Please help me with my story

[LSUTiger32]

If I were in your shoes, I would call back and ask the person who answers the phone if you bring a check for the retainer fee, could she possibly be able to give you the information packet.

Luci

That was a good idea, I called the other day and asked and she said they had an opening yesterday morning. Got to sit down with the lawyer and she is really wonderful. Answered all my questions and I paid the retainer and got the package. I made another appt. for tomorrow morning because I am ready to go but I had no idea how much stuff she needed. Do I really need 6 months of credit card statements? I mean who knows where they all are!

The one question I forgot to ask is can I start answering the phone and sending them to the attorney, or do I have to wait until I pay in full and file for that. I think I can start now but I want to make sure what the proper thing to do is.

[LuciluS]

That was a good idea, I called the other day and asked and she said they had an opening yesterday morning. Got to sit down with the lawyer and she is really wonderful. Answered all my questions and I paid the retainer and got the package. I made another appt. for tomorrow morning because I am ready to go but I had no idea how much stuff she needed. Do I really need 6 months of credit card statements? I mean who knows where they all are!
The one question I forgot to ask is can I start answering the phone and sending them to the attorney, or do I have to wait until I pay in full and file for that. I think I can start now but I want to make sure what the proper thing to do is.

That's why I asked if you had the packet yet LOL! I've been working on and off on our BK papers since last Oct. Our BK Attorney didn't ask for the CC Statements; however, I had to list the date CC was opened, any purchases over $500 and ALL Balance Transfers. OMG! Some of our CC are closed. It took me two weeks to track the Debit Side of the BT to the credit side.

We've also go to provide closing statements on all homes we've bought and sold in the past 10 yrs, 3 yrs. of Tax Returns, Deeds and Titles on homes/cars. Dh said the other day, he wondered if any client just took all his statements and stuff in a paperbag and gave it to the BK Attorney LOL! I told him I wouldn't be suprised if this has happened, but albeit the Attorney charged more than $1,300 to do it.

You have to keep in mind, your Attorney works for you and the Trustee doesn't. So the more your Attorney knows about you/family, the easier it will be for him/her to receive smooth sailing throughout your BK until closure.

If you don't have the CC Statement for 6 months, do you have access to the website still? If so, you can download them to your hard drive or just print them out. We stopped paying most of ours in the 4th quarter of last year and I had one CC I had set up on paperless statements (never again). I was able to go in there before they shut me out and print 2 yrs. of CC Statements.

I will Never go to Paperless Statements even though most (banks, utilities, etcs) are requesting this for the 'Go Green or whatever it is called' The problem with Paperless Statements is I forget to print them, I just pay them.

Waste Management who picks up our trash every weeks & bills us quarterly is now charging an extra $3.00 if you don't go to Paperless Billing and allow them to ACH (will not do that either) you account on the due date each month. I'll pay the $3.00, but I don't think it's right. They are the ones charging and they should have to 'suck up' the costs in billing and receiving.

I pay all our bill through Bill Pay including medical bills. I do not want to use envelopes or stamps. The only thing I mail is Birthday and Christmas cards. I've still got some 1 cent and 2 cent stamps which I bought when the Post Office has raised the rates 3 times in the last 6 years that I know of.

I had a hard time with placing values on our personal property like a couch, refrig. & Etc. I went to Ebay (which everyone tells me here is too high) & found some of our stuff there. I did a lot of 'Googling' and using Craig's list to come up wth the $ amounts.

Lots of paperwork huh?

Luci

[LSUTiger32]

That's why I asked if you had the packet yet LOL! I've been working on and off on our BK papers since last Oct. Our BK Attorney didn't ask for the CC Statements; however, I had to list the date CC was opened, any purchases over $500 and ALL Balance Transfers. OMG! Some of our CC are closed. It took me two weeks to track the Debit Side of the BT to the credit side.

We've also go to provide closing statements on all homes we've bought and sold in the past 10 yrs, 3 yrs. of Tax Returns, Deeds and Titles on homes/cars. Dh said the other day, he wondered if any client just took all his statements and stuff in a paperbag and gave it to the BK Attorney LOL! I told him I wouldn't be suprised if this has happened, but albeit the Attorney charged more than $1,300 to do it.

You have to keep in mind, your Attorney works for you and the Trustee doesn't. So the more your Attorney knows about you/family, the easier it will be for him/her to receive smooth sailing throughout your BK until closure.

If you don't have the CC Statement for 6 months, do you have access to the website still? If so, you can download them to your hard drive or just print them out. We stopped paying most of ours in the 4th quarter of last year and I had one CC I had set up on paperless statements (never again). I was able to go in there before they shut me out and print 2 yrs. of CC Statements.

I will Never go to Paperless Statements even though most (banks, utilities, etcs) are requesting this for the 'Go Green or whatever it is called' The problem with Paperless Statements is I forget to print them, I just pay them.

Waste Management who picks up our trash every weeks & bills us quarterly is now charging an extra $3.00 if you don't go to Paperless Billing and allow them to ACH (will not do that either) you account on the due date each month. I'll pay the $3.00, but I don't think it's right. They are the ones charging and they should have to 'suck up' the costs in billing and receiving.

I pay all our bill through Bill Pay including medical bills. I do not want to use envelopes or stamps. The only thing I mail is Birthday and Christmas cards. I've still got some 1 cent and 2 cent stamps which I bought when the Post Office has raised the rates 3 times in the last 6 years that I know of.

I had a hard time with placing values on our personal property like a couch, refrig. & Etc. I went to Ebay (which everyone tells me here is too high) & found some of our stuff there. I did a lot of 'Googling' and using Craig's list to come up wth the $ amounts.

Lots of paperwork huh?

Luci

LOL! Yeah, I rpinted out last night 6 months worth of pay stubs for both of us and tax returns. That was the easy stuff.

I guess I will keep the appt. in the morning and bring what I have but you are right it doesn't look like I will be able to file as soon as I wanted to. Now I am worried because I really wanted to get this done tomorrow.

I have most of them I think, it's just a matter of trying to put them all together. Plus we lost a lot of doucments in Katrina. Of course the last six months of CC statements weren't lost but a lot of house documents and stuff were.

I guess I better start signing on to websites and see if I can print them.

[LuciluS]

LOL! Yeah, I rpinted out last night 6 months worth of pay stubs for both of us and tax returns. That was the easy stuff.

I guess I will keep the appt. in the morning and bring what I have but you are right it doesn't look like I will be able to file as soon as I wanted to. Now I am worried because I really wanted to get this done tomorrow.

I have most of them I think, it's just a matter of trying to put them all together. Plus we lost a lot of doucments in Katrina. Of course the last six months of CC statements weren't lost but a lot of house documents and stuff were.

I guess I better start signing on to websites and see if I can print them.

If you are going to need documents lost in Katrina (btw, sincerely sorry for your loss) start calling asap & requesting what you need. If they ask you why, tell them you are trying to recover what was lost in Katrina. Don't mention Bankruptcy.

And remember while completing your expenses you account for everything...a life ins. policy, AAA auto club membership, newspaper & magazine subscriptions and etc. Easy way is to go back about 12 months on your bank statements and look closely at all expenses. If you have an animal, you are allowed a monthly expense. Your Attorney will know how much you can claim in animal expenses.

I brought this up, because we found out last Oct. are shih tzu has a severe skin problem & crystalization in her bladder. Her prescriptions medicines and prescription dog food is over $125 a month. Our Attorney told us the Trustee wouldn't allow that much. So going to let him put an amount in for that.

Here is a CA expense calculator which was real helpful for me and might possibly help you on the expense side.

http://www.goainc.com/fraley/calculators/expense_calculator.html

Luci

[eddiep]

Good point. This is like setting a nuclear bomb off on my life to me, so it's not going to be easy for me at all.

Everybody feels that way initally. This is the hardest part, it will get easier every day! And before you know it you will wake up and the nightmare will be over. Don't stress.

[LuciluS]

Everybody feels that way initally. This is the hardest part, it will get easier every day! And before you know it you will wake up and the nightmare will be over. Don't stress.

It's so nice to hear words of confidence and words that are soothing for those of us who are 'getting our act together' with mounds of paperwork requested by the Attorney before we file.

Thanks So Much!
Luci

[LSUTiger32]

Everybody feels that way initally. This is the hardest part, it will get easier every day! And before you know it you will wake up and the nightmare will be over. Don't stress.

Thanks so much for taking the time to post that. It means a lot to me, seriously. In the last 48 hours, I have printed out no less than 300 pages of stuff and I basically have my entire financial life sitting in folders that when stacked up measure a good foot tall.

Meeting tomorrow morning and paying half the balance to get the petition drawn up. Hopefully they will have it ready for Wednesday next week. That's the day I go 30 days past due on my first credit card and I would love to get it in before that.

[LSUTiger32]

It's so nice to hear words of confidence and words that are soothing for those of us who are 'getting our act together' with mounds of paperwork requested by the Attorney before we file.

Thanks So Much!
Luci

No doubt!!!!

[LSUTiger32]

OK, so had the meeting this morning. Paid another payment and turned in all of my paperwork. Went really well, she told me I was so prepared that I made it easy for her. I was so worried having lost some of the documents in Katrina but she said I had plenty enough to show what she needed.

So we go next Friday to make the last payment and sign our petition to file. Then the real "fun" begins.

We're getting there. Everytime I take another step I feel like I can start to breathe a little more again.

[LuciluS]

OK, so had the meeting this morning. Paid another payment and turned in all of my paperwork. Went really well, she told me I was so prepared that I made it easy for her. I was so worried having lost some of the documents in Katrina but she said I had plenty enough to show what she needed.

So we go next Friday to make the last payment and sign our petition to file. Then the real "fun" begins.

We're getting there. Everytime I take another step I feel like I can start to breathe a little more again.

Wow!!!! You've been a busy person LOL! I'm glad you were able to get everything (plus More!) you needed off the internet. Albeit you were in the top percentage of people she's filed BK who actually had the appropriate information.

Here's Hoping next Friday she's ready for you to sign, you have the money & she will get you filed very soon!

Luci

[LSUTiger32]

Wow!!!! You've been a busy person LOL! I'm glad you were able to get everything (plus More!) you needed off the internet. Albeit you were in the top percentage of people she's filed BK who actually had the appropriate information.

Here's Hoping next Friday she's ready for you to sign, you have the money & she will get you filed very soon!

Luci

The last 48 hours have been crazy printing stuff out. I had to go to Walgreen's at 1:30 this morning to buy an ink cartridge cause I burned through it!

Thanks for the kind words, I have the money I just hope she is ready!

[LSUTiger32]

Less than 48 hours away from filing. Do they actually have to go file it, or do we sign in the office and then they file it electronically?

I was wondering how that works.

[eddiep]

Mine was filed electronically.

[LSUTiger32]

Mine was filed electronically.

So do you get your case number and 341 date right away?

[LSUTiger32]

About 27 hours away and the nerves are building. I keep running things through my ask asking myself if this is the right thing to do? Am I setting a horrible example for my kids? Is there anyway to avoid this? I know when we sign that paper it's a done deal, so I am really battling within myself to just stay the course, get it done and get on with my life.