Stressful Situation

[Dinero]

I suppose that everyone here on this forum is under a stressful situation.

I am no exception. I have been trying to settle with my creditors explaining how the economy is in the toilet and that I can pay them a reasonable percentage of the amount due if they waive the late charges and accept monthly payments.

None of them have responded in a positive tone if they bothered to respond at all. Not a single one!. Well, one did respond. One creditor has filed a lawsuit against me! Here, I thought it was only millionaires and billionares who were sued these days, but not people struggling just to pay the rent!

Anyway, I have been talking to attornies and they all advise for me to declare Chapter 7 Bankruptcy before I am slapped with a judgment against me.

After much soul-searching, I have accepted the odious situation, but I cannot afford the large sum of money to a lawyer just to declare to the court that I am really broke!

I plan on filing Chapter 7 bankruptcy myself.

Does anyone know of a reputable firm that will fill out all the paperwork for me and instruct me on how to file and do it all for under $200.

Has anyone tried Bridge Port Bankruptcy Services? Are they any good?

And can you comment on their services? Does anyone know of a better firm to go with?

I have one shot at this and I don't want any little thing to derail the process.

I suppose I need to take a short course and bone up on the basics before I plunge in.[/URL]

[AngelinaCat]

Read thoroughly through all of the 'stickies' and other information on this site. Concentrate on the General BK Talk, Ch7, Ch13, and Pro Se Filing boards. Educated yourself as to the process before you make a fateful jump.

Good luck.

[rjmwx81]

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Does anyone know of a reputable firm that will fill out all the paperwork for me and instruct me on how to file and do it all for under $200.

Has anyone tried Bridge Port Bankruptcy Services? Are they any good?

Even if a service can do your papers for under $200, you still have to pay the $299 filing fee to the court. So "all for under $200" is simply not possible.

Also, in order to fill out your paperwork, petition preparers like Bridgeport have to get all the information from you. By the time you gather all the necessary information and write it down for them, you've basically done all the legwork on the filing yourself...so you're paying someone $200 to write down your information in a slightly different format. Not worth it in my opinion, especially since YOU, and not the preparer, are still responsible for the accuracy of the forms.

[Dinero]

Even if a service can do your papers for under $200, you still have to pay the $299 filing fee to the court. So "all for under $200" is simply not possible.

Also, in order to fill out your paperwork, petition preparers like Bridgeport have to get all the information from you. By the time you gather all the necessary information and write it down for them, you've basically done all the legwork on the filing yourself...so you're paying someone $200 to write down your information in a slightly different format. Not worth it in my opinion, especially since YOU, and not the preparer, are still responsible for the accuracy of the forms.

Yes, I know it costs $299 to file, but I mean somewhere around $200 to fill out all the paperwork for me or is that too low an expectation? I've heard they can do all the paperwork fairly quickly since they have it basically automated and do it all day long and more people are filing Chapter 7 with the way the economy is this days.

Basically, I want to make certain that the paperwork is prepared exactly correct and that I have not violated any arcane rules that may disqualify me by the trustee.

Are you saying you think it's better if I prepare ALL the paperwork myself? There are different software to handle that, but then there are intricate rules that may trip you up if you don't know the nooks and crannies of the bankruptcy law.

[AngelinaCat]

Are you saying you think it's better if I prepare ALL the paperwork myself? There are different software to handle that, but then there are intricate rules that may trip you up if you don't know the nooks and crannies of the bankruptcy law.

Yes, that is EXACTLY what we are saying. You have no idea--if you have not read through the various boards about how many $$$$ the majority of us posters have paid so-called professionals, be they lawyers, paralegals, or just knoweldgable clerks, to fill out the paperwork and get it correct--and DON'T.

You are the final arbitur of whether your paperwork is correct or not. You will be asked under oath at your 341 if everything in your petition is correct; did you review it; and did you sign off that it was correct.

[free2breathe]

I think I agree with rjmwx81 as far as using a service to fill out the paperwork. Once you've spent all that time gathering the information, you could have the forms filled out. And if you use a service, you have to go over the paperwork with a fine tooth comb to check for accuracy. Nolo is a great resource for learning how to fill out your paperwork and filing on your own. You can find coupon codes online for them and their online book download will cost you about $16.

[IFC]

This forum has a lot of good information to help you. You should confirm, whatever useful information you gleam, with a lawyer. Good Luck!

[rjmwx81]

Are you saying you think it's better if I prepare ALL the paperwork myself?

