Met with attorney

[Keithh1632]

We met with the attorney we will be retaining for our chapter 13. It was one of the hardest things I had to do to make that appoinmtent to disucuss my financial failures with cc debt. After dreading going to the appointmnent it went a lot better than I expected with an affordabe payment plan expected. The attorney was very understanding. Should be filed within the next couple of weeks.

[stinkypalm]

Your not alone my meeting is Wednesday the 10th. Same as you dreading it. Good Luck!!

[sofarsogood2]

Good for you! Going to that appointment is difficult, but you begin to see a light at the end of the tunnel. As time goes on, you'll probably figuire out it's one of the best financial decisions you've ever made. I was ashamed at first, but now I'm glad that I let go off the pride and did what was best for my family.
Best wishes!

[klandsb]

Some words of wisdom. If you are going for a free consults they run the numbers very quickly and give you an estimated pmt amount which is what I did. I went to three & got 3 different figures... So I picked which attorney I liked the best and turned in all the paperwork they asked for. My pmt came back approx $600 more than originally quoted.. I was not a happy camper and expressed that to the paralegal & the attorney.. They said more or less it is what it is.. I am not trying to scare anyone but just be aware of the possibilities and be sure to give them accurate numbers for expenses & values of things... In the end mine worked out ok but it was a very ,very stressful thing to go thru... Wishing you all the best

[stinkypalm]

Some words of wisdom. If you are going for a free consults they run the numbers very quickly and give you an estimated pmt amount which is what I did. I went to three & got 3 different figures... So I picked which attorney I liked the best and turned in all the paperwork they asked for. My pmt came back approx $600 more than originally quoted.. I was not a happy camper and expressed that to the paralegal & the attorney.. They said more or less it is what it is.. I am not trying to scare anyone but just be aware of the possibilities and be sure to give them accurate numbers for expenses & values of things... In the end mine worked out ok but it was a very ,very stressful thing to go thru... Wishing you all the best

Came back $600 more from who? the court or the attorney after you turned in all the paperwork to them?? Thanks for the advise.

[klandsb]

It came back from the attorneys office $ 600 higher than what I was told at the initial free consult... My first thought was this is a great way for them to get clients in the door, tell them an amount they want to hear ,get the retainer , then after going thru all numbers tell them the true pmt amount. I am sure that is not completly correct but you must realize unless they have all the information , they are giving you a basic figure going by the information they have at that time... They must have all of the information which you really dont provide until after you retain them to give you the pmt amount that will be in your bk filing.
Believe me I am not trying to scare anyone. We all have enough stress going on I just want to make you aware that free consult pmt amounts quoted are not written in stone. I was very naieve when I started this process and with the help of people on here and going thru it myself I am so much more informed ... Gain as much info from here that you can . Its worth it in the end...

[HHM]

Actually, an attorney should not even be giving an "estimate" at the consult. A chapter 13 payment is a complex calculation.

[klandsb]

Yes. HHM you are correct. I guess because we all want to kinda get an idea of what we might be getting into with pmts the attorneys give you a ballpark figure running the numbers at the free consults. Went to 3 and they all gave me amounts. How can u decide if you want to continue this journey & retain an attorney without having any idea of the pmt outcome will be ??

[ednasouth]

I know what you mean about it being one of the hardest things to do. The hardest thing for me was admitting I had a problem, made some unwise decisions, made some mistakes, etc. Once I made the appointment I couldn't wait to meet with my attorney to get some "realistic" info on where I stood. My attorney specializes in BK, so I figured he had seen just about everything and mine was pretty run of the mill. I was really dreading the 341 meeting since I've never been to "court", but like everyone says, that is one of the easier things. Preparing all the initial paperwork almost drove me bonkers. I'm waiting on my attorney to make a couple of amendments to see what my final payment will be. Each step, no matter how painful, has re-enforced the idea that I made the right decision to file. This forum has been a BIG help. Good Luck!

[stinkypalm]

I know what you mean about it being one of the hardest things to do. The hardest thing for me was admitting I had a problem, made some unwise decisions, made some mistakes, