How to Hire a Bankruptcy Lawyer

Deciding to declare bankruptcy is a very stressful process. You'll want to make sure you've hired an advocate who can steer you through the decisions you'll need to make with wisdom and compassion. This page will outline how to hire a bankruptcy lawyer.

How Do I Choose a Bankruptcy Attorney

This video describes a number of things you should consider when selecting a bankruptcy attorney. The attorney in the video recommends you get a referral list from an association such as the national Association of Bankruptcy Attorneys, and then interview several attorneys to find one you feel comfortable with.

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Introduction
- Bankruptcy is a complicated legal and financial process with long-term ramifications. You'll want to hire an attorney who can help you decide if bankruptcy is the right course of action, and, once you've decided to proceed, will guide you competently though the process. So what should you be looking for when hiring a bankruptcy lawyer?
Step 1: Do You Need a Bankruptcy Attorney?
- There is no legal requirement to hire a bankruptcy attorney; you can prepare and file the paperwork yourself. There are a number of risks to this strategy, however. You may save an attorney's fee, but you could make a mistake that costs you much more down the line. A mistake in filing can result in foreclosure, liquidation of assets you thought were protected, and possibly criminal charges.
Step 2: Check with Professional Associations
- You will probably not be able to get referrals from friends and neighbors for bankruptcy lawyers, the way you can for divorce lawyers. You can get lists of licensed attorneys in good standing from the various professional associations, however, which is a great place to start.
1. Start with your state bar association.
2. The American Bar Association has an online Lawyer Locater that you can use to find bankruptcy attorneys in your state.
3. The National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys(NACBA) has an Attorney Finder that will locate NACBA members in your state.
Step 3: Interview a Few Bankruptcy Attorneys
- Although this is a stressful time in your life, you'll want to schedule appointments with several attorneys so you can personally assess whether they are a good fit for your needs.
1. Ask about their experience. The more bankruptcy cases they've done, the better.
2. Compare the fees. If they are much higher or lower than the average in your area, that's a red flag.
3. Ask for references from other clients.
4. Ask each attorney you meet with about the other attorneys on your list. They won't give you negative information, but if several say positive things about one of the others, that's great information.