An Overview of Bankruptcy Lawyers

Bankruptcy laws are very complicated and it is nearly impossible for any average person to understand them that is why it is essential to hire a bankruptcy lawyer. The bankruptcy laws become more complicated after some amendments that have been made by the court recently. A good lawyer can help you a lot in choosing an accurate chapter of bankruptcy for you.

The bankruptcy lawyers specialize in the rules and laws which are related to the bankruptcy. However, it is also important to know that not every lawyer is experienced in the particular laws of the state. That is why it is highly advised to hire a local lawyer who has some good information about different laws of bankruptcy of your state. The laws of one state can be different from the other. So, before choosing a lawyer make sure that he/she has enough experience of working in your state.

Actually filing bankruptcy is a life changing experience for everyone and lots of emotions are attached to it. Therefore, you want to hire a person who understands your feelings and who also understands that from which phase you are going through. A good and experienced lawyer will exactly know how to handle any kind of fears or concerns of his/her clients.

Your budget is a key element, when filing your bankruptcy. It is very essential to have a perfect understanding of your budget. Generally these lawyers charge pretty high fee for their services. A client is responsible to pay for the actual bankruptcy and these costs depend on the different kind of bankruptcies.

For example the chapter 7 bankruptcy runs around the $350. Then, a lawyer will charge more or less $1000 to $2500. If the fee of the lawyer is too high for you then try to find any other lawyer. But also keep it in your mind that these legal services have some charges and it will be good for you to pay a bit more for a trustworthy and an excellent lawyer.

Choosing a reputable lawyer is very crucial for the results and outcome of your case. No one wants to choose a lawyer randomly and we all know that blindly choosing a lawyer could have some really negative impacts on the final outcome of the case. When picking a lawyer, ask your friends, family and colleagues for the recommendations.

Do not pick any bankruptcy lawyer randomly or at the last minute. Perform some advance research and planning before making any final decision. It is extremely important that you work with a lawyer who dedicated his/her self in this particular field of bankruptcy. If you hire a good lawyer then he or she will make the overall process simpler and easier.

Filing for Bankruptcy - Look Before You Leap

In the event of unpaid debts, it is advised to call or e-mail law firms, before attempting any desperate measures such as raiding one's retirement plan, transferring property, or transferring credit card balances. One must consult bankruptcy lawyers, before making such hasty decisions.

Make sure that experienced bankruptcy lawyers are contacted if one has been sued or if there remains a pending judgment. Once a judgment has been issued, the underlying debt becomes a secured debt and can be paid off by seizing bank accounts, garnishing wages or seizing property.

Note that bankruptcy is not a good solution if one is elderly and/or has no assets that a creditor could garnish (social security wages, as an example) or seize. Even if one has non-exempt assets and debts such as student loans, an Atlanta bankruptcy attorney always advises not to file for bankruptcy.

It should be known that bankruptcy for individuals if of two types- Chapter 13 and Chapter 7. A Chapter 13 bankruptcy is also referred to as a "wage earner's plan." In this scenario, debts can be paid off over a period of 3 to 5 years by individuals without paying any interest on payment towards debt. One cannot be sued while using the Chapter 13 plan and even does not need to sell its properties or assets to make payments. However, Chapter 7 is a liquidation bankruptcy, which helps the individuals to pay their unsecured debt in an efficient manner. Homes are seized only when it is currently not on mortgage payment, and even then one can work with Atlanta bankruptcy attorney to modify these payments outside of the bankruptcy case.

Filing for bankruptcy is not the only mode of making debt payments. It is important to decide which mode to select, based on one's ability to pay. One of them is loan modification. The bankruptcy lawyers can help negotiate with the lenders, to lower car and home payments, and also prevent foreclosure. Another mode that can be considered is debt settlement. When there is simply not enough balance on one's credit cards or medical bills to cover the cost of bankruptcy, debt settlement is an alternative. However, it is important to be careful of companies that claim to take certain items off one's credit report, as they are scams. Sometimes, debt settlement ends up being ineffective, as one ends up paying a part of the lowered payment to the debt settlement company every month, for "negotiating."