Nolo Chapter 7 book

[justagirl]

I'm thinking of buying the Nolo How to File Chapter 7 Bankruptcy book, whether or not I decide to hire an attorney. I'm the type of person who want to know the details, so even if I go with an attorney I want to watch over them very closely.

Can anyone tell me how thorough, specific the info contained is? Does it really walk you through the process of filling out forms and the jargon used or just gives an overview.

Thanks,
JAG

[justbroke]

If you are a no-asset Chapter 7 case, the NoLo book has been quite useful for those Pro Se filers who have followed the book! While it provides no real legal advice, I would still come back here to ask various questions, especially on things that you are not sure of. The book contains many things including a section with the Forms (although I'd get them directly from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court website).

It especially helps with things like how to complete your Bankruptcy forms.

[AngelinaCat]

Yes. You will be pleased with the book. It is written in plain English and explains several different scenarios you might encounter in a typical case. It has appendices in the back of the book covering the various state and Federal exemptions. It is a good Reference Manual for you if you decide to hire an attorney--one poster commented that it helps you 'make sure the attorney stays honest', and is a good how-to manual for you if you decide to do it yourself.

Good luck to you~~

[dgjmj]

I'm thinking of buying the Nolo How to File Chapter 7 Bankruptcy book, whether or not I decide to hire an attorney. I'm the type of person who want to know the details, so even if I go with an attorney I want to watch over them very closely.

Can anyone tell me how thorough, specific the info contained is? Does it really walk you through the process of filling out forms and the jargon used or just gives an overview.

Thanks,
JAG

I am the same way I did hire an attorney & read through the NOLO book. I checked it out at the library.

[dingdong]

Just a little note, there is a 10.00 off coupon floating around out there, just Google "nolo promotional code' and you can get the e-book version for 7.99 and download immediately from www.nolo.com.

[justagirl]

Thank you all so much for your replies and the info! That is exactly the type of thing I wanted to know. I have read some good reviews on the book, but I wasn't sure if it was just an overview, giving just very basic info or if had more substance to it. After all, I don't have money to waste!

Thanks dingdong for the tip on the coupon code, as I do want to get the e-book. I'm have a long weeked off work (4 days, wahoo!) and want to start reading it. I think I'm also going to print out the bankruptcy forms and attempt to "fill them out" just to get a feel for it.

I'm still sitting on the fence about hiring an attorney. I met with several different ones and found one that seems quite knowledgable, had a good personality and very fair fees. Unfortunately, I will have to save for a year and a half to pay those fees, and I don't really want to wait that long to file. If I decide to wait the year and a half and save, that will mean I cannot buy my son school clothes, Christmas presents, birthday presents and will have to pray no unexpected expenses come up. I just don't know if I can handle the stress for that long - I'm the type of person that once I decide something I want to make a plan of action and get it done. I'm going to read over the book, continue to soak up all of the info on this forum and do a "run through" of filling out the forms myself to see if I feel confident enough to proceed on my own. My mental state would be much better if I could have the process start in a couple months as opposed to a year and a half! lol

The attorney gave me some very good info during our meeting. I took notes on several things that will come in handy if I do decide to go pro se. She also had good things to say about the trustee I would have, that she is pleasant and fair. She also gave me a list of questions the trustee will ask.

Again, thank you everyone for your insight! I really do appreciate everyone's willingness to help each other here...sometimes I forget there are genuinely nice people in the world! LOL

JAG

[kvangild]

I didn't file pro se myself but a friend of mine sent me this promotional code which if still valid gets your $10 off.

A416

http://www.retailmenot.com/view/nolo.com

[justagirl]

Thanks for the link/code! Paying only $7.99 as opposed to $17.99 is wonderful!

I got the book and have been reading over it for a couple hours now - about 100 pages in. So much to take in...LOL. But I'm starting to think I may be able to do this on my own. I'm going to study, study, study, practice filling out forms, research any questions I have. I think if I just take it slowly, form by form, it may be possible for me to handle this myself!

Thanks everyone for the wealth of information on this forum!

JAG

[AngelinaCat]

Make sure when you download the ebook, get their 'freebie' if they still offer it. It is a layman's guide to simple legal matters such as wills, contracts, and things like that.

Good luck~~

[dingdong]

I used another little cheat. I downloaded a trial version of BK software that was a full version trial except when you printed the forms, it printed DEMO on them.

I input the data, printed the forms and then transferred the info over to the forms from the court website using PDFill software.

It had all the appropriate parts of the code for exemptions, and did the math for me as well.

When they were all done, I double checked them for accuracy.

Course I still screwed up and forgot one page when I filed and was dismissed, but it just added a little extra drama to my life

Everything worked out in the end, just as it always does.

[AngelinaCatHub]

I used another little cheat. I downloaded a trial version of BK software that was a full version trial except when you printed the forms, it printed DEMO on them.

I input the data, printed the forms and then transferred the info over to the forms from the court website using PDFill software.

It had all the appropriate parts of the code for exemptions, and did the math for me as well.

When they were all done, I double checked them for accuracy.

Course I still screwed up and forgot one page when I filed and was dismissed, but it just added a little extra drama to my life

Everything worked out in the end, just as it always does.

Hey D.D., you are quite sharp. With your skills at saving money, and coupons, how'd you get into bk? Well I shouldn't ask, I once was accused of be too smart to get into our mess, especially at my age. LOL. 'Hub

[justagirl]

Dingdong, again thank you for your tip! I just found 3 programs that offer free trials and include the most recent updates from March, so I saved them to my favorites for future reference.

I think the tightness in my chest is starting to ease a bit.

AngelinaCat, yes, I did get the free e-book also - you never know when it will come in handy!

~JAG

[dingdong]

Hey D.D., you are quite sharp. With your skills at saving money, and coupons, how'd you get into bk? Well I shouldn't ask, I once was accused of be too smart to get into our mess, especially at my age. LOL. 'Hub

Breast cancer and no insurance.

Did me in (financially, not literally)


Damn boobies!