Decided on Attorney

[thebolt]

Well...after much reading, research, and brain bashing I decided my best bet is to hire an attorney to file my Chapter 7. I have read just about every thread on this site relating to bankruptcy along with hours and hours of research on the internet and bookstores. I could have filed Pro Se I guess and probably would have gone okay but with such a big deal as bankruptcy (and for me it is a very big deal) I figured I would go ahead and get an attorney. I found a great attorney that is very cool and seems to know his stuff. We spent about and hour and a half for my consultation and he was very straight-forward. He seems to be a micro-manager which I think is a must for a bankruptcy case. His fee is 1600 bucks (flat fee) and that includes the 299 fee to the courts and the 2 courses you have to take to file chapter 7.
I would like to thank this site...you guys are great and I plan on lurking around even though I am not doing it myself. Good Luck to all.

Oh...special thanks to tigergem for your advice and responses to the PM's.

[HHM]

Good luck. In general, going pro se is extremely risky and for 50% of the people who file BK, their BK ends up costing more than if they had hired an attorney in the first place due to making mistakes, and generally be stubborn and lazy.

FYI, that fee seems a little low. I am sure your BK will work out okay, But that means the attorney's net fee is around $1,200. Most firms that charge that amount are glorified doc prep services. You are simply paying for an attorney signature on your petition. I bet if you review the fee agreement there is a laundry list of "what if's" that will cost extra should they occur and I am willing to bet that any future communication you have with the firm will be with a paralegal and the next time you see the attorney will be at the 341 meeting (trustee meeting). I could be wrong, but not likely

[thebolt]

Good luck. In general, going pro se is extremely risky and for 50% of the people who file BK, their BK ends up costing more than if they had hired an attorney in the first place due to making mistakes, and generally be stubborn and lazy.

FYI, that fee seems a little low. I am sure your BK will work out okay, But that means the attorney's net fee is around $1,200. Most firms that charge that amount are glorified doc prep services. You are simply paying for an attorney signature on your petition. I bet if you review the fee agreement there is a laundry list of "what if's" that will cost extra should they occur and I am willing to bet that any future communication you have with the firm will be with a paralegal and the next time you see the attorney will be at the 341 meeting (trustee meeting). I could be wrong, but not likely

My concerns were exactly what you stated. I reviewed our agreement in depth and was satisfied that he was not a glorified petition preparer. We meet again in one week to go over all of my creditors and review the papers. While it does seem low, my case is a pretty cut and dry one with no assets at all and nothing complicated. I am single, on SSDI, no assets, rent my apartment, no pensions or 401K, and have no liens. I am way under for the means test and my expenses to income is almost upside down. Like I stated, I probably could have filed myself but thought I would let an attorney that is familiar with the Trustees in my area and know the ins and outs of bankruptcy. I hope I am not going to get burned (as most people who retain the services of an attorney) but I am confident in him. The 3 other attorneys I consulted with were $1400(plus filing fees), $2100(flat fee), and $2500(plus filing fees)...the attorney with the fee of 1400 bucks was a total flake to me and I felt very uncomfortable with him.

[HHM]

Sometimes you can luck out, you can find the one good attorney in your area that is a horrible business person and doesn't understand the value of his/her services

Most "GOOD" attorneys charge accordingly, and those that are not good attorneys are neither good attorneys nor good business people.

[thebolt]

Sometimes you can luck out, you can find the one good attorney in your area that is a horrible business person and doesn't understand the value of his/her services

Most "GOOD" attorneys charge accordingly, and those that are not good attorneys are neither good attorneys nor good business people.

Alright now...don't scare me.

[HHM]

Fees are somewhat relative to your area. A BK in Los Angeles will, on average, cost more than a BK in Little Rock, Arkansas.