I have a question about retaining a lawyer. How easy was it to find a lawyer you felt comfortable with and when you first starting looking did they return calls when you needed? Did most offer a payment plan?
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08-2009:Quit Paying Credit Cards
04-2010:Hired 2nd Attorney;05-2010:Filed 7
06-2010:341 Meeting (went very well)
08-24-2010: Discharged; 09-02-2010 Closed!! -
I filed chapter 7 last week. I talked to 5 lawyers, and met 3 of those 5 in person. All of them accepted payment plans, but none of them would file the paperwork before their fees were completely paid. I had a hard time getting calls returned, but I followed up and was put through in a couple of tries to each attorney. It usually took at least a day to have my emails answered.
I picked an attorney who was a pure bankruptcy practice and who seemed to be very familiar with the trustees and what to expect, etc.... My attorney was a couple of hundred more than the others, but seems very experienced and I feel she is giving me good advice. I also liked that in the office I chose, they file everything electronically. I filed last week, and my 341 is the first week in sept which is under 4 weeks from my filing.Last edited by backtoschool; 08-10-2009, 08:27 PM.You can't take a picture of this. It's already gone. ~~Nate, Six Feet Under -
Ann, here are some good online resources about finding a good bk attorney and the questions to ask them when you do meet:
http://http://research.lawyers.com/l...view-questions
Hope these help you form a solid foundation of how to find and retain a good bk lawyer.
Now, because of the large number of bankruptcy filings over the last year, many bk lawyers are swamped. It may take a while until they have an opening for initial free consultations. Be patient. Start looking now. There are several threads here that discuss ways members have found their lawyers - contacting their state bar and NACBA (National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys) asking for referrals, seeing if any of your local trustees take private cases (many do), and asking friends and family "for a friend" if they have local lawyers to recommend. Even if the lawyer is not a bankruptcy attorney, every lawyer in town knows who the good bk attorneys are and who to avoid. (This is how we found our most excellent lawyer
)
Good luck! I hope you find a great attorney!I am not a lawyer and this is not legal advice nor a statement of the law - only a lawyer can provide those.
06/01/06 - Filed Ch 13
06/28/06 - 341 Meeting
07/18/06 - Confirmation Hearing - not confirmed, 3 objections
10/05/06 - Hearing to resolve 2 trustee objections
01/24/07 - Judge dismisses mortgage company objection
09/27/07 - Confirmed at last!
06/10/11 - Trustee confirms all payments made
08/10/11 - DISCHARGED !
10/02/11 - CASE CLOSED
Countdown: 60 months paid, 0 months to goComment
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