Bankruptcy Attorney: The Initial Consultation

If you are looking to start over financially, it may be time to get in contact with a bankruptcy attorney. You may be avoiding answering the phone for fear that a creditor will be on the other line asking for money. You may be afraid to spend any money at all because you are unsure of what the future has in store for you. If this is the case, it is time to make a phone call and see if there is assistance out there for you.

Starts with a Phone Call

The best way to get started is to make a phone call to a local bankruptcy attorney. Look for someone that offers a free consultation. Because of your financial situation, you may be a little wary to pay someone upfront for some advice and this is the best way around it. When you set up the appointment or consultation, ask if there are things that you need to bring in order to provide a clearer picture of how things are going for you.

Find a time that will work best for you. Obviously, you are going to want to try to schedule this for a time when you aren't working so that you don't miss out on more income. It is always a good idea to bring someone with you for support. They can be there to ask questions that you forget to ask or just be beside you through the process.

Things to Bring

When it comes time to meet with the bankruptcy attorney, take the time to gather all of the paperwork that will be important to your case. If you have the most recent copies of your house payment, car payment and credit card payments, that will help. Also, if there are any other outstanding debts that you have or money that you owe to other people, you want to also bring in some notes about that as well. Remember that the best way to get back on track is to see where you are and find out what can be done to help.

Keeping all of this organized will make the process easier. If you have a folder, envelope or box to keep everything together, it will help. Your bankruptcy attorney will probably want to make a copy of everything in order to come up with a plan and provide current information in your case.

Assessment and Conclusion

Finally, at the end of the meeting and after a lot of discussion, it will be time to talk about what type of options are available to you. Listen carefully as most of them will have positive and negative consequences. It will be up to you, with the assistance of your lawyer, to decide if you want to proceed and in what direction you will go. If you have the time, you can take all that you have learned home and think about it before making any type of serious decisions. Just remember that the sooner you take action and put a plan into place, the sooner you will be able to relax and begin to put the pieces of your life back together.