As with most things in life, when hiring a lawyer, you typically get what you pay for.  Hiring a Chapter 7 bankruptcy lawyer that provides discount fees can often be the most expensive mistake that an individual can make in the bankruptcy process.  Discount fees are often provided by lawyers that have not received training, lack meaningful experience, do not have the time or desire to devote time to your case, or that practice bankruptcy law only part-time.  Bankruptcy law is full of complexities that, if not properly foreseen and planned for, can have devastating results.

What could go wrong?

In my experience in cases where I have represented bankruptcy trustees or creditors, I have seen attorneys’ poor legal representation of bankruptcy filers lead to people being forced to turnover their homes, cars, businesses, tax refunds, life insurance policies, retirement account funds, and family heirlooms.  I have also been involved in many cases representing bankruptcy trustees or creditors where an individual’s poor bankruptcy preparation led to a bankruptcy trustee or creditor initiating a lawsuit against the bankruptcy filer to prevent or revoke their bankruptcy discharge, or initiating a lawsuit against a bankruptcy filer’s family or friends to undo transfers or force asset turnovers.

Filing for bankruptcy is a serious matter that should not be taken lightly.  A poorly prepared bankruptcy filing can cause significant problems that can last for years.  On many occasions, I have been retained to help individuals fix problems that arose in the midst of their bankruptcy cases.  Almost always, these problems were avoidable had the individuals worked with me at the outset of their case.  It is significantly less costly to work with a Chapter 7 bankruptcy lawyer to foresee and prevent problems than to wait for problems and then pay an attorney to try to fix them.