Filing Yourself

[SecondChanceGal]

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[lrprn]

Anyone done this and how did it work out?

Do a search here for "pro se" - you'll find a world of information. There's also a "sticky" that discusses filing without a lawyer.

With what little I do have to work with, is there something an attorney can do that I wouldn't know to do or be able to do the proper paperwork?

Filing on your own can be done - however, you must educate yourself thoroughly to understand what you are doing. The US bankruptcy law that went into effect Oct 2005 made it more complicated to file on your own. There's a required Means Test to take and, like when you do your taxes, there are areas on the bankruptcy forms that are difficult to interpret. Experienced bankruptcy lawyers know all the ins and outs of these forms, including how the courts and trustees in your area interpret them.

You would think one bankruptcy law would make everything around filing bankruptcy and interpreting the bankruptcy law consistent, but that's completely wrong. There are lots of differences in how the courts and trustees interpret the new law. When you file on your own, you won't know any of this. An experienced lawyer who files many cases a year in your area will know everything unique to your district intimately. This knowledge can make the difference between a nightmare bankruptcy that ends up costing you far more than paying a lawyer to start with and a completely effortless one that sails to discharge and you're done.

If you are thinking about filing on your own, then commit to learning everything you can about Ch 7 bankruptcy. Here are some good places to start -

http://www.uscourts.gov/bankruptcycourts/bankruptcybasics/chapter7.html

http://www.moranlaw.net/7discharge.htm

http://www.creditinfocenter.com/bankruptcy/bkfaq.shtml#16

http://bankruptcy-law.freeadvice.com/consumer_bankruptcy/41/

Once you've learned the basics about Ch 7 bankruptcy, you should make appointments for free consultations with 3-4 experienced bankruptcy lawyers in your area. Even if you end up filing on your own, you will learn a huge amount about any oddities in your circumstances and any potential red flags in your financial history.

After doing some homework, let us know if you have more questions - we'll do our best to help you sort things out. Best of luck no matter what you decide to do! We're here for you to vent on the bad days and celebrate the good ones together. Welcome!