front will help you to get the best fit for your own personal situation:
Experience: make sure they are well versed in personal bankruptcy, not just as a side line but as a main part of their work
Will they be working on your case and if not who, in their firm will?
Will you have direct access to them?
What do their fees include?
What don’t theirfees include is equally as important?
When looking for the right chapter 7 ankruptcy attorney:
Try to get some recommendations from people or sources that you trust. You can of course use the Internet and search online but always check out their names online too. A quick search will usually bring up if there are any bad experiences with them.
You may be spending some time with this person. You will no doubt be going through some private and intimate financial information with them. It is for this reason that it is important that you like the person, that you get a good feel for them when speaking to them. Which brings us on to the free consultation.
Most attorneys worth their salt with offer a free consultation. This will not be an in-depth discussion, however it will give you a very good idea of whether or not they are someone you can work with. Take advantage of any free advice call offered. This applies to whatever type of bankruptcy you are considering, chapter 7, chapter 11 or chapter 13.
If you get it right a bankruptcy attorney is a very good investment to make. They will be your guiding light through the whole process. And you can be confident that you are doing things correctly and according to the law. Your bankruptcy will affect you for a long time, spend a little time and effort in getting the right cahpter 7 bankruptcy attorney.