That's exactly what I'm saying. I'm also saying that, if you end up hiring a service, you still end up doing most of the work. You still fill out forms, they just format it. And, whether you use a service or not, the court is going to see any errors as your fault.

[2manybills]

It depends on the service and how reputable they are. When I prepare forms for folks, I do everything. Full document preparation, and also follow their case on Pacer and remind them when they should be doing things. Not all services will do that, but someone worth their salt that cares about the people they are helping will for sure.

[mrskal]

Yes, that is EXACTLY what we are saying. You have no idea--if you have not read through the various boards about how many $$$$ the majority of us posters have paid so-called professionals, be they lawyers, paralegals, or just knoweldgable clerks, to fill out the paperwork and get it correct--and DON'T.

You are the final arbitur of whether your paperwork is correct or not. You will be asked under oath at your 341 if everything in your petition is correct; did you review it; and did you sign off that it was correct.

So, what should I be going over? I had mine filed with a lawyer, and I have a great feeling about him. We went over everything when I signed. Ten they filed. Should I print something off of Pacer? I did save and print the page that lists where to go, who the trustee is etc... and the page that list the creditors. Is there more that I shoud save and print? I have officially spent .32 on Pacer! LOL

[2manybills]

You should be going over every piece of paper that is filed with the Court. If you sign it, you're responsible for it.

[mrskal]

Ok, so then I should save and print each section off of pacer? I am worried to spend to much, but if I need to I will. I have no clue how many pages that amounts to. Anyone know?

[Dinero]

Please excuse the dumb question, but what is Pacer? I will Google the term, but any help is appreciated.

Also, filling out a hundred pages by myself is a very daunting task. I know I would screw something up and mess up an already emotional process.

When I fill out my income taxes I use software that walks me through the process.

What is some software that anyone here has used that would expedite the process for me? I am good with computers and want to use my computer to do most of the work.

Someone mentioned Nolo which is something I have not heard about. I will Google it, but can anyone comment further on that and on any recommended software systems online that will help me in filling out the forms.

I do not think I would ever fill out the mountain of paperwork by myself and I don't have two grand to pay a lawyer to do it for me.

[free2breathe]

Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) is an electronic public access service that allows users to obtain case and docket information from federal appellate, district and bankruptcy courts, and the PACER Case Locator via the Internet. PACER is provided by the federal Judiciary in keeping with its commitment to providing public access to court information via a centralized service.

You have to set up an account with them, and they charge 8 cents for every page you access. However, if you have less than $10 in access charges in one quarter, they won't charge you.

Nolo is a legal solutions company that publishes numerous books that help with legal issues. Their books include instructions and guidelines as well as forms. Check out their website. If you decide to order their online book, do a search on "Nolo coupons" online, and you can save $10 or a percentage off your total price.

[Dinero]

Serious Consequences

Thanks for that info free2breathe, now if you don't mind, I have a couple of follow-up questions. When I register on Pacer, do I use my real name or some sort of screen name like on this board? And what exactly is the purpose of registering there in the first place?

They charge 8 cents per page. Per page of what? I imagine it's per page of whatever I download, but what would I want to download?

As for the Nolo thing. I will look into it and may even buy one of their books to bone up on the rules of bankruptcy, but what about some sort of software to help me fill out the mountain of forms?

Has anyone on the board used a particularly good software package that they would recommend?

The final question is what about those companies that will prepare all the forms for you in one day? Are any of them any good?

The analogy I have in my head about all this is:
Option 1 go to an attorney if you have a spare $2,000 to have the attorney prepare the bankruptcy for you, but if I had that cash I might not need to file bankruptcy in the first place.

Option 2 is to have an expert fill out the paper work and take to court myself to file. (although, I must confess, I don't know exactly how to do that either). Do you just go to some window in Federal Court and say I need to file bankruptcy and here is my check for $299 and that is it?

Option 3 is to go online and find some website that will provide the software (like Turbo Tax) that will help me fill out the paperwork.

Filling out the mountain of paperwork is what I see as the first physical obstacle after overcoming the mental battle of making the momentous decision to file bankruptcy chapter 7.

Damn! I dread feeling like a failure and having a label of "Loser" stamped on my forehead if I file bankruptcy chapter 7, but if I don't I already have a lawsuit crouching in the dark waiting to pounce on me!

It seems like there are serious and long-term consequences awaiting me no matter what I do, but I must do something!