Bankruptcy Lawyer Career Guide and Counseling

Question: Where can I find a good bankruptcy lawyer in CA? I'm thinking about filing for bankruptcy. Anyone know of a website or place where I can find a good lawyer? Thanks!

Answer: You bet! Here's a link for a Free, No Obligation Consultation with an Experienced Lawyer for any state in the US: http://track.linkoffers.net/z.asp?ID=F0000000000000267804S1007 Good luck to you!

Question: How can I find out if a bankruptcy lawyer in Los Angeles is trustworthy? I'm trying to find a reputable and affordable bankruptcy lawyer in the Los Angeles area but there are many sites, ads in the paper of people who claim to be attorneys when they are not. Please advise ....

Answer: Try a California Bar Certified Lawyer Association, they can direct you to a screened lawyer in your area. http://www.1000attorneys.com/

Question: Can anyone recommend a bankruptcy lawyer in Las Vegas? Does anyone know of a good bankruptcy lawyer in Las Vegas? I'm looking for someone that might be in the West side of town, near Summerlin. Anyone know how much it costs? Is it a flat fee or or do different lawyers charge different fees?

Answer: Call your county bar association for a referral.

Question: What is the lowest rate availabe in Houston, TX for retaining a good lawyer to file a simple bankruptcy case? I'm planning to file for personal bankruptcy and none of the law firms will quote me a price on what the cost will be. Could anyone please inform me of a good bankruptcy lawyer available at the lowest price available. Thanks

Answer: if it is a simple straight bankruptcy $350.00 plus filing costs .

Question: Where can I find an affordable bankruptcy lawyer in Lakewood, CO? I am looking to file for bankruptcy soon, any recommendation or advice on finding a low-cost lawyer would be appreciated!

Answer: I got into a lot of financial trouble last year. I really wish I contacted a bankruptcy lawyer before I filed for bankruptcy. Now it will take me years to rebuild my credit. I recommend you find a lawyer to help you. http://www.bankruptcylawyersite.com

Question: What if you can't afford a bankruptcy lawyer? If you lose a job and can't afford a bankruptcy lawyer and you can't pay your bills and have to stop paying on things like credit cards what happens at that point? I mean, can creditors take you to court? I know this sounds stupid but can you go to jail? If the bank is foreclosing on your home and you sell everything you own except necessities and move to an apt can they come and take even those necessities from you?

Answer: You can go to www.cccs.org They will help you make payment arrangements, and stop the bill collector calls. They will prevent court action. It is a non-profit, and they do not charge you for their service. I hope they can help you, if you are faced with this challenge. Good luck!

Question: Are the fees I paid my bankruptcy lawyer and trustee tax deductible? I filed bankruptcy paying over 3k to my lawyer and fees to the Bankruptcy courts are any of these fees tax deductible? Thanks, For those of you who have the smart stupid remarks the bankrupcty i filed was a chapter 13 which means everyone was paid back. So I didnt get over on anyone or get forgived of any debt.

Answer: At first blush those legal expenses would appear to be personal legal expenses and therefore not deductible. However if you were able to make a case that your bankruptcy was an effort to produce taxable income it would be deductible. It would require very careful understanding of the nature of your bankruptcy proceeding to make such a case. If you are self employed and the bankruptcy is directly related to that activity you could have an argument. As for you being concerned about cancellation of debt as income bankruptcy is an exception. You may have some adjustments to basis of any property that you retain on which debt was canceled. If you would like to learn more about this check out IRS Publication 908 at the following link. http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p908.pdf

Question: I'm looking for a reputable bankruptcy lawyer in the Metuchen, New Jersey area? Any reccommendations? I need to file bankruptcy, and don't know how to find an honest bankruptcy lawyer.

Answer: Be sure to get one that will offer a free initial meeting, so you can get your questions answered. Try here for a good bankruptcy attorney referral: https://www.bankruptcyhome.com/eval.htm

Question: Can a creditor of a loan send me to small claims after i have retained a bankruptcy lawyer? CAN A CREDITOR OF A LOAN STILL CALL ME AFTER I HAVE ALREADY RETAINED A BANKRUPTCY LAWYER? NOTE THAT I HAVE NOT PAID THE LAWYER IN FULL. I WILL PLAN TO IN FEB 08.

Answer: It would be in your best interests to pay your attorney as soon as possible. As you've been told, retaining a lawyer and filing for bankruptcy protection are two separate things. Once the filing has occurred, an automatic stay goes into effect. The automatic stay prevents a creditor from contact you, suing you, or repossessing your property. Once you are served a Summons and Complaint through small claims court, you do have 10 to 30 days to respond (based on your local laws and rules). Failure to respond during this time will cause a judgment by default and this is not a good thing. Once a creditor has a judgment against you, they can start further collection activities. Your wages can be garnished and your property can be seized and sold. While this does not happen in about half of these cases, you do not want to run the risk of getting your wages garnished. While you are on thin ice, do not despair. Even if your creditor does get a judgment against you, if you do successfully file for bankruptcy and receive a discharge, the creditor's judgment will be useless. You also need to contact your attorney as soon as possible. Let him know what is going on and that you are being faced with the threat of legal action. The attorney may discount his fees enough that you can retain him and file your bankruptcy. Much of the fees your attorney charges are his fees and not the fees of the court. While the attorney cannot file your bankruptcy while you owe him money, he does have the right to discount his fee. Another possible option is to contact the legal aid or public assistance offices in your area. Chapter 7 bankruptcy is pretty straightforward and if you are facing the threat of legal action, the legal aid department can refer you to an attorney who will not charge you a fee or who will charge significantly less than another attorney. I wish you the best of luck with your situation! **I have not provided any legal advice. While I am an attorney, any reference to any law is for informational purposes only. You should seek competent representation in your state. **

Question: how much should a bankruptcy lawyer cost? I live in NJ and I'm looking for a bankruptcy lawyer, so far I only got one quote and they told me they charge $3000. I feel that that is a little high, especially since I'm trying to file because I have no money for the bills so where am I suppose to get 3000 dollars. Does anybody know a lawyer either in the NYC area or in North Jersey that charges something reasonable?

Answer: I have sent you a link to the New Jersey Bar Association, they have a lawyer referral section as well as you can surf the site to see what attorneys in your area handle bankruptcies. You don't say what chapter bankruptcy you were quoted for. Was this a chapter 13?? If so, that's a pretty close amount to file. As far as coming up with that amount of money, you can get in to see most bankruptcy attorney's on a free consultation, after they review your bills and what you will include in a filing, they can tell you what you can stop paying to come up with the retainer fee....been there, done that, seen it happen. I used my tax money and filed 2 years ago...Good Luck! http://www.njsba.com/

Question: is this lawyer lying to my mom about her bankruptcy? this is the situation...i received toll violations that equal 470 dollars from the state of Illinois and the violations were under mine and my moms name because she owns my car. she is filing bankruptcy and my mom's bankruptcy lawyer told me not to pay the violations because he will include them in the bankruptcy. i thought it was against the law to put fines from the state in a bankruptcy. is that correct or incorrect?

Answer: Any government (like court) fines, taxes, or student loans are NOT bankruptable, so even though your mom filed bankruptcy, she'll still have to pay it. I don't know understand why her lawyer didn't know that... How the heck did you get toll violations???

Question: Can you recommend a bankruptcy lawyer in Redondo Beach, CA? Hello. I am helping a friend with her bankruptcy filing and looking for a referral to a good (and good value) bankruptcy lawyer in or around Redondo Beach, southern California. Any recommendations would be welcome. Many thanks

Answer: Make sure you seek help from a trusted expert in the bankruptcy field. You don't want to make a mistake that can harm your credit for a long time. Try visting a California bankruptcy lawyer to make sure you understand the options. http://www.bankruptcylawyersite.com/California-Bankruptcy-Attorneys.html

Question: where can i get a bankruptcy lawyer? i am looking for an affordable bankruptcy lawyer for a friend that really needs one but we dont know where to look for one.looking for one in chicago.

Answer: www.lawyer.com

Question: What is the going rate for a bankruptcy lawyer? Has anyone filed bankruptcy recently, i went to go see an attorney and he wanted 300.00 for a filing fee and 1200.00 for attorney fees is that the rate for a bankruptcy attorney nowdays?

Answer: Pretty much, between 1200 and 2000...

Question: How can I find a bankruptcy lawyer in the Paducah, KY area? I have searched for the last 2 months and have yet to find a lawyer that wants to take my money. Everytime I get on the phone with one, they promise to get back with me with the information I need, and then they don't. I then call back and leave multiple messages but with no luck. I don't feel like I should have to chase after people to give them money.

Answer: Try www. daveramsey.com. His methods of repayin without going into banruptcy can help. How much do u owe?

Question: Can anyone recommend an affordable bankruptcy lawyer in Miami, FL? I have decided to file for bankruptcy, however, I don't know how to go about it. I also don't have much money, given why I am filing for bankruptcy, and I need help finding an affordable attorney. Anyone have any suggestions? Thanks.

Answer: Contact the Dade County Bar Association http://www.dadecountybar.org/contact.php Dade County Bar Association 123 NW First Avenue, Suite 214 Miami, Florida 33128 Phone: (305) 371-2220 Ask them first about Legal Aid. If you fall within a certain income you could qualify for legal assistance. They are completely capable of filing a Chapter 7 and do so all the time. If you want to do a Chapter 13, or if you don't qualify every bankruptcy attorney is required to give you a quote for their legal services within 5 days of your initial consultation. That is the law. Most attorneys will offer a free consultation, so if it won't bore you to death you can go to several lawyers to shop around and get the best price. The new bankruptcy law doesn't allow quotes over the phone, but some attorneys will still give you one. Good luck!