Best resources for Pro Se

[isabella19]

Here's my story in a nutshell.
My husband & I have had a small business for 20 years. Has done well but the last 2 years has eaten up all our savings & putting us into cc hell!
So we decided to do a bankruptcy. I think we will be able to do a ch 7.
I am using a para-legal that has worked for bk lawyers. She will help me with the forms but I'm sure I will do alot on my own. When I first decided to do this I came to this website & almost had a meltdown. I felt so overwhelmed. Well, I have studied this forum for at least an hour every day & I am feeling more educated, less stressed & I know I can do this with a little help.

My question being, does anyone have suggestions to the best resources out there. I have checked out a few books at the library, will buy the NOLO book this week. ANy other things I can do to make this process less stressful?? The more I know about what I am doinhg the better I handle the stress.

Thanks to this forum & everyone here. What a life saver!!

All our debt is unsecured cc's & unsecured LOC. We are very upside down in our home so we are going to walk away. We cant afford the mortgage any longer. Was worth 250k a few years ago & couldnt sell it for 150 today. Pretty sad.

We live in the mountains outside of Denver & are planning to move back to town to an apt., try & keep busness afloat but also finding jobs in the city. Its time to re-invent ourselves & I feel like a bk will be our 2nd chance.
What I have learned is never to take out personal loans to finance a business. But what is the difference if filing bk, whether its personal or business loans. They all need to be included in a bk, RIGHT....

Sorry for the long post. I guess I am looking for as much help as possible & wanted to explain my situation.

[willowhare]

Filed Pro Se

The NOLO book was an indispensible resource. It walked me through the entire process. I also read "Personal Bankruptcy for Dummies", which was a good introduction to the vocabulary of bankruptcy.

My bkr was a very simple Ch. 7--no real property, no loans to reaffirm, no business.

Even if you do file pro se, you should still see an attorney for a free consult. They may point out problems you may not have seen. Then, you can go get the proper research so you can do it right the first time, especially since you have the added complications of a house and business.

Good luck.

Willowhare--approx. 12 days from discharge.

[isabella19]

Thanks for the advise. I will go see a few attorneys for the free consult. Things may come up that I havent thought about. I have the bk for dummies waiting at the library for me.

[jennordhavn]

Another great resource is your court's website. My court's website had a link for pro se filers that explained how to do certain things (like the matrix). It will also let you know if there are any special local rules or forms that must be used.

[marinah]

Hi isabella, your case sounds a lot like ours, we had a small business too, that was doing well until the last 2 years of this terrible economy ate up our savings and we ended up in cc hell...the best thing about bk is it is truly a fresh start, and we don't ever need to end up in this place again!!

I would reiterate what both posters above said -- the NOLO book was a blessing, I got it from the library and kept renewing it, and when I filed our Ch. 7 pro se the clerk said "Wow...this looks good. Actually, this looks REALLY good." I am really happy we filed pro se, it saved us money we don't have, plus gave me a sense of having control over something when our lives seem so out of control...

The court website is great too -- also, I live in Boston, and we have a great pro se office at our bk court that was a huge help when I brought my petition in. They looked it over and were very friendly and helpful in answering questions.

Good luck, you can do it!!

[isabella19]

Thanks to everyone above for your advise. I am going to the library today & hoping the NOLO book is available.
I am not frightened or sad about this bk. I am sooo looking for a fresh start. I have learned quite a bit & this entire process is very humbling, to say the least. It also makes me open my eyes to material things in this world. They arent so important after all. I would rather be debt free with money in the bank.
Anyway, I am meeting with a paralegal today. Not sure if I will retain her but she sounds very knowledgable. I am looking forward to the challenge of the Pro Se filing & who knows, maybe after all this I can help out another in my shoes. What a journey the next 8 months will be. And what a great place to come every day. This forum & all of the members & admin are awesome. It has taken a totally scarey, gut wrenching experience & made it...cant say enjoyable...LOL but quite a bit more tolerable.

[justbroke]

Personally, I believe this website is a good resource for pro se filers!

As mentioned, the NoLo book is good for no-asset filers (in my opinion). I purchased it, but it didn't help me. As for the Dummies book, it received good reviews as well, but NoLo is the one that most people get.

Since you are using a paid preparer (paralegal), you won't receive legal advice. The preparer will just fill out the forms for you (if they do anything more than that, they are in trouble). You may be asked if they did anything more than prepare the forms. The Trustees seem to have an axe to grind with paid preparers (so does the Court in general).

This site is a good source as well. Be sure to ask questions. Mostly your questions will be on things like exemptions, what if scenarios, your car, your home and other assets. (I see you'll probably give up the home.) You'll probably have business related questions too. There are a bunch of folks on here with varying bankruptcy filings covering just about every scenario imaginable. And, some great people too!

So, welcome to the Forum!