Ugh.. consultations!

[coolmom04]

Has anyone EVER paid for their initial consultation? And.. if you did, was that money put towards the total fees due?

I am so tired of interviewing attorneys!! It's so hard to find time and then have to pay a babysitter to watch four children b/c if we try to take them.. nothing gets accomplished or heard (by us) b/c we're always distracted caring for the kids.

[marcymcgee]

Our consultation was free (advertised as such); we had to come up w/ the filing fee the following week of $400, but that was after we agreed to retain him. Look for BK attorneys who advertise "free consultation" ... plenty out there.

[Mi Bankruptcy]

I never paid for a consultation. I interviewed 3 attorneys prior to selecting my attorney. I had also used this forum prior to meeting with an attorney and had a list of questions ready for them. My attorney said he loved dealing with clients that do their homework prior to ever stepping foot into his office. He did tell me I could not get access to PACER and was surprised when I emailed him about questions PACER. lol.. and when I told him they filed someone else's paperwork with mine.

[Faust]

I thought you had an atty already? Did that not work out?

[DebtHater]

Any initial consultations I went to were free. If you wanted a second consultation then there was a fee. The fee would be applied toward hiring the lawyer if retained.

[coolmom04]

I thought you had an atty already? Did that not work out?

I "have" one, but I haven't signed the paperwork yet. I am having my last meeting with them today before deciding to retain them or not. Does that make sense? I had originally planned to go ahead and retain them, which is why I've been saying "my attorney," but after reading more and more here about the BK mills (which is where I went) and someone's question about the attorney wanting to push me into a 13 without a fight at all (b/c we're eligible for a 7, but are over the median income by about 10K), then why would I want to hire them.. and that really made me think about the decision more.

ETA: I've spoke with three more on the phone today and two of them wanted to charge for the initial fee. I did make an appt with one attorney on Friday and he's free. He seems really great and assured me I'd never meet with anyone other than him. He's been doing BK for 30 years.

I can't get any personal recommendations from my area other than the BK mills.

[Faust]

There was no charge but we are on friendly terms so it may have been just luck.

[StartingOver08]

Please stay away from the BK mills if at all possible. Especially this one that seems to want to push you into a Ch 13 if you qualify for a Ch 7.

Don't rush into signing anything! Choosing the right attorney is the difference between a smooth BK and BK hell that could last for years.

[LimpDisc]

We had one attorney that charged $50 to get in earlier. His free consults were booked up one month in advance and for that small fee we got in the next week. He ended up being the attorney we are using so the fee was worth it for us.

[Mi Bankruptcy]

Well. I wouldn't pay a car salesman to tell me about a car and the financing he can do prior to buying a car. These attorneys are providing a service and should be happy to sit down and talk to you for free. That being said.. If an attorney is well known for being "good" and a fighter for his clients I "might" consider paying a fee. he\she values their time and they have a reputation already.

[Flowers]

I did not pay for a consultation.
I am wondering though, if the BK lawyers are so busy now, is that sort of thing being requested . . .

[Michigan1951]

The first FREE consult was a joke for us. He glanced at our paperwork and said a c13 would be the way to go. Spit out a overthetop cost to get it done, and laughed at a c7. But, then he looked closer and said we could try for a c7 and convert to a c13 later on or else the trustee would do it. He didn't even check to see what our income was or anything. We left confused, and frustrated to say the least.
I went on line and searched for more lawyers that specialized in bk. I like the website of one of them, and how close it was to our area. I gave them a a call, and told her how much the other lawyer said it would cost do to c7 and c13. She quoted their prices and also commented about the caring approach and experience this lawyer has a reputation for. I made an appt. to see him.
Gathered all documents and then some, made sure I was organized so the FREE consult would go smoothly from my end. We liked what we heard, and he suggested hands down to go for a c7, and hope for no issues. He saw none, and his experience with the trustee of 25+ yrs. tells him which way he would sway.
We are now ending our climb right now. Without this forum and all the intelligent and patient people here, I would have folded way too early with this stressful event of bk.

Focus on finding an attorney you feel comfortable with and do good research on him/her before you sign on the dotted line. Free consults seemed to be the norm around this area.

Good luck to you!!

[HakunaMatata]

I paid for my first face-to-face consultation (following a phone interview) with one of my consult attorneys. This attorney came highly recommended by my CPA and the phone consult was solid. My consultation fee was deduced from the overall cost.

[coolmom04]

Thanks so much everyone! We finally met with another attorney that we really like and are pretty sure that's who we'll go with! And... it was a free consult

[JEM]

Thanks so much everyone! We finally met with another attorney that we really like and are pretty sure that's who we'll go with! And... it was a free consult

Wow! You've been able to squeeze in a lot of consults. I was having a hard time finding time to schedule one this week and one next week. LOL. Most of them wanted to schedule afternoon appts, and I have to pick up the kids from school at 2:20.

How many have you seen now before finding one you liked best?

I have another scheduled next week and one that called to RE-schedule (was supposed to be set up for tomorrow).