18 Apr What To Look For In A Bankruptcy Lawyer
If you are thinking about filing for bankruptcy in Minnesota you need to look for the following qualities in your bankruptcy lawyer.
1. What do former clients think of the attorney? At our firm we pride ourselves on making sure our clients are happy with the outcome of their bankruptcy. While we cannot always predict what will happen in every case, we will make sure to return calls to our clients promptly and make sure they are kept informed as to the status of their case. Our office receives overwhelming positive feedback from former clients who are happy they are now debt free, and get on with their life.
2. Will an attorney be available to answer my questions? Our office makes sure to have an attorney available to answer your questions via email or phone. We make sure to return phone calls as soon as possible so clients are not left waiting for answers. Our attorneys have years of bankruptcy experience and have seen just about every possible bankruptcy scenario. If you have a bankruptcy question our attorneys have an answer. If we do not know the answer we can look it up. I had a law professor at the University of Nebraska who had been around for 40 years, and I asked him a question one day after class. His response to me was to “look it up”, I took that advice and since then I have looked up answers to legal questions on my own. I think you learn by doing the research on your own, and that is what Professor Berger was attempting to instill in his students.
3. How will I be treated by your firm? We treat every client with respect and professionalism. We want to get the work done for you in a timely and professional matter. The thing to keep in mind is that getting your bankruptcy or other legal work done in a timely matter, is a two way street. Our firm is not able to finish a bankruptcy petition by ourselves, we need and expect our clients help in getting the proper paperwork together.
4. What does your law firm expect of their clients? For the purpose of bankruptcy we expect that our clients will be honest and give us accurate answers to our questions. One of the biggest problems a person can run into with filing for bankruptcy is dishonesty. The best policy to tell your attorney everything you think is relevant, and to answer his or her question honestly. If you are not honest with your attorney, then you will not get the best possible legal advice.
5. Do you have a lot of experience filing chapter 13 bankruptcies? Our office handles a lot of chapter 13 bankruptcies per year. Given our experience we can formulate a fair plan for you to repay creditors. The issue is that our office does not control the entire chapter 13 process. We do not control the chapter 13 trustee, judge, or creditors in your case. Each of these parties has a say in your repayment plan. If is important to realize that even the best most diligent repayment plan is subject to negotiation if the trustee or creditor objects to your plan. In some situations the trustee may feel that your expenses are too high, and our office will need to work with the Trustee to resolve the dispute. If we cannot resolve a dispute, then the judge would need to decide what are fair expenses. It is important for clients to realize that they are entitled to fair and reasonable expenses, you will not be able to have the same lifestyle as before you filed for bankruptcy, because you are only paying the creditors back a portion of what they are owed.
Ultimately our firms focus is on our clients to make sure they receive excellent legal representation. We have years of bankruptcy experience and can help you get your finances in order and get on with your life.
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