The Bankruptcy process is full of potential pitfalls. The most important thing you can do is to hire an attorney with extensive experience in Bankruptcy.
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The Bankruptcy Process
Whether you are filing a Chapter 7, Chapter 13, or Chapter 11 Bankruptcy case, The Adams Law Group can handle all of your needs. Although there are differences between the various Bankruptcy Chapters, the basic process is generally the same.
The process begins before your initial consultation. In order to fully and accurately evaluate your situation you will need to complete the Bankruptcy Questionnaire, which is available on the website, and gather together the required documents as best you can before coming in for your initial meeting. There is a lot of information that is required, and the more you have the better and more accurate advice can be provided.
Once you have filled out the Questionnaire and gathered the documents, you will come in for a meeting with attorney Russell Adams. At that meeting your information will be reviewed and additional questions asked, and any questions you have will be answered by an attorney, not by a paralegal.
At the conclusion of the meeting you will be advised as to the best way to proceed, which, depending on your circumstances, may or may not be to file Bankruptcy. Bankruptcy is not for everyone, and at The Adams Law Group we do not encourage people to file for Bankruptcy if it is not right for them.
Should Bankruptcy be the solution, you will be provided with a written representation agreement setting forth all the services that will be provided and the total cost for those services.
From that point, you will be told what additional information, if any, is needed, and Russell will prepare your Bankruptcy petition. You will also need to complete a pre-Bankruptcy Credit Counseling session online, and you will be provided all of the information necessary to do that.
Once your petition is prepared you will come back in to review and sign the Petition with your attorney, and any other questions you have will be answered at that point.
Once the petition is filed with the Court, a meeting with the Bankruptcy Trustee will be scheduled, usually within 30 to 45 days after the filing date. You will be required to attend that meeting, along with your attorney, at which time the Bankruptcy Trustee will review your Petition and ask a series of questions regarding your assets, liabilities, and other items. The key to a successful Bankruptcy is to make sure that the Petition is as truthful, accurate and complete as possible so that the meeting with the Trustee is simply a formality.
For a Chapter 7 case, the meeting with the Trustee will usually be the only contact you have with the Bankruptcy Court. You will need to complete a post-Bankruptcy counseling session online before you can receive a discharge of your debts, which will come about 75 days after your meeting with the Trustee.
For Chapter 13 and Chapter 11 cases, which are repayment plans, you will have additional ongoing obligations, such as making monthly payments to the Trustee, providing copies of tax returns, and other obligations during the pendency of the case. If you complete the Chapter 13 or Chapter 11 Plans as approved by the Court, you will receive your discharge of debts at that time.
The Bankruptcy system is a process that is full of pitfalls for the inexperienced. The most important thing you can do when considering Bankruptcy is to hire an attorney experienced in Bankruptcy, not just someone who recently started handling Bankruptcy cases because they saw it as a good business opportunity. You can certainly find inexperienced attorneys that will handle your case for less that The Adams Law Group, but, as in everything, you get what you pay for.
The information contained in this website is not to be considered legal advice and the purpose of this website is not to provide legal advice. The Adams Law Group, PLLC does not intend to create an attorney-client relationship by this website. If the reader has a legal problem, he/she should consult with an attorney. Any information contained in an e-mail sent to The Adams Law Group, PLLC shall not be considered privileged or confidential. E-mail is not a secure means of communication and should not be considered such.
Because we provide bankruptcy services to consumers, among others, we have been designated a Debt Relief Agency pursuant to federal law. We help people file for bankruptcy protection and relief under the United States Bankruptcy Code.
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