Dale F. Hardeman
BankruptcyAttorney
Personally Prepares
All Documents
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Sleepless Nights

Chapter 7
starting from $900
plus
$299 Filing Fee
includes client interview,  property & debt search, credit bureau report, preparation &
filing of Chapter 7 papers. Representation includes the First Meeting of Creditors Hearing.

PAYMENT
OPTIONS
Cash, Check or
Credit Card





Fees may be paid with a Visa or MasterCard of
someone other than the debtor



Questions?
Call 24 Hours
949-753-2854

    Attorney's fees for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy are typically $1,100 for the average consumer filing ($1,200 for married couple filing jointly), plus a court filing fee of $299. But the 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 has successfully represented hundreds of debtors in Chapter 7 bankruptcy, and his fees are very competitive.

Why You Should Use An Experienced Lawyer
    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 licensed attorneys 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.