Finding the Right Lawyer
How Do You Find A Good Lawyer?
If you need debt relief, you may need to consider hiring a bankruptcy lawyer. You need to be careful when hiring an attorney, as you want to make sure they’ll do the job they are paid to do. You may need to consult with a few before you find the right one. Otherwise, you might not like the outcome.
While any bankruptcy attorney can file your case and represent you in front of the bankruptcy trustee, the process is fraught with potential complications. Since you and your assets are on the line, you want to be sure you are in safe hands! For example, if you have assets such as a home, you need to ensure that they are protected, or the bankruptcy trustee could force the sale of any assets in order to pay your creditors. Other complications that could arise, is that one or more of your debts are not cleared because of oversight.
It took me a number of interviews before I found the right lawyer for me and at the right time. A good lawyer is willing to go to bat for you. He or she will assist you and advise you on what to do before filing for bankruptcy, in order that you and your assets are protected. They are willing to take the time to ensure they are doing the best job for you and your situation, in order that the process is smooth, and the outcome will be a favorable one.
The best example I can use to illustrate this is one lawyer that I consulted with who was an ex-bankruptcy trustee. I had initially thought that would make him well qualified for the job. However, his interpretation of the law was quite strict. For example, while your home is protected in many states using state exemptions if you are married as it is shared property, he insisted that you have to be happily married! I recall asking him how many people were happily married. The truth was, since I was divorcing, it could have been a sticky situation, particularly the closer I got to divorce completion. But he was clearly not the right lawyer to help me protect my assets. Another lawyer I later consulted with told me he often represented clients who were divorcing–as long as they were still married, their home was protected. By that time, I was too wary, and couldn’t risk losing the house. Once you file, you are in the hands of the bankruptcy trustee.
Nearly every bankruptcy attorney offers a free consultation, so you should take advantage of that, and make sure you are hiring the right person for the job. Remember, they are getting paid to perform a service for you, so be very careful when hiring!