Reviewing the bk paperwork

[TX Bluebonnet]

What is the normal procedure as far as reviewing the paperwork the attorney's office has prepared before actually signing off on it? Will I be expected to do that in their office or do they allow you to take the paperwork home to go over it slowly and carefully in order to catch any errors?

[CATCHMEIFYOUCAN]

I think you have to review the paperwork while in the office, than you get a copy. Double check all the account numbers per creditor. When I took my copy home I re-verified all the account numbers matched per each creditor and found 2 account numbers were off. I immediately called my lawyer and pointed it out. He was surprised I caught the error cuz most people don't even review that info.

Good Luck, Catchmeifyoucan

[TX Bluebonnet]

I think you have to review the paperwork while in the office, than you get a copy. Double check all the account numbers per creditor. When I took my copy home I re-verified all the account numbers matched per each creditor and found 2 account numbers were off. I immediately called my lawyer and pointed it out. He was surprised I caught the error cuz most people don't even review that info.

Good Luck, Catchmeifyoucan

Rats, I was hoping to take it home for review. I liked that you were able to catch some mistakes after you signed and got that cleared up. I think that's odd that most people don't review their paperwork. That's nuts!

[Cali]

I am not shocked at all that most people don't review the paperwork. How many people actually read the information that comes with their credit cards or the people that bought houses and didn't read the fine print.

My attorney told me when we actually file, we will review the paperwork in his office and then sign it. I will read everything and match everything.

[CATCHMEIFYOUCAN]

My attorney just happened to be a bad speller based on our email conversations, so that tipped me off I better check his dots and t's (lol) other than that he was a terrific lawyer.

Catchmeifyoucan

[keepmine]

Your lawyer is working for you. Nothing gets done until you sign off on everything. I'd not give any thought at all to his procedure. Take the stuff home and go over it at your on pace then, sign it and return it to his para if that's what you want to do. If there are corrections, insist on a sitdown with the para and point them out one by one.
Don't get bullied into something you're not comfortable with.
At first, I was going to take my papers home but, his procedure was pretty good. His para sat down with me and we went through the petition one line at a time and compared it with the intake form and the rough draft I'd submited earlier. Plus, my notes and the lawers notes. There were only 2 very minor corrections so, I felt OK signing it then. I wasn't rushed at all.

[TX Bluebonnet]

Thanks for the feedback everyone.

How many people actually read the information that comes with their credit cards or the people that bought houses and didn't read the fine print.

Umm... true. However, that's not quite the same as signing legal papers that are being filed in federal court.

My attorney just happened to be a bad speller based on our email conversations, so that tipped me off I better check his dots and t's (lol) other than that he was a terrific lawyer.

Yeah, that would make me look a little closer, too. One of the lawyers I consulted with had tons of spelling errors in his bk worksheets. I'm glad I was able to find someone else.

Your lawyer is working for you. Nothing gets done until you sign off on everything. I'd not give any thought at all to his procedure. Take the stuff home and go over it at your on pace then, sign it and return it to his para if that's what you want to do. If there are corrections, insist on a sitdown with the para and point them out one by one.
Don't get bullied into something you're not comfortable with.
At first, I was going to take my papers home but, his procedure was pretty good. His para sat down with me and we went through the petition one line at a time and compared it with the intake form and the rough draft I'd submited earlier. Plus, my notes and the lawers notes. There were only 2 very minor corrections so, I felt OK signing it then. I wasn't rushed at all.

Now this is my ideal scenerio that I'm hoping for. I'll definitely take any notes/papers with me for referrence material. I've already had a taste of the office ladies getting impatient with me when I called to ask some questions about the paperwork I was given to fill out. You're right to think I might be worrying about being "bullied" by being made to feel rushed into signing. I don't know why people like lawyers make me feel like I'm working for them. Thanks, I needed the reminder/reassurance that it's the other way around.

[southernbelle]

Hopefully you'll get an atty. like mine. They called me to come in to review the paperwork and it went like this: they put me in a conference room with a phone, stack of post-it notes, pencils, and my bk paperwork. The secretary told me to take as much time as I needed, call anyone I needed to in order to verify info. and to use the post-its to mark any pages I had questions about.

I combed over that thing for at least an hour and a half. I had some basic questions about where some numbers came from, but overall they didn't rush me and I took my time. I just went prepared to spend a few hours double checking everything because it's my signature verifying the contents of the paperwork they put together for me to be filed in Federal court and I am the one to held liable for mistakes not my atty.

I was also given another copy of my filing after my 341 by my atty to double check it again for accuracy and to let them know of any changes that need to be made.

[TX Bluebonnet]

Hopefully you'll get an atty. like mine. They called me to come in to review the paperwork and it went like this: they put me in a conference room with a phone, stack of post-it notes, pencils, and my bk paperwork. The secretary told me to take as much time as I needed, call anyone I needed to in order to verify info. and to use the post-its to mark any pages I had questions about.

I combed over that thing for at least an hour and a half. I had some basic questions about where some numbers came from, but overall they didn't rush me and I took my time. I just went prepared to spend a few hours double checking everything because it's my signature verifying the contents of the paperwork they put together for me to be filed in Federal court and I am the one to held liable for mistakes not my atty.

I was also given another copy of my filing after my 341 by my atty to double check it again for accuracy and to let them know of any changes that need to be made.

I hope my atty is like yours also. The way they set up your review sounds great and really thoughtful. Thanks so much for sharing your review experience!!

[PaKettle]

One thing I wanted to point out is that after you review the paperwork make sure you go to Pacer and pay the 8cents a page or whatever to open all the filed documents and make sure everything that should be there is there: no pages missing, and so on.

My attorney did not allow me to see my documents before I signed - he had us sign before viewing them. I know... Bad... So I found out AFTER he filed them, by viewing Pacer, that there were some pretty major mistakes. I had to amend the petition after the 341 as a result. No BIG deal. But anyway, make sure the stuff filed up to Pacer is accurate and all there!

[TX Bluebonnet]

Thanks, PaKettle. I don't think it would have occured to me that everything might not get filed as it should. I will be sure to sign up for pacer and double-check for missing pages, etc.

[DebtorDan]

Like Pa, our attorney had us sign blank pages prior and it got filed before we got to look it over. Furthermore, we spoke with a paralegal an hour before they filed as they had some questions, and things we'd just gone over on the phone were filed incorrectly. Looking on PACER was crucial for us in catching mistakes and getting amended papers filed. Also, for some reason my affidavit of no income that was signed and turned in was not filed originally. We were given 45 days to get ii in. Our attorney had us send another to him and he said they'd file it. Well, day 45 and it wasn't filed. I had to go down with a copy to the court and file it. His copy didn't get in until day 49. Definitely get a PACER account.

[bbgstartingover]

If you can, I'd ask them to let you have the paperwork to review at home before you file, so that you can do it at your own pace and not feel pressured to sign everything right then and there in the office.

I was surprised to find out how many people had lawyers/paralegals that made them sign blank paperwork in advance. That seems so NOT right. You're paying them good money for their service. You should have access to any paperwork they prepare for you, with the info on it, before you sign and file.

I lucked out with my lawyer and he's not even a "strictly BK" lawyer. He PDFed and emailed me the completed forms, and I ended up doing two rounds of edits each time. And it took me about 1.5 - 2 hours to go over everything at home each time (but then, that's me, I'm a detail nut). And then, the morning I signed everything at his office, when he went over every page with me, I found two more errors that weren't there in the previous rounds. So, you can't be too careful.

My advice is, if you can, take your time looking over your completed paperwork before you sign anything over to them. And if they give you a hard time, take up your space -- you are paying THEM!!! I wouldn't give in. It's your name and signature on the final paperwork and, ultimately, you will be held responsible, not the lawyers/paralegals.

Good Luck!!!

[Cali]

Our attorney is going to let us sit in a room and let us look over everything before we sign.

[TX Bluebonnet]

Like Pa, our attorney had us sign blank pages prior and it got filed before we got to look it over. Furthermore, we spoke with a paralegal an hour before they filed as they had some questions, and things we'd just gone over on the phone were filed incorrectly. Looking on PACER was crucial for us in catching mistakes and getting amended papers filed. Also, for some reason my affidavit of no income that was signed and turned in was not filed originally. We were given 45 days to get ii in. Our attorney had us send another to him and he said they'd file it. Well, day 45 and it wasn't filed. I had to go down with a copy to the court and file it. His copy didn't get in until day 49. Definitely get a PACER account.

So sorry to hear you had to go through such a hassle. Stuff like that really gets on my nerves! It sounds like Pacer is going to become my new best friend!