How To Choose The Right Bankruptcy Lawyer

It’s tough enough dealing with debt problems without having to worry about who is going to represent you in your bankruptcy case. You know you need someone who understands the law and can protect you, your family and your assets from creditors.

Making an educated decision in retaining the right attorney to help your solve your financial problems will protect you from the day to day barrage creditor calls. Don’t underestimate the importance of your decision on retaining the right attorney to represent you in your bankruptcy case.

I’ve made it easy for you to find the right attorney by providing you just simple questions to ask any attorney BEFORE you retain them to help you through the bankruptcy process. All attorneys are not alike. Do not be lulled into thinking that just ANY attorney can help you solve your debt problems.

Here is my very simple process. All you have to do is ask any attorney the following three questions before you hire them to file bankruptcy for you. Here they are:

• Do you practice bankruptcy law full time?

You want a full-time lawyer, who spends all his time getting better at representing people in bankruptcy. You want a lawyer who knows the Bankruptcy Code and the local rules....inside and out, who has a good, established working relationship with the local Trustee and knows his or her preferences, who has a good reputation before the local Bankruptcy Judge, who knows which way the local Bankruptcy Judge tends to lean on certain key issues, and who enjoys the respect of the local creditor lawyers.

What you don't want is the lawyer jack-of-all-trades....who does a little of everything...including bankruptcy. Think about it. He or she may be great at handling a divorce proceeding, a real estate closing, drafting a will or and taking care of a speeding ticket...but the fact is....if a lawyer does anything other than help people handle their debts..... he or she is obviously not spending all his or her time learning and staying sharp on bankruptcy law. There is a reason that lawyers limit their law practices to one area of law or another....and you want the lawyer that does nothing but help people who owe more than they can afford to pay.

In our office, all we do is help people that have financial difficulties. We have the experience that comes from helping over 3,000 clients handle their debts with peace of mind. If you want that experience, call us at 210-930-7000 for a Free Debt Consultation.

• How many years have you practiced bankruptcy law full time?

You have to be careful here. Lots of lawyers advertise years and years of experience. But the question should be "How many of those years did you spend doing nothing but bankruptcy law?" Generally....the more years....the better. For example, full time for several years is way better than full time for a month or even a year.

I opened this bankruptcy law practice on Valentines Day in 2000, and we only help people that have more bills than they can afford to pay.

• How many clients have YOU helped with their debts?

You want the best lawyer available. In most cases....the more cases a lawyer has filed....the more experience the lawyer brings to the table.....and the more expertise the lawyer brings to the table....the better the result, benefit and protection you and your family will get. However, you may not want the biggest bankruptcy law firm because you might just get the feeling that you’re just a number. Also, just because the law firm has handled many cases, what about the lawyer assigned to your case? How many clients has he or she helped through the bankruptcy process.

I’ve helped more than 3,000 clients over the past 7 years handle their debts with peace of mind.

• How many offices does your firm have?

If you select a law firm that has several offices, your selecting a firm that not only has additional challenges…they have multiple challenges…in running their offices. As a practical matter, how do you provide quality service when you’re stretched as thin as a pancake to cover all your operations in various cities? You can’t, and things fall through the cracks. As a client, you just don’t want your case to be something that falls through the cracks.

My office near Broadway and Loop 410 in San Antonio is my only office. It’s not an office that I have other people run. It’s my office. I have a staff that is trained to handle client matters efficiently, and we have a well-tuned system for quickly responding to our clients’ needs.

• How many Chapter 13 bankruptcies have you filed?

This is a very telling question. Lots of lawyers file a few Chapter 7 cases. Some even practice bankruptcy full-time......but only do Chapter 7 cases. In most cases.....Chapter 7 is much easier and less complicated than Chapter 13. In my experience.....the best, most experienced lawyers handle lots of both Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 cases. Who would be a better person to advise you of all aspects of how bankruptcy may help you? Someone who handles both types of cases or only one type of case? You be the judge!

• How do you stay current with developments in bankruptcy law?

There’s no way to stay in tune with developments in bankruptcy law if you don’t read recent rulings and attend bankruptcy law seminars. In addition to staying up to date with changes in the law, is the attorney a member of the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys? NACBA is the one national association for consumer bankruptcy attorneys. Not all good bankruptcy attorneys are a member, but membership in this organization is generally a good indication of a strong commitment to providing the very best in bankruptcy services to the public.

Ok, lets quickly review the questions you must ask an attorney before your retain him or her to represent you in a bankruptcy case.

• Do you practice bankruptcy law full time?
• How many years have you practiced bankruptcy law full time?
• How many clients have YOU helped with their debts?
• How many offices does your firm have?
• How many Chapter 13 bankruptcies have you filed?
• How do you stay current with developments in bankruptcy law?

If you are currently struggling with your debts and you need immediate help… please call my office at 210-930-7000 and ask for the next available appointment with me for a free initial consultation.

Call today for a Free Initial Consultation.

Find out what bankruptcy can do for you.

You have nothing to lose because the consultation is free.

Call 210-930-7000 to schedule your Free Initial Consultation.