How to find a decent Bankruptcy Lawyer?

[cowboychick]

I am at my wits end and hope someone out there an advise me. I am beginning to think there is not one single decent bankruptcy attorney in the Dallas area. How did you find your bankruptcy attorney? How did you know he wouldn't scam you or treat you like crap or drop the ball? I have been treated like trash from receptionists to attorneys, all because I want to know up front what the process is and how much exactly the attorney fees are. It feels like a sales scam the way they won't tell me how much the fees are until I come in for their "free consultation." Then I go in for my appointment and have to fill out paperwork with all kinds of personal info on it (when I'm not even sure I want to go with this attorney yet!), am treated rudely by the secretary, wait over an hour, then I end up meeting with some stupid kid who looks like he didn't even attend law school. He stumbled around and couldn't answer half of my questions!

So I decided to try another firm. My circumstances are not complicated, but they are unusual, and I would like to find a bankruptcy attorney who really knows how to handle cases and isn't going to make my life miserable because they drop the ball. I have read horror stories, and they are all coming true with each new bankruptcy attorney I talk. One guy even told me not to worry about reading the paperwork, to just sign it. That made me even more determined to read it, and when I did, I found out that the contract says they can give my case to another lawyer, and if I ever want to cancel the representation, they will charge me an hourly rate to "audit" my file and "see" if I can have any money back. Then the attorney fees listed on the contract I was supposed to sign did not match what the attorney was telling me the fees were. He told me not to worry about it because it was an old form. He actually had to take a moment to read what I was asking about--meaning he didn't even know what his own forms say! No way was I signing anything that said I would pay $800 more than what the attorney was telling me!

I've been going to law firms that come up in Google and Yahoo the most -- the biggest firms who are supposedly well-known. I'm not seeing BBB complaints, but I've been treated like crap, they don't seem to know what they are doing, and I can't even manage to get represented yet. And I'm supposed to give these people all my financial information???? How am I supposed to find a decent attorney?

Sorry to vent, but I need some advice here. How can you tell if a firm is a "factory" where you are just a number versus a firm with an attorney who actually cares about what he or she is doing and will complete the job?

[Flamingo]

If you did a search in this forum under your subject matter you would have found that the best thing for you to do is contact your State Bar Association (in your phone book under your "state" section or could also be listed in the "Lawyer" section). Call them and tell them you are looking for some attorneys in your area that handle complicated bankruptcy matters. Avoid the BK mills with the full page ads and ads on TV at 2:00 a.m.

[Bell30656]

I treated the initial consultation as an interview with a contractor. I spent more than half of my time with them asking questions. Only one attorney took offense when I asked him; Give me one reason that I should select you over the numerous other attorneys here in this area to handle this matter. All of the other attorneys that I asked that question gave me responses.

Looking back over my notes, I interviewed (initial consultation) with 12 lawyers in person and another 8 by telephone. While it seems like a lot, I felt that I needed a bit more information. My situation wasn't the run of the mill, click out the paperwork. I could have done that using software I downloaded from the web. However, with the pending divorce, the fact that I'd already been served on a few civil suits and didn't want to screw this all up I wanted someone good.

My sentiments to you is that if you aren't satisfied with the answers the attorney gives you, move on to the next. There a whole lot of fish in that sea.

[StartingOver08]

Remember too, that the large mill type firms are the ones most likely to yield the interview experiences you describe.

For me personally, I wanted an attorney that had years of experience and would not hand off the case to a jr assistant to attend the 341. So I specifically interviewed with the smaller firms and ended up with an excellent attorney that had 30 yrs experience. He was a one man shop with two paralegals and a receptionist. Not a fancy office, just experience.

Consider looking for the smaller offices if you are actually looking for experience. Have a list of questions written down. You can eliminate quite a few firms over the phone with your initial set of questions that are important to YOU and your case. You are the employer in this instance - you need to interview the attorney while he is interviewing you! There are good one's out there.

BTW, you did the right thing reading the contract. Any attorney that would tell you not to bother reading the contract is someone I would never hire to represent my interests. It shows you the level of care that the attorney intends for your case - none!

[HakunaMatata]

It sounds like you've been diving into the wrong BK attorney pool. The biggest firm isn't always the best. Plus, they are oftentimes more costly and less personal. Huge overhead (modern offices, large staff, fancy advertising) commonly equates the need for a huge client base (and these clients are often viewed as dollar signs instead of individuals).

I didn't have a complicated case; however, I wanted personalized treatment. I avoided the billboard BK attorneys. I was fortunate to receive referrals. Following a few consults (including one pathetic semi-mill outlet with an attorney who asked if I was going to "screw my CU too"), I selected my CPA's recommendation. My attorney had a modest office, meager staff, and a wealth of experience. Not only did I benefit from his knowledge, I received the personalized attention I sought.

Can you obtain referrals from anyone in your social/business circle? I understand many are uncomfortable discussing BK with others. However, personal leads can be a great resource (I wouldn't be surprised if you discover others who have filed BK). As Flamingo mentions, you can contact the State Bar. You may also benefit by performing a simple search for local BK attorneys and when making the initial call, request a brief overview of experience. Due to the increased demand for BK attorneys, numerous attorneys (who have previously worked in different fields) have shifted into BK. Experience is key; and, it surely sounds like personalized service is important to you.

I think most of us initially feel as if our cases are unique. I suggest discussing the aspects you deem "unusual" with your consult attorney. You may discover your concerns aren't warranted...which is great because it evidences you've found an attorney best-suited to handle your case. Bear in mind, free consult only goes so far.

Here is a great article on BK attorney interviews:

http://methnerlaw.com/2009/08/11/what-questions-should-i-ask-a-bankruptcy-attorney-before-i-hire/

Good luck!

[dub]

We are fortunate,that decision was not difficult. I have in my hometown , an attorney who has been recognized in North Carolina as a Super Lawyer. His practice, with his nephew, only does Bankruptcy. He is known for his Bankruptcy Boot Camps, where lawyers travel from all over to attend a 4 day seminars. I had consultations with other lawyers, because I could get an appointment in days, but even waiting weeks for his consultation, I wanted to go with this attorney because of his reputation in this area.

[redhunter]

I found my attorney by asking people I knew (both attorneys and people who have gone through bankruptcy) if there are particular ch7 panel trustees that are difficult and if there is an attorney that is known to work successfully with them. In my area, there is one trustee that is known to be a pain and one reasonably priced attorney that people use if they are unlucky to get this trustee. Fortunately I didn't get this trustee, but I've been pleased with my attorney and have some comfort that other bankruptcy attorneys refer people to him. He was about 50% more than the lowest priced attorney.

[nodollarsnomo]

Have you tried anyone outside of Dallas, like in the subrubs. I know there is one or two small BK firms in Duncanville and another one in Ellis County. The one in Ellis County has one partner who handles personal BK and the other partner handles business BK. I just noticed someone named DallasGuy just posted you might PM him and see who he used.
On the other hand my sister filed ch 13 using one of the large Dallas BK mills and she came out smelling like a rose. I couldn't believe it.

Good Luck

[Bell30656]

The sheer number of attorneys advertising bankruptcy filing in the Dallas area is staggering. I think you can pretty much find one in any area of the city you want. With that many to choose from you can pretty much be as picky as you want to be.

[Javier]

That is really a good decision which you taken, a bankruptcy lawyer will surely help you to get out of the problems related to finance dept. There are many bankruptcy lawyers out there, both good and worse. It’s up to us to choose the best among them; I think that internet is the best place to look for good and professional bankruptcy lawyers.

[platter]

Good advise from above comments.

I consulted with six before I hired one. Even one that the State Bar had on their list told me wrong info about the FL Mobile Home Homestead Exemption (when you don't own the land) and she didn't know about the Wild Card and two more attorneys didn't mention it either ... One only began doing BK this year, another 4 years ago, another 2 years ago...

I went with one that has been doing it for 15 years. I could tell just by the consultation that I could trust him more than the others.

Too many are adding BK as an additional service because of all the foreclosures.

One could also go on http://www.city-data.com/forum/texas/ and open a question there for your area.