does the court know if you consulted with a lawyer?

[mmenz22779]

if you go to the free consults with different lawyers, does the court know if when you did that consult?

I am not talking about retaining an lawyer just the "free consultation".

I know that once you retain a lawyer then use your credit card you can get in trouble, but is the same true if you just consulted with them to find out more information?

I have read that if you use your credit card after you consult with a lawyer and later decided to file then you can get in trouble, or do they mean that if you retain a lawyer then use them you can get into trouble.

when you consult with a lawyer does the lawyer send something to the courts indicating this?

[WC Nurse]

I've wondered the same thing. We consulted with an attorney about a month ago but haven't filed. I've still used some of my credit cards. I don't think I'll use the same attorney if I do file bankruptcy, so I don't think it'll be a problem, but am curious as to what others have to say. Hopefully someone will answer this.

[mmenz22779]

i am glad to know i am not the only one who wanted to know.

[wonkettegirl]

I've wondered the same thing. We consulted with an attorney about a month ago but haven't filed. I've still used some of my credit cards. I don't think I'll use the same attorney if I do file bankruptcy, so I don't think it'll be a problem, but am curious as to what others have to say. Hopefully someone will answer this.

In one of the stickys, there is a list of questions that can be expected at the 341 meeting. If I recall correctly, one of them is "When did you know you were bankrupt?"

You may, in giving an honest answer to that question, admit that you consulted with some attorneys well before filing.

[keepmine]

No lawyer reports consultations with clients.
Only if a creditor files an adverserial proceeding might the question arise. When did you first conult a lawyer about bk and did yiu use your cards after the consultation? Very rare and not worth worrying aout.

[DaisyMae]

BUT to be perfectly forthright,

can you just wait for a year to pass after you first talked to a BK lawyer? Then your answer 'no' is legit, and you can rest easy. Also- you never know if the lawyer you talked to may end up being a trustee, or know one, or etc. There are variables that could possibly come to light. Rare, probably- but BK is a big deal, it's best to always consider possibly adverse outcomes to all the answer on all of those forms.

[Tbornetun]

If you have a free consult. Then go on with everyday life, continue using credit cards and continue to pay at least minimum due for a while then go back and decide you really need to file. You have done nothing wrong. Unless if your intention was to acquire more
"things" on credit when you knew that you would be filing in the near future.

No one knows that you consulted with an attorney or what you even talked to that attorney about. Maybe you went in and decided that you didn't need to file at that time. No one really knows. Every situation is different.

I wouldn't worry about it, you did nothing wrong.