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Until August 31, 2009, Attorney's fees for Chapter 7
Bankruptcy are typically $1,200 for the average consumer filing (single &
married couple filing jointly), plus a court filing fee of $299.
Beginning September 1, 2009,
Orange County bankruptcy attorneys
fees will be increased to $1200.
There are two reasons for this increase: First, we haven't raised our
prices since 2004. Second, the cost of doing processing cases has increased
dramatically since Congress enacted "The Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and
Consumer Protection Act", requiring
Orange County bankruptcy lawyers
to do much more background investigation and document collection from third parties such as banks, counties
and state agencies, etc. All of which takes time and labor.
The most important question for you, the debtor(s), is most important question is how much will bankruptcy cost if you DON'T use an experienced bankruptcy practitioner like Dale Hardeman
to prepare your case. Thousands of bankruptcy petitions are dismissed each year
because the non-attorney preparer, the so-called "document preparer" lacked
the legal training and experience necessary to properly protect the debtor's
property or didn't understand the very technical rules of filing.
Dale Hardeman, an expert
bankruptcy attorney in Orange County
has successfully represented hundreds of
debtors in Chapter 7 bankruptcy, and his fees are very competitive.
Why You Should Use An Experienced
Orange County bankruptcy attorney
Bankruptcy is very technical, requiring that debtors meet
certain qualifying guidelines and a threshold test to determine whether a given
petition will likely be dismissed under Bankruptcy Rule 707(b) as "abusive of
the system". The 2005 Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer
Protection Act ("the Act") places a much stricter burden on debtors, both as to
qualifying and in proper preparation of their bankruptcy petition, schedules and
statements.
Unlike some nationally-known legal document preparation
franchises that rarely use a licensed
bankruptcy lawyer in Orange County
to prepare their clients' legal
documents, Lawyer By Your Side's clients' documents are ALWAYS prepared by
experienced attorneys licensed to practice in California.
There are countless so-called "paralegals" or "document
preparers" in the phone book who will work "on the cheap", and its possible you may sneak by without a
problem. But don't count on it.
The Bankruptcy Court Clerk's Office
specifically advises that it is unwise to file a bankruptcy petition without an
attorney, and for good reason: no one but a licensed attorney can give
you legal advice; all document preparers are allowed to do is hand you a pile of
papers to fill out, and then they type up the formal papers to be filed with the
court.
How will bankruptcy affect marital debts? Will a
co-signor be stuck with your share of the debt? How can you keep your car? What about your retirement accounts? Can
you dismiss your auto debt but keep the car? Paralegals cannot legally answer these questions because doing so is
a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 and/or 1 year in jail.
In spite of laws barring paralegals and document
preparers from giving legal advice, many routinely do so, and with catastrophic
results. One such case recently came to our attention where
the debtors wound up losing their home
because the non-attorney document preparer failed to understand the homeowner exemptions or the
fair market value of the home.
Moreover, if you're facing complications such as a
foreclosure, repossession of a vehicle, or eviction, or if you own a business,
you should ONLY seek the advice of an experienced bankruptcy attorney.
Yes, you'll pay more but, in the end, it's well worth it.
If your petition is dismissed because it violated one of the
tricky technical requirements, or because it is deemed abusive of the system by
the U.S. Trustee's Office, you will be prevented from re-filing for six months.
Can you imagine how many people have lost property because their petition was
dismissed and, without bankruptcy protection for the next six months, their
home, car, savings were grabbed by creditors.
Think hard before selecting someone to represent you in
bankruptcy. Dale Hardeman has successfully prepared hundreds of
debtors' Chapter 7 bankruptcies.
Orange County Bankruptcy Attorney in Irvine, Ca - Chapter 7 Expert - Stop Foreclosures, Repossessions, Evictions, Collections - All Questions Answered - Walk Away - Start Fresh.
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