I think attorney made a mistake.....

[nervousSC]

So I went on Pacer today and I saw that my paystubs were now there, they were filed late for some reason. So I decided to click on the link to see if they were the actual stubs that I gave the paralegal, and yep, they sure are.....only one thing wrong, my ENTIRE social security number is on there. So I didn't want to call the atty and let them know I know about Pacer so I called the BK Court and she said it was attys responsibility to block it out and that it can't be changed. I told her I found that hard to believe and she told me to call my attorney and tell them I saw it on Pacer.....SO, what should I do? Am I worrying for nothing? Should I chalk it up as an error and hope no one gets it (though what they could possible do with it is beyond me.....considering the BK)? I don't know, maybe I'm just overreacting!

[anonymuse]

Nervous--we need to find a new name for you--becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy. ;)

Not sure why anyone would want to steal any of our identities since we're broke and our credit is shot! LOL

This isn't something published in the daily paper. You'd probably have a better shot at winning the lottery than having someone abuse it. (However, if you get your yearly tax statement and someone named Jose Manuel has been doing all those jobs American's won't do, investigate it!) ;)

I had to look at this post when you said "I think attorney made a mistake....". I keep getting different answers from attorneys and doctors that I have no friggin idea who to believe any more!!!!!!

[nervousSC]

OK....Understood..............ROFLMA...........

[aa06a47]

Legally, they are not allowed by law to show your social security number, that information is suppose to be blocked out. In fact they even made a law about it. This is why only the last 4 are shown on the bk petition now. While you probably have a better chance of winning the powerball or getting stuck by lighting, than someone pulling your numbers from pacer and using them, it is possible.

If it is bugging you, contact your attorney. My attorney only seemed peeved about me having Pacer because I tended to know about things before her.

[SinkingFast]

Tell your attny so the attny can get it fixed.

You can always say you followed a link of your Court's Home Webpage. That's how you found PACER. You followed a link from the Court webpage to PACER. That you fumbled around with PACER a bit and found BK filings by State and District. You decided to check to see if there was anything about you there and you found this bit of info. Accidentally. That you noticed on all the other paperwork, only part of your SSN showed, but your paystub scans showed your entire SSN. You called the Court to fix it and they said the attny had to fix it.

If you'd feel more comfortable working with your attny and the attny not knowing you know about PACER, maybe wait until your plan is confirmed. After you're confirmed, you'll have much less contact with your attny so you might be more comfortable telling him/her then.

It was most likely a simple clerical error but they do need to know. The New Law expressly says that SSN's are not to be posted in filers' petitions. If nothing else, your attny needs to know to fix it so they can watch for that in the future.

[aa06a47]

I personaly wouldn't appologize to the attorney for having access to Pacer or make excuses to them for having it. Most of us debtors are just numbers to most of the BK attorneys. It is our right to have the ability to see what is going on in our cases. If they don't like it, that's there problem. (IMO...feeling a little rebelious right now anyways)

[alh]

I think talking to attorney is like asking what time it is. Everytime you ask, you get a different answer.

[Bobby'sGirl]

My attorney ASKED if I knew how to access PACER!

He says it helps people be more informed about the process, and it helps alert him to any problems days before things may go critical if an error or mistake occurred. His suggestion was to check weekly once I have filed. I told him I already had used it to decide which of several attorneys recommended to me looked like a better fit for my case. I'm not sure why people are worried about having their attorneys know they are following their own case progression. Has anyone had an attorney drop them because of this or refuse to take the case because you "knew too much?"

[SinkingFast]

He says it helps people be more informed about the process, and it helps alert him to any problems days before things may go critical if an error or mistake occurred. His suggestion was to check weekly once I have filed. I told him I already had used it to decide which of several attorneys recommended to me looked like a better fit for my case. I'm not sure why people are worried about having their attorneys know they are following their own case progression. Has anyone had an attorney drop them because of this or refuse to take the case because you "knew too much?"

Every attny should be so open minded.

I accidentally slipped and mentioned PACER to one attny and she literally flipped out about it.

HOW DO YOU KNOW ABOUT PACER??!! It's mentioned on the Court's home webpage.

HOW DID YOU GET INTO PACER??!! I followed a link from the Court's home webpage, registered, got an ID and password.

HOW IS IT POSSIBLE THAT YOU CAN ACCESS PACER??!! It is PUBLIC ACCESS I said.

She had us go thru this whole online "interview" process. Rapid Response. Where you enter all your info and it interfaces with a computer program the attny has. At the push of a button, the attny has a first, rough draft of a completed petition.

We never heard from her again. So I'd say she refused to act as our attny. Was it because I knew about PACER?? Can't say for sure. But I strongly suspect that's the reason.

[nervousSC]

OK, I think I'll call tomorrow. I think I'll go with the whole "followed link from bk website...." thing.

It just seemed strange because paralegal was vigilant when going over petition and other papers that would be filed about showing me that my social security number was blocked out....but they weren't on the pay stubs...

I'll let y'all know what happens.....

[anonymuse]

OK, I think I'll call tomorrow. I think I'll go with the whole "followed link from bk website...." thing.

It just seemed strange because paralegal was vigilant when going over petition and other papers that would be filed about showing me that my social security number was blocked out....but they weren't on the pay stubs...

I'll let y'all know what happens.....

Most paychecks don't have your whole social security number (if any of it) on them nowadays, so I can see how an oversight could happen.

[JeepMom]

This isn't something published in the daily paper. You'd probably have a better shot at winning the lottery than having someone abuse it. (However, if you get your yearly tax statement and someone named Jose Manuel has been doing all those jobs American's won't do, investigate it!) ;)

In some places bankruptices are published in the daily paper. That's how my sisters FIL found out that they had filed. Her FIL was reading that section of the paper while they were there at his house!

[anonymuse]

In some places bankruptices are published in the daily paper. That's how my sisters FIL found out that they had filed. Her FIL was reading that section of the paper while they were there at his house!

But it's in the really small print somewhere with the classifieds and most people don't even read it. Unfortunately, your sisters FIL was one of those very few. But, it's not headline news unless you're Enron.

[arkienurse]

But it's in the really small print somewhere with the classifieds and most people don't even read it. Unfortunately, your sisters FIL was one of those very few. But, it's not headline news unless you're Enron.

Our paper puts the bankruptcies on the second page every monday, right along with all the marriage license issues, divorce filings, paternity, and lawsuits. It even says chapter 7 or 13. I can't remember if it still does or not, but it used to show asset and debt amounts too.

[SinkingFast]

OK, I think I'll call tomorrow. I think I'll go with the whole "followed link from bk website...." thing.

It just seemed strange because paralegal was vigilant when going over petition and other papers that would be filed about showing me that my social security number was blocked out....but they weren't on the pay stubs...

I'll let y'all know what happens.....

Well, Nervous,....... Did you call?? What happened?? Inquiring minds wanna know!!