Just had my first free meeting with an attorny and

[wminotauro1]

He said he was going to charge me a $1500 flat fee for full chapter 7. He said also that i fully qualify. I have been out of employment for about 6 months and im sure this is the biggest reason I qualify. My question is is how long after I initially file it with the court will I have to wait befor I can get a good job that pays alot, and still have the bankruptcy go though? And not having them try to convert me to chpter 13 or something like that.

[FreshLikeADaisy]

Wminotauro1, $1500 sounds reasonable, especially if that includes your filing fees ($299).

As someone who's in the same boat of longterm unemployment, I think that if something comes your way you should hop on it, because Chapter 7 is a picture of your finances on the day you file. Obviously the closer you are to discharge the "safer" you are, in terms of what the trustee might require of you, but I wouldn't sweat it, especially after your 341. File as soon as you can, and if you then have a job offer, take it! Those are my thoughts on it, anyway. Good luck to you!!!

[wminotauro1]

Hey thanks Fresh!! Your comment about it being a picture of your finances on the day you file makes me feel better. Im going to take your advice about filing as soon as poss.

[gophermn]

FreshLikeADaisy is correct, the golden rule is where you stand the day of filing. I have a rental house that is allowing me to file CH7. If I had no rental there would be no way I could pass the means test.
You shouldn't pass up a career because of this. If you ask me, going through a process like this indeed opens your eyes to a lot more stuff than just finances, debt and balances. It opens doors to better yourself mentally and physically. The Gov't is giving you a chance to start over so you need to re-evaluate where and what you plan to do.
Good luck!

[BKcrazy]

$1500 is good, I paid a little less, but it included my filing fees. And my attorney said I could win the lottery after filing and it would still be mine. So, I'm looking for that winning ticket right now.

[Lindsay]

Our lawyer is charging us $1000. He says ours is a very simple and straight forward Chapter 7 which will be easy for him to do. We only have 8 creditors (but total $80,000) and nothing that will stick out like property transfers or preferential payments. We haven't used our cards in over 6 months and no luxury purchases in years. I was very suprised to get such a low rate, I had expected to pay $2000 at least. I think $1500 is reasonable, especially if the attorney puts you at ease.

[keepmine]

I started interviewing for better jobs before I even had my 341 meeting. A week or so prior to discharge, I got an offer and snapped it up. No problem with the bk.

[Logan]

$1500 is good, I paid a little less, but it included my filing fees. And my attorney said I could win the lottery after filing and it would still be mine. So, I'm looking for that winning ticket right now.

Noty true. You could win the lottery 180 days after filing and it's yours.....

[wminotauro1]

Thank you guys again for helping out. Im starting to read these forums alot and my nerves are calming down alot. This is a very stressful time for me and I dont really have many people to talk to about this, so you guys are helping me more than you know. Honestly.....thank you.

[Lindsay]

Thank you guys again for helping out. Im starting to read these forums alot and my nerves are calming down alot. This is a very stressful time for me and I dont really have many people to talk to about this, so you guys are helping me more than you know. Honestly.....thank you.

I agree! This is the best site for people w/financial woes. Too bad there isn't a chat room where we could all go on and chat about our tales of bankruptcy! ;)

[BKcrazy]

Noty true. You could win the lottery 180 days after filing and it's yours.....

Hey, per my attorney! Maybe he said that so he could get a cut?

[BKcrazy]

I agree! This is the best site for people w/financial woes. Too bad there isn't a chat room where we could all go on and chat about our tales of bankruptcy! ;)

Not a bad idea. Maybe IIRC or something close?

[kl030505]

I would start looking for a new job NOW. My husband started a new job doubling his income (and then some actually) in Oct. We did not file until last week and will still be fine according to our attorney. For median income, all that matters is 6 months prior to date of filing, for schedules I and J (income vs expenses), what matters is the numbers from day of filing. It can take a while to get a great job, so start applying now, do the BK as soon as you can get the attorney fees together and you'll be on your way to a fresh start.