Filing tomorrow pro se

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I'm so nervous. I've been making sure every single form is filled out as correctly as I can. I know I'll be amending and adding collectors later. For right now this is an emergency filing to stop a wage garnishment from a personal small claims judgment.

I'm nervous for a couple of reasons.

1. I don't know how this courthouse likes the forms to be organized. I made three copies and put original signatures on all forms. One stack is paper clipped, another stapled and another loose. They are all put in the order of what the courthouse website stated they were needed in.

2. I don't have the money for the filing fees so I'm petitioning for a waiver of fees. I make over the 150% of the poverty line requirement. Not by a lot, but still. That is gross income. With the current 15% garnishment my net is much lower and they are upping the garnishment to 25% from my next paycheck. I'm hoping I can strike a deal, give me a case number so I can get the automatic stay and stop the garnishment and then I can pay the fees in full.

Please send good thoughts my way in the morning. If any of you have some pro se filing stories to share, please do. The last 5 years have been so tough for an array of reasons that I just emotionally checked out. I'm ready to check back in and start living again.

[Noodle Mama]

You will be fine. It really sounds like you have all your ducks in a row. When you do an emergency filing, all you do is hand the forms to the clerk and he/she will take a quick look at them for completeness, and you'll get a sheet of paper with a checklist of things you need to turn in to complete the filing.

You leave with a case number. The clerk doesn't make any decisions as far as deciding to accept your paperwork...they are just making sure signatures are there, etc.... If there is something missing/wrong, its not all over - you will just be asked to correct it. If you don't qualify for the waiver then they will just ask you to complete the form for installments.

When my husband and I filed, he took the competed forms to the court. I was unaware that I had to show my DL & SSN at the time of filing, and I was stuck at work. No problem - the clerk let me fax over copies of my ID and hubby filed just fine.

If the forms are out of order, they will put them in order for you or tell you how to arrange them. If there is a signature missing somewhere, you will be asked to sign.

The Dallas courthouse even had PC's set up right there for filers to use for typing their mail matrix and scanners for you to scan your forms in.

Good luck!

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Thank you so much! This was the post I needed to see this morning! Off I go....

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Thank you again for setting my mind at ease this morning. I showed my DL at the door to the security guard but not to the clerk. Interesting huh? They did have computers set up for the creditor matrix and I got that done in a few minutes. The only glitch was the clerk forgot to have me sign an apparently major form and called me when I was already on my way into work. She was great and emailed it to me and I can drop it off Monday morning.

My 341 is scheduled for January 8th! (Elvis' birthday LOL)

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BTW for anyone filing in San Diego - I parked at Horton Plaza and got free validation at the ticket machine in front of Ann Taylor Loft. It's just a few blocks walk to the courthouse.