Bankruptcy Lawyer: Troubleshoot Before You Hire

A bankruptcy lawyer can be of assistance if you are receiving annoying phone calls from creditors and you are having trouble managing your finances. When you decide to see an attorney, you should weigh the pros and the cons associated with the situation. If you qualify to file, the attorney could assist you in making preparations to file. Most people do not know the steps that must be taken to file, and they believe that it is a simple process. A bankruptcy lawyer can tell you the different bankruptcies that are available. You can expect to get a list of items that you will need to provide to the lawyer.

You need to make sure that you have an attorney who is reliable and will be available to you during your court meetings. You do not want to appear in court and have your creditors there, and your attorney is not there to provide guidance and assistance. You also need to be sure that you have an attorney who will defend you. There might be items that are included in court that are disputed. For example, you want to be sure that your earnings and your property are represented accurately. These amounts might greatly impact the amount of money that you will have to pay to creditors in payments. If you are a salesperson and have seen that your income has drastically been decreased or no longer exist to the level as it had existed earlier in the year, your attorney should voice his or her concern that you are not receiving the same income as you once did. The court might want to be sure that you can pay the bill, but if your income has been exaggerated, you could end up in a worse position. You might find yourself paying more than you can afford in monthly payments.

You also need to make sure that your attorney is detail-oriented. The attorney will need to keep track your documents (provide copies if they are acceptable) and the attorney should have a clear understanding of what you can afford to pay. If you cannot afford the payments that creditors will like you to make, the attorney should be able to come up with a plan to negotiate payments that you can afford. You should also know upfront how much you will have to pay the attorney in legal fees and extra expenses. Ask about fees to make copies, file the paperwork, and other clerical expenses. Ask the attorney for a solid estimate of the clerical fees or ask if you can pay a flat fee for this expense. Perhaps a bankruptcy lawyer who is well experienced in the field can give you a flat fee that is often paid by people with similar cases. You do not want to be surprised by your attorney's fees when you are already stressed from the other payments that you must bake to creditors. Read all that you can about the attorney before a hire someone for your case.