Local law blogs (MA)

[mtbc]

Filing in MA, I've found the Boston Bar Association Bankruptcy Blog at http://bbabankruptcy.blogspot.com/ quite interesting. For instance, it mentioned how,

I don't know if there are good national blogs for this kind of thing, but I'd certainly encourage petitioners considering going pro se to hunt down and follow the newsletters and blogs that their local bankruptcy attorneys use. Also, those local attorneys often have interesting blogs of their own. Wherever you live, it's worth searching the web for information and reports from people in the "industry" -- especially those in the district you're filing in, given the variations between districts. While you can't be sure they're always correct, at least you can get a flavor of what might fly and why.

[justbroke]

I still like Bankruptcy Law Network as it provides a more national view. However, looking to the local blogs seems appropriate. Unfortunately, other than AskMethner, and maybe even them, the articles still have too many disclaimers and "limited scope" or other language indicating it was a special case.

(Unfortunately, that ruling (listed above) is misleading to people surrendering property who actually need the deduction on Schedule J in order to stay in a Chapter 7. Sure, it's a super majority view that the Means Test includes those payments on secured debt that will be surrendered. However, this would not derail a "totality of circumstances" (11 USC 707(b)(3)(B)) motion to dismiss from the United States Trustee.)

[HHM]

I still like Bankruptcy Law Network as it provides a more national view. However, looking to the local blogs seems appropriate. Unfortunately, other than AskMethner, and maybe even them, the articles still have too many disclaimers and "limited scope" or other language indicating it was a special case.

(Unfortunately, that ruling (listed above) is misleading to people surrendering property who actually need the deduction on Schedule J in order to stay in a Chapter 7. Sure, it's a super majority view that the Means Test includes those payments on secured debt that will be surrendered. However, this would not derail a "totality of circumstances" (11 USC 707(b)(3)(B)) motion to dismiss from the United States Trustee.)

Yep, BK Law Network has contributors from all over the country (although mostly concentrated in the east and south). But local blogs can be a good source of info. The problem with attorneys blog is not the attorneys, its the various state bars and the board of professional ethics. The knuckleheads at the ethics boards (who have never practiced law outside of the big firm context) take a very academic approach (meaning, not practical) to what constitutes legal advice and the subsequent liability for an attorney giving that advice. And since blogs are available nationwide, if the attorney gets too specific, he could be held to be practicing law in a state where he is not licensed. (granted, this is all very far fetched in a lot of ways, but it is a risk).

[justbroke]

Always wondered why may of the blogs are academic in nature.

[HHM]

Always wondered why may of the blogs are academic in nature.

LOL

Well...attorneys have had a minimum of 7 years of higher education, I suppose it can be difficult for them to not write in an academic fashion