Bankruptcy Attorney: Avoiding Poor Representation

When you choose a bankruptcy attorney, you want someone that you can depend on. This is one of the most difficult things that you will go through and the last thing you need is poor representation. Before you agree to work with a lawyer, make sure that you know enough about the individual and the firm to make you confident in your decision. How much the process costs should not be the determining factor.

Start Looking Early:
Waiting until the last minute to find a bankruptcy attorney can be a disaster. You see your time is slipping away and you still have not found someone to represent you. At this point, people tend to make rush decisions without actually thinking about whom they are hiring and whether or not they are the best choice. When it comes time to file, you want to have someone on your side that you feel completely confident in. The situation is stressful enough without worrying about your bankruptcy attorney.

Check the Office:
You aren't looking for amazing artwork or a nice interior design. What you are looking for in an overall view of how the office runs. Do things appear to be organized and flowing smoothly? Were you greeted in a respectful and kind way when you walked through the door? This perspective is going to be something that you cannot get from an interview or from asking a friend for a recommendation. This is a unique approach to choosing you bankruptcy attorney. Set up an initial consultation to see the office and hear from the lawyer yourself.

Ask Lots of Questions and Listen to the Responses:
During this meeting, ask lots of questions. You want to know about his or her experience. While an overview is great, you want to know how many cases have ended with positive results. You want to know how many cases like yours are handled each month and each year. Get an idea of how much experience and success this person has achieved. If you are working with a firm, find out which people you will be interacting with and learn more about their experience.

Aside from learning more about the bankruptcy attorney, you want to know more about your specific case. Your lawyer should be able to give you some idea of how long the process will take and how much it will cost you. You want a number that is as close to exact as possible. It can be devastating to find out that at the end of the day, you owe much more money that you had planned for. This is a result of poor communication or a complete lack of communication. Take responsibility and get this information upfront before moving on.

In the world of law, there are no guarantees. No one can tell you that they will be able to get you a certain settlement or a certain decision handed down from the courts. However, being proactive and taking the time to research can really up your odds of a successful outcome.