Our Process
We offer a free consultation to discuss the relief that bankruptcy might provide. We are happy to meet in person in our office or, if it is more convenient, we can also conduct an initial meeting over the phone. You can call or e mail either of us to schedule an office or phone consultation.
At the initial consultation we will go over, generally, the different versions of bankruptcy and help you decided if you need to file at all, and if so, which version will be right for your specific set of circumstances. At the initial meeting you will need to have a general idea of the identity and value of your significant assets, your average monthly income and expenses, and the amount and type of your debt.
At the meeting we can tell you what the fees and costs will be for the bankruptcy case that best fits your needs. The fees vary depending upon the complexity of each case.
If after the initial meeting you wish for us to help you file a case, you will need to fill out and return our bankruptcy worksheets. They can be downloaded here. The worksheets may look a bit intimidating but they contain many questions that apply only in the rarest of cases, and the average time to complete them fully and accurately is an hour or two.
The next step is to return to us the completed worksheets, the fees and costs required to be paid before filing, and some supporting documents and records like tax returns and pay stubs. We will tell you the specific records we need in each individual case.
We are then ready to begin preparing your bankruptcy documents for filing. At this time we will give you the information necessary for you to complete a mandatory pre-filing debtor education course. This can be done over the phone or the internet.
There will then be one final meeting for a careful and full review of your bankruptcy documents to make sure they are complete and fully accurate. Your case is then electronically filed with the Bankruptcy Court, and in only a few moments your case is under way. At the end of this hour long meeting you will have a case filed with a case number, and a date and time set for the meeting with the Trustee. We attend that meeting with you.
This is a short overview of the process. You will go over the entire process in much more detail with your attorney each step of the way.