Pro Se or Attorney?

[CindyLou]

In my opinion, do not go pro se unless you are straight out plain ole vanilla chapter 7! If there is any twist to your story use an attorney. Period.

If this was pre-Oct 2005 I would say otherwise, but things are much more complicated now and there is just too much to lose.

That is my advice.

[FreshLikeADaisy]

In my opinion, do not go pro se unless you are straight out plain ole vanilla chapter 7! If there is any twist to your story use an attorney. Period.

If this was pre-Oct 2005 I would say otherwise, but things are much more complicated now and there is just too much to lose.

That is my advice.

Cindylynnsmith, I agree 100%. That's one reason why I recommend the Nolo book especially: it is very clear on what you can reasonably do on your own and what situations potentially require an atty.

Rfasset got it right: study, study, study.

[michellem]

hendry70, you're right. But I do think an attorney can be a toss up. We're all human and lawyers are just as capable of mistakes as laymen. I don't have any concern with a lawyer handling my case because it's very simple. However, it's that simplicity that makes me wonder why I should pay a lawyer to handle this when I could do it myself.

rilbrianne, I didn't have any luck with legal assistance. The legal aide office around here will only take your BK if you're going to be foreclosed on. And I tried to find out about possible pro-bono lawyers but the local bar association wanted $50 before I could even speak to someone!

rfassett and epiphany, thanks for the kind words! I have been doing exactly as you suggested. This board is a wealth of information and very invaluable. I can see from the other stories of pro se filers that this choice is not a cake walk. ;-]

Angie, if I had any real assets, particularly a house, I would definitely hesitate before filing pro se. The reason I'm considering it is because I literally own nothing worth more than $300. No house, no car, no fine jewelry and ZERO income. So my case is a very straight forward Chapter 7 no asset. I agree with cindylynnsmith in that if your case isn't simple then go with the lawyer. And of course, find out as much as you can about the process!

I haven't yet gotten a hold of the NOLO Chapter 7 book - still waiting on the library. Once I read that I think I'll be able to make an informed decision about whether I should handle this myself. Of course, all the advice I've received here has been invaluable as well!