How to Choose Your Bankruptcy Lawyer

Jul 28
08:20

2010

Anna Woodward

Anna Woodward

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In choosing a bankruptcy lawyer, there are a few go to questions with which to lead an interview. You are choosing someone to represent your case, and you will want to make sure your lawyer knows your options, will keep your case from the initial inquiry, and is skilled in this specific area of law.

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If you are considering filing,How to Choose Your Bankruptcy Lawyer Articles you need to begin with choosing a bankruptcy lawyer. After researching and narrowing down a few referrals, request a few no charge interviews with a few different lawyer to get a feel of who is right to handle your case. There are four important questions to ask before officially hiring someone to defend your case.

First, once a bankruptcy lawyer has scanned your documents, you should inquire about your options. A prospective attorney should be able to give you the pros and cons of both Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy, and he/she should project a scenario of your situation should you not proceed to file. Anyone who does not present all sides of all of your options even if he/she defends one as the obvious may not be your best choice.

You will also want to make sure that the person who is reviewing your case initially is the same person who will be defending your case through the final ruling. It is common for a company to have a front man who takes cases and then distributes them throughout the company. If you find the company reputable, ask to chat with the person who will personally handle your case, and begin the interview process from the beginning. If you cannot be directly referred to that person, you have detected a red flag; if the company does not allow direct contact with the attorney who will handle your case, assume that when it is time for your hearing that the lawyer representing you may not have spent much time reviewing your case.

It is suggested that you go with someone who exclusively dedicates his/her practice to bankruptcy law. This area of law is always changing, and even a particularly new attorney who is dedicated to bankruptcy will have more useful and current experience than even a professional with decades of law experience who does not specialize in bankruptcy law.

It may be tempting to lead asking about fees for services rendered, but since the initial interview should be free of charge, be sure and obtain all the information that you can before bringing up costs. Some charge by the hour, some bill by the case, and some bill for each meeting or incidental. Of course you want to consider the cost, but you should not make your decision based on it solely. Interview your next prospect, and do a cost/services comparison. Do not turn away from a slightly intimidating flat fee until you have compared services and estimated total hourly costs from other attorneys; a flat fee may be the most for your money, and as with services of all kinds, you often get what you pay for.

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