Bankruptcy Attorney Fees
When Is The Time Right For Me To File Bankruptcy?
The first step in filing bankruptcy is determining when the petition should be filed. A debtor has the right to determine when the correct time is best to file. Tax refunds, asset preservation, and many other aspects of the success of your bankruptcy are all affected by when a bankruptcy petition is filed. Some clients want to file for Chapter 13 bankruptcy to save a home. The timing of a foreclosure and the timing of the bankruptcy can directly affect each other. It takes an experienced attorney in each area to resolve the conflicts created by each.
Timing may also affect whether the debtor passes the means test and thus qualifies for a Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Debtors are allowed to maximize their rights to the extent allowed by law, and filing the case at an opportune time is not an indication of bad faith, but an acceptable exercise of rights granted by the Code.
Many debtors do not realize that certain conduct which may have occurred years before filing can have a major impact on the success or failure of a bankruptcy. For example, giving away assets or transferring an interest in real estate can result in significant litigation in the bankruptcy case. Such matters are regularly reviewed by bankruptcy counsel before a bankruptcy petition is filed. There are many reasons why assets such as automobiles, stocks, and homes cannot be transferred before bankruptcy.
Who Is Going To Look At What I Prepare?
With the overhaul of the bankruptcy code in 2005 a new, more complicated means test was developed. The means test was created as a method of developing a uniform system of qualifying debtors for bankruptcy. Once your petition is complete it will be scrutinized by both the trustee and the office of United States Trustee to ensure everything is accurate, all of the requirements under law are met, and that you qualify for bankruptcy. Of all the people I have seen file for bankruptcy pro se, only three have completed the means test correctly. Ironically they still messed up their petition and had to pay an attorney to fix the mistakes.
In every bankruptcy case, the debtor must appear before a bankruptcy trustee at a 341 meeting. The essential purpose of the trustee is to investigate the debtor and determine if there are any assets that can be taken for the benefit of creditors. The type of exemptions you can use and the amount of each exemption can be complicated and vary from state to state. If it's not done correctly, the debtor faces losing property that otherwise might not have been lost. A well seasoned bankruptcy attorney will know how to take the steps so that you avoid any complications or embarrassing situations at your 341 meeting with the trustee.
In conclusion, you may make the choice to file for bankruptcy on your own to save attorney's fees only to learn that you've made a mistake that will cost thousands of dollars more than the attorney would have. Pennywise, in other words, can end up being pound foolish. San Diego Bankruptcy Attorney