Bankruptcy Attorney - Why You Need One

If you're ready to file for Chapter Seven you may be wondering how you can safely afford to file without hiring a bankruptcy attorney — and the answer is, you can't. Bankruptcy is a complex legal matter, and it is also a federal filing, so no matter how simple you may think your filing is, attempting a discharge without a bankruptcy attorney is a big gamble to take and it can cause your bankruptcy relief to be rejected.

The actual cost to file your court papers are only about $300, which is reasonable and for most people, it's a small price to pay to get financial relief. However, the cost for an attorney is more expensive and that fee can be harder for many people to come up with and make the idea of filing without an attorney an attractive one.

There are several reasons why this is not a good way to cut corners and save money. First off, you aren't given endless opportunities to file bankruptcy. If you miss something or complete the mound of paperwork wrong and your request is rejected, it can be harder if not impossible to file a future claim. Plus, you don't get your filing fee back.

You won't save any money if you have to keep paying to re-file your claim, and you won't save any money if your claim is rejected, which it can be even if its valid, for a variety of small technical reasons. One of those reasons is not showing up for the one and only hearing your filing will call for. This hearing is a chance for your creditors to show up if they want to fight the discharge of your debt to them. This is only a technicality, and very few creditors actually show for these hearings. but if you fail to show up, your bankruptcy relief is dismissed out of hand.

A bankruptcy attorney can advise you of this and ensure your paperwork is in order and all of your debt is listed and dischargeable so that your bankruptcy goes smoothly. Not all debt can be discharged, such as student loans, IRS debt, judgments against you that are court ordered, child support, and alimony. A bankruptcy attorney can ensure that you're a good candidate for bankruptcy by going over your debts with you to make sure that the debts you want and need gone will be discharged.

And finally, a bankruptcy attorney only makes sense to help you through this complex matter of federal proportion because it helps to know how a discharge will affect you for the rest of your life, or at least the next eight years or so because you won't be able to file again before that. Your credit will also reflect the bankruptcy for ten years. So you want to make sure you have thoroughly covered your options and understand that this is the best solution for you based on sound legal advice from someone who understands the complexities of bankruptcy.