Attorneys can be very useful in times of bereavement. Probate complexities can be overwhelming to a grieving survivor, and lawyers trained in dealing with such complexities can be instrumental in getting through such a time. Let’s explore the ways in which hiring a probate attorney can be beneficial to the family — even prior to passing on.

A lawyer can help in many ways when it comes to writing a will. If a person dies without a will (or dying “intestate”) in Florida, their assets are divided amongst their immediate family. If the deceased has a spouse and at least one child, the first $60,000 of their estate beyond homestead entitlements, plus 1/2 the remaining estate, will go their spouse. The remainder goes to their children. If they have a spouse but no children, the entire estate goes to the spouse.

If the deceased does not have a spouse nor any children, the estate goes to their parents, as long as they are still living. If the parents are deceased, the estate goes to the siblings. Considering the complications of distributing assets and estates, a good probate attorney can help prevent problems that may arise, by guiding one through the process of writing a will. They will explain the terms that are not understood, so that the process can be gotten through quickly and without missing any important details that may be unexpected. Especially if one has children from a previous marriage, a will is essential or your assets may not be distributed the way that you want them to be.

An attorney can help you choose among the many ways to transfer assets outside of a will in Florida. These other options may include: life insurance policies or trusts, gifting cash or other assets before death; “Payable on Death” (POD) bank accounts; retirement plans and Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs), and “Revocable Living Trusts,” or the giving all your assets to a trustee for management prior to your death. For some people, these options present a better plan than simply writing a will, but it can be difficult to decide which one is best for you. Estate attorneys [http://lasertargeted.com/probateattorney/understanding-legal-process-probate.html] can help you choose the best options by explaining about each and by applying these possibilities to your unique situation. Having a lawyer by your side while trying to figure out how you’d like your assets and estates dealt with after your death will help you make sure that these matters are professionally handled. Estate lawyers deal with these things every day, so they know far more about the process than most people do. That’s why they are such a help during the process of probate.

In the state of Florida, you can make a valid will if you are at least 18 years old and of sound mental state. The will needs to be in writing and signed in the presence of two witnesses. This process can be simplified by hiring an experienced Florida probate attorney [http://lasertargeted.com/probateattorney/tips-florida-living-trust-sunshine-estate-planning.html]. The attorney will be able to put things in a language that you can understand, so that you know just what you’re doing, and so that you can be sure to have your will just as you’d like it to be.

An attorney who does a lot of estate planning or probate procedures can describe the consequences of some of the most basic choices you will have to make. Hiring someone experienced in the field is key.

By: Kathy Hildebrand

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If the cause of a personal injury is the negligence or wrongdoing on the part of another you can claim a compensation for your personal injuries. It is in such situations that you need the services of a Washington DC personal injury attorney.

Injuries, both physical and psychological, are a cause of concern for any individual. It is all the more difficult to tackle these if hefty medical bills are associated. Permanent damage to a body part, loss of wages, anxiety and anguish, and many such things may be associated with such an injury.

US laws state that a victim of an unforeseen mishap may seek compensation in cases where someone else is responsible for it. A number of incidents are classified under the personal injury category. Some of these are motor accidents, workplace accidents, medical malpractice, and so on.

If you or someone in your family has been a victim of such an incident it is a good idea to contact a lawyer immediately. You need to be careful in your selection. Otherwise you could end up with a lawyer who is ineligible to present the case.

There are a number of things to keep in mind while choosing an attorney for your case. The details of these are discussed below:

Qualification and specialization: It is a good idea to choose a qualified lawyer with specialization in the field which is compatible to your case. This enhances your chances of getting a better compensation.

Experience: It is necessary to choose an attorney with ample experience in personal injury law cases. Only then would your lawyer be able to handle the case properly.

Licensing: The attorney must be licensed to practice law in your state. Apart from the legal factor, a lawyer from the same state needs to be selected for the job. Each state has particular details regarding the personal injury claim. Only a lawyer from Washington DC is aware of the state law details.

Your attorney needs to have adequate knowledge about the state personal injury law. Apart from this, he also needs to know about the insurance laws applicable in Washington DC. This way he can present your case in the right manner.

A Washington DC personal injury attorney can help you decide whether to opt for an out-of-court settlement or file a lawsuit to get the compensation. You need not depend on the insurance adjuster to give you the legal details.

You need to check whether the lawyer or legal firm has a research unit in place or not. This is essential as the research team helps in finding the facts from different sources. It is on the basis of these facts that the attorney builds up your case. He also knows what facts to highlight so as to turn the case in your favor.

It is a good idea to ask for their charges before you hire an attorney. Most of them work on a per hour basis. Ask for the approximate cost involved as this would help you plan your finances in advance.

By: Robert J. Stephenson

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You have a lot of choices. “Who’s the best?” “Who has the most experience?” “Who can get you the most money for your case?” “How do I know I can trust him?” “What does it cost to hire an experienced trial attorney?”

These are all valid questions and I’m going to answer each one here:

“Who’s the best?”

In New York, there is no specific answer for that question. There are a lot of good attorneys. However, lawyers in NY are not permitted to say “Come to me because I’m the best…” The best at what? With what type of case? Under what circumstances? What set of facts? Which court? As of when? There are too many variables and it really becomes impossible for anyone to say “I’m the best.” Anyway, if a lawyer says that, they’d probably get in trouble with the ethics committee that governs what attorneys can say. Yes, it’s true; there is an ethics committee that controls what New York lawyers can say in their marketing messages.

“Who has the most experience?”

That’s easy to find out; just ask. “How long have you been handling and trying medical malpractice cases here in New York?” Warning: Just because a lawyer has been in practice longer than someone else, does not necessarily mean they are automatically “better” than a lawyer who has been in practice for less time.

“Who can get you the most money for your case?”

The answer to that question is impossible to answer. I know of lawyers in a trial law firm in New York City who privately comment on large jury awards and settlements and quietly boast that they could have gotten more money on a particular case. Could they have done so? Who knows? Is there any way to really know? No. Is there any way for a consumer to get an educated and intelligent answer to that question? No. Why not?

Each case is different. Each case has its’ own peculiar ups and downs. Each case is located in a different court before a different judge. Each defense attorney and their insurance company has their own peculiar standards. If an attorney tells you that they can get you “X” dollars for your case, or that they can get you more money than any other attorney, ask them to put that in writing. It will never happen, because no lawyer, no matter how good or experienced, can ever guarantee a result.

“Trust”

This is clearly the hardest thing to judge. You’ll make a judgment about the lawyer when you walk into their office. From their furnishings to the attorney, you are constantly thinking about how this lawyer can help solve your problem. There is no central lawyer directory where you can check to see which lawyers are trustworthy. Satisfied clients are just one way to judge the quality of a law firm and the lawyers that work there. However, you will probably not get very far to ask for a list of unhappy or disgruntled clients. You can always check with the grievance committee to see if there were any disciplinary actions against that attorney. However, that only proves a negative. If the lawyer has never had a complaint or been disciplined it only means that there’s never been a problem. It does not mean that the lawyer is worthy of your trust.

The best way to answer that question is to talk to the lawyer yourself; meet with the lawyer and judge for yourself. Obviously, you can’t always accurately tell that by talking and meeting with an attorney. However, it will give you a much better sense of who you’re dealing with compared to you never having met the attorney.

“What does it cost to hire an experienced New York trial lawyer?”

Nothing; at least not upfront.

“What does that mean?” It means that you can hire an experienced attorney without having to pay a dime out of your pocket when you begin. If you have a valid case and you start a lawsuit, the attorney and his law firm will pay all the expenses to prosecute your case till the end. Only if you are successful, and you receive money as a result of your lawsuit, will your attorney receive a percentage of what you win. This is commonly known as a contingency fee. The lawyer’s fee is contingent on you getting compensated. If you are not successful in your case, your lawyer gets no money and has spent a considerable amount of money to prosecute your case, without ever getting repaid. That is why most experienced attorneys will be very selective about which cases they accept. An attorney will usually only take a case if he reasonably believes you have a valid case (and must confirm that with an expert physician). Otherwise, he will never recoup the money he has paid to prosecute your case, or receive any attorney’s fee for the hundreds and thousands of hours of time he will put in to prosecute your case to a conclusion.

By becoming an educated consumer about who to choose as your attorney and learning about how cases like yours work, you’ll be able to make an intelligent decision about which lawyer is right for you.

By: Gerry Oginski

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Business attorneys deal with cases involving a fresh start of a business, or a general business, which relate to operating a business, or buying and selling of business by means of an acquisition or a merger.

Attorneys help public to start a business, by beginning with a detailed business plan, the “blueprint” for every aspect of the business. They choose a business structure that’s right for the business: a sole proprietorship, a partnership, a corporation, or a franchise. They will need to file tax and employer identification documents, and also obtain the licenses and permits necessary for the business to operate.

General business covers traditional legal topics, such as contracts and insurance, which directly deal with operating a business, as well as practical topics, such as business planning and preparing for and defending against business lawsuits. Business planning involves becoming familiar with the relevant antitrust laws, so that you don’t engage in conduct that illegally monopolizes your market or, inadvertently enter into agreements that restrain trade, and learning how to salvage a sputtering business. Attorneys make sure that contracts made are enforceable. A party may be excused from performing under a contract by proving a defense to breach of contract. Such defenses include fraud and misrepresentation, lack of consideration, and the statute of frauds. They also make sure you have a comprehensive general liability policy in place, and have well-drafted company policies and procedures, such as an employee handbook, in place to confront lawsuits.

Buying or selling a business through acquisitions can be asset purchases, where the buyer purchases the seller’s assets, free and clear of any liabilities, or stock purchases, where the buyer purchases the business’s stock and actually takes over the business, instead of just buying the merchandise. A merger of two businesses, shares many characteristics of an asset purchase and a stock purchase, but at the end of the transaction the two businesses are combined as one.

Business attorneys can be reached through the referral services. Most of the business lawyers are based in the heart of the city and many of the leading firms maintain a web profile making it easier to access them.

By: Kent Pinkerton

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If you find yourself in severe financial circumstances, you might be considering bankruptcy as a way to give you a fresh start. It certainly is an option you should consider if things are that bad, but there are some drawbacks to filing. One of the factors that keep many people from filing for bankruptcy is the cost of bankruptcy attorney fees.

Well, the first thing you should remember is that declaring bankruptcy will help you with your other debts, which will make it easier to pay your legal fees. The bankruptcy automatic stay puts a freeze on all of your debts so your creditors cannot even contact you.

You and your lawyer will go through the process without having to worry about paying any debts, at least not until your case has been heard. If your bankruptcy case is successful, then you may be able to discharge much or all of your current debt. This will make it easier for you to pay for your lawyer fees. In addition, your lawyer may work out some sort of payment plan to make things easier for you.

Perhaps a more important consideration is how to lower your bankruptcy attorney fees. We’ve already spoken above about how declaring bankruptcy can make it easier for you to pay your legal bill. But what about actually lowering the cost of that legal bill?

One of the simplest things you can do is to prepare as much as possible before your initial legal consultation. Before you ever walk into a bankruptcy law office, you need to do your homework about bankruptcy and your current situation. Reading articles like these, as well as a good book on the subject, can help you understand many things before you ever step foot into a bankruptcy law practice.

You can better understand who is eligible, the different types of bankruptcy, and what the ramifications are for filing. You should also get all of your paperwork in order. That includes your federal tax returns, all of your credit card statements, and everything else that proves your current income and expenses.

Taking the time to do this will make you a better informed client, and it will also reduce the amount of work that the lawyer has to accomplish. Less work means a smaller bill for you. Who knows, you may even decide with your own research that bankruptcy is not the best alternative for you.

By: Josh Ramos

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When facing a criminal charge, there are three legal representation options that an individual must choose from: self representation, utilize a court-appointed lawyer or hire a private criminal defense attorney. The smallest percent choose self-representation, which is the most risky option. In addition to lacking experience and access to legal material, self-defendants do not possess the objectivity required to present their case.

While some may mistakenly believe that since they plan to plead guilty they don’t need a lawyer, they are forgetting that a lawyer might well be able to figure out options or to reduce the sentencing. There are many factors to take into account when determine whether it is best for a defendant to plea bargain or go to trial. A professional lawyer will be able to analyze and evaluate all facts surrounding the case including the evidence held by the state, testimony from witnesses and physical evidence.

Court-appointed criminal defense attorneys are not available to everyone. Each state and municipality has guidelines to determine eligibility for full or partial legal representation. These guidelines are based on the income of the defendant and take into account only their sole income, not that of a spouse or other relative. While it is commonly assumed that state attorneys are not as effective as private attorneys, studies show that private defense attorneys, on average, only produce marginally better conviction to dismissal rates. Public defenders have the advantage of extensive experience in and knowledge of a specific court system, including relationships with most parties involved in a trial.

The disadvantage is that a defendant is not able to select a public attorney. And although there are ways to request a change of public defender, it can be very difficult to successfully do so. Defendants lack the option of interviewing potential candidates and select one with whom they feel comfortable and communicate and work well with.

This is an important part of the process when selecting a private attorney. A defendant should interview several criminal defense attorneys, having prepared plenty of questions in advance. It is important to select an experienced trial lawyer who has defended against similar criminal charges as those you are facing. Resist hiring an acquaintance or a cheaper lawyer who specializes in another area of legal practice. An experienced criminal defense attorney will have access to research and knowledge of related trial outcomes that will allow them to be able to develop a comprehensive strategy.

By: Andrew Stratton

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What makes you different? Why do you think you don’t need the services of a capable attorney? What are your well-worn excuses?

A. You can handle it yourself.

B. Attorneys cost too much.

C. Your case is not that serious.

D. You are a law-abiding citizen and you do no wrong.

Let me be the first to say, “Yes, You Do Need An Attorney.” You don’t have to do wrong to have wrong done to you, and yes, you may have ‘gotten by’ without the use of an attorney in the past, but in the litigious society we live in today, you do need access to legal representation.

Reasons we choose to not hire attorneys

“I don’t trust attorneys”, or, “I have a relative who is an attorney.”

Would you really want your relative in your business?

Here are a few questions for you.

A. Have you ever had a legal question but didn’t know who to ask?

Maybe you knew whom to ask but didn’t want to pay them $200.00 or $300.00 for the answer.

B. Have you signed a binding contract you didn’t fully understand?

Maybe you purchased a new or used car or a cell phone?

C. Have you ever attempted to be your own attorney because you didn’t know one to call?

D. Did you know an attorney but couldn’t justify the cost?

Here are a few more. Have you ever:

1. had a question about your consumer rights?

2. paid a bill you knew was unfair?

3. had an income tax question?

4. been refused a refund for a defective product?

5. signed a rental agreement

6. lost your rental deposit?

7. wanted advice on a credit matter?

8. been involved in a separation or divorce?

9. been a defendant in a civil lawsuit?

10. worried about being audited by the IRS?

If you need more I have a list of over 100 reasons we need assistance. Email me and I’ll send it to you.

If we are honest we’ll admit that cost is the main determinant for the majority of us when it comes to retaining legal representation.

If your best friend was an attorney and said, “Fax in any contract or legal document from now on and our firm will review them for free.” Would you sign another contract without having them look at it first?

Welcome to the Locked-Out 80%

I don’t normally get into a lot of statistics in my articles but here’s a few.

How does it make you feel that 80% of people like you and I, those of us with children, jobs, bills, taxes, mortgages, insurance etc., are priced out of the legal system?

The top 10% of people can afford to retain attorneys, and the bottom 10% qualify for public defenders.

Way back in 2002, records show 36 million people went to emergency, but 93 million had court cases.

Even though we are almost 3 times more likely to go to court than to emergency, most of what we need attorneys for is not court-related.

Do you think the wealthy sign contracts without the approval of their attorney?

Maybe you should look into a Legal Services Plan

Hey believe it, it worked for my good friend in California. She needed an attorneys’ help in an out-of-state case in a hurry, and the local guy (in that state) wanted $5000.00 minimum as a retainer. Well, she’s on a fixed income so that was way out of line with her budget.

I suggested, and finally insisted because she was dragging her feet, that she look into a legal services plan. That saved her bacon. She brags to this day about the level of service and the courtesy of the law firm that handled her case.

Those plans give you access to first-class law firms, usually with a toll-free phone number for you to call in any state, and usually within your budget.

This way when you need assistance, you will have equal access to legal representation immediately without having to check your wallet first.

The new minimum wage is $5.85 per hour, but the average attorneys’ fee is $150.00 to $400.00 per hour. It could take a weeks’ salary to spend one hour with certain attorneys. My attorney friend says she could not afford to retain her own firm if she needed an legal assistance.

The great news is capable attorneys are no longer a privilege for the wealthy. How’d you like to be able to say… “I’m going to call my Attorney”, and mean it?

Think About This

When It Comes To The Law: If you’re not protected from the law, you’re subjected to the law. If you don’t know your rights, you don’t have any rights. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Contact me anytime at: charles@ckdillon.com.

Thanks again for reading.

By: Ck Dillon

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Becoming an attorney requires extensive education, training, and hard work but rewards those who persevere with a career filled with a sense of purpose, importance and financial security. In order to become an attorney, a person must have a bachelor’s degree and then enroll and complete three years of law school before a Juris Doctorate (law degree) is awarded. But the road to becoming an attorney does not end there, as law school graduates in nearly every state must pass the state’s bar exam before being admitted to the bar and allowed to practice law. Once someone becomes an attorney they have a wide range of career paths they may take. Corporate law, criminal law, and family law are a few of the many specializations that a new attorney may choose from. The amount of earnings that an attorney can make is often dependent on the field of law and the experience of the attorney and can range anywhere from $30,000 to millions of dollars a year.

The road to becoming an attorney begins in college. Admission to law school requires a bachelor’s degree. Unlike many other careers requiring a bachelor’s degree such as medicine, law schools do not require that an applicant have a degree in any particular major. In fact, the American Bar Association (A.B.A.) “does not recommend any undergraduate majors or group of courses to prepare for a legal education.” as “students are admitted to law school from almost every academic discipline.” (http://www.abanet.org/legaled/prelaw/prep.html) The only advice from the A.B.A. is that students are “encouraged to pursue an area of study that interests and challenges you, while taking advantage of opportunities to develop your research and writing skills.”

Once a future attorney finishes their undergraduate schooling, they must apply to and complete law school. Before applying to law school, a student must take the Law School Admissions Test. Once that is done, the application process can begin. Once a student is admitted, they must complete three years of law school before receiving a Juris Doctorate or a law degree. However, there is still one more step a future attorney must take before becoming a practicing lawyer. The bar exam, according to Lan Pham, a recent law school graduate and bar examinee, “is a hellish three-day ordeal the likes of which I have never faced.” In California, the exam involves six one-hour essays, two three-hour essays, and 100 multiple choice questions. A grade of roughly 70% is required to pass. Unfortunately, all law school graduates must pass their state’s bar exam before becoming a licensed attorney.

Once someone completes four years of college, three years of law school, and passes the bar exam, they may now practice law as an attorney. However, there are still choices to be made. A law degree and license allows a person to choose from a wide range of different career paths. One can choose to be a corporate lawyer, whose duties include negotiating deals between large corporations, setting up new corporations, or ensuring that large corporations obey the law. Family lawyers handle matters such as child adoptions and divorces. There are lawyers who handle wills, prosecute criminals, defend criminals, sue people, defend people being sued as well as many other specialties. There are private lawyers, military lawyers, and government lawyers. An attorney has almost infinite possibilities when it comes to a career path.

The career path that an attorney chooses often determines how long they work and how much they get paid. Even among lawyers in the same field, the ranges of work hours and pay vary greatly. According to Mr. Pham, corporate lawyers are among the well-paid lawyers but also work some of the longest hours. It is not unheard of for an associate at a large law firm to regularly put in 80 hour work weeks. Although sole practitioners have more control over their work hours, many of them work long hours since most of them are working on several cases at the same time. Government lawyers, including prosecutors and city attorneys, usually have shorter hours but also generally get paid less than those in private practice. Public interest lawyers, including those who represent the poor or disadvantaged groups including minorities, children, and the elderly are among the lowest paid attorneys. However, they have among the highest job satisfaction rates among all attorneys. According to America’s Career InfoNet the median salary for an attorney in 2003 was $92,700 nationwide.

Becoming an attorney is a long and difficult process requiring a large amount of intense education and training. Being an attorney often requires long hours and a lot of hard work. However, attorneys are rewarded with a career that offers a large measure of prestige and income as well as the freedom to choose a wide range of fields in which to work in.

By: Mathew Simond

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Understanding Your Contract With Your Attorney

The main purpose of an attorney-client agreement is to outline the relationship between you (the client) and the attorney – primarily, how the client will be billed for what services.

In general, billing can occur in a number of ways – hourly, contingent, flat fee or a mix of these methods. Flat fees are obviously the easiest to interpret since you’ll know up front what most of your costs will be. Flat fees are typically found in uncontested divorce cases where the attorney can clearly define what tasks and services he or she will perform.

Contingent implies that charges or fees will be billed only under certain circumstances or when a particular event occurs. For example, the attorney-client retainer could state that 10% of your settlement will be due and payable to the firm. If there’s no settlement in your favor, there would be no 10% to pay. For the most part, contingent billing is considered to be unethical in divorce cases but are often seen in alimony cases or matters concerning unpaid child support.

Hourly billing can easily be the most expensive since you have limited control over the number of hours that are spent on your case. In addition, the method used to break down time increments can vary from firm to firm.

For example, many attorneys bill in tenths of an hour (.10) which is the equivalent of six minutes however some lawyers may bill in fourths, such as .25, .50, .75 and 1.0. What this means for you is that a two-minute phone call can either be billed as one-tenth of an hour (6 minutes) or one-fourth of an hour (.25) which can make a difference in your overall bill.

All agreements cover the basics such as charges for photocopies, telephone conversations and the like (all of which you will be charged for) and they will (or should) also spell out any additional charges that might accrue and any minimum billing requirements that might be in place. These agreements should also cover an ancillary charges such as mileage, parking and mailing fees. Domestic phone calls are billed by the hour for example, however any long distance fees will be added to the bill on top of the amount charged for the attorney’s time.

When an Attorney-Client Retainer Agreement is signed, the client (that’s you) is required to place an agreed upon amount called a “retainer” into an escrow account of sorts as payment for upcoming bills. This ensures that the bills will be paid and when the retainer amount runs low, you’ll be required to add additional funds to continue the attorney-client relationship.

To make sure you fully understand the agreement you’re about to sign, you’ll want to read it thoroughly and ask questions if you don’t understand any portion of the contract. Most attorneys will be happy to give you time to read through the agreement and are equally as happy to answer any questions you might have. If they’re not, keep looking for another attorney.

By: Jeremy Reither

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What is all of the talk about bankruptcy these days? Quite simply, it is the section of the federal law that will allow a person who is in an extreme amount of debt to get a “fresh start”. It will reduce the amount of debt that is required to be paid back as well as extend the time period in which the debt must be repaid. Will you need a bankruptcy attorney to help you sort through all of this? The answer is a resounding YES and let me explain why.

The bankruptcy laws are often referred to by their chapter number in the Bankruptcy Code. Debtors may file under five different chapters; three of them are for individuals: Chapter 7, which refers to Liquidation, Chapter 11, which refers to Reorganization, and Chapter 13, which refers to Reorganization.

The laws have really changed in recent years as far as bankruptcy goes, and you are now required to sit through a course before you will even know if bankruptcy is the way you should and even can proceed. That’s right, it is no longer YOUR choice about declaring bankruptcy; the judge must approve it. This will help to determine whether you can have your debts erased through Chapter 7 of the bankruptcy laws or whether you have to enter a type of repayment plan through Chapter 13. It is better to acquire the services of a bankruptcy attorney before deciding to blindly strike off on your own. When consulting with your bankruptcy attorney, he or she will make sure that you file all of the necessary forms to discharge the debt.

That is just one of the reasons you want a good and qualified bankruptcy attorney because if you make a mistake on those forms, your case may get thrown out and you are right back to where you started. Or you may mistakenly present yourself on the forms so that you only get approved for Reorganization instead of Liquidation, which means you still have all your debts.

There are a numerous ways that the new bankruptcy laws will have their effects on debtors:

* A strict financial means test must be taken that will not allow many debtors to file under Chapter 7.

* Debtors have to receive a briefing from a credit counseling agency that has been approved for this. The debtor must do this at least 6 months before filing a bankruptcy case.

* Debtors must also take a class that has been approved on debt management techniques before receiving their bankruptcy discharge. Yes, these two steps are mandatory, even though the majority of people who file do not do so because of financial mismanagement.

* It is now easier for a court to be able to dismiss a bankruptcy case altogether or convert a Chapter 7 case to a Chapter 13 case

* It is now permitted for a court to impose sanctions on lawyers or on debtors for filing a Chapter 7 case that either had been dismissed or was converted to a Chapter 13 case.

How can a Bankruptcy Attorney Solve Credit Problems?

Bankruptcy attorneys are lawyers that specialize in bankruptcy law. They provide legal means for an individual or a business to either wipe out debts or resolve them.

Bankruptcy attorneys explain to their clients the primary purposes and applications as to how the bankruptcy laws now specifically apply to them in their unique situation. They may give such pertinent information to their clients as to under what chapter they may file, what bills are allowed to be eliminated, the length of time that payments can be extended, the possessions that are allowed to be kept, and all of the other details concerning bankruptcy.

A bankruptcy attorney will properly present your case for Chapter 7, which involves liquidation and debtor rehabilitation, or Chapter 13 which is reorganization, which is probably not what you had in mind when you decided to file. This involves a court-approved plan of reorganization as well as payment of the debt over a certain time period using future earnings.

If you are on the fence as to whether you should hire a bankruptcy attorney, you are strongly advised to you do so. There are many stories, including a couple who had the misfortune of having to apply for bankruptcy and they thought they could file online. It turns out that they filled in the paperwork in the wrong way and consequently the debts that the wife had were left intact as they only filed singly and not jointly. Don’t make that same mistake. You will be out attorney fees in the short run, but you will more than make it up when your debts are discharged.

By: Jon Arnold

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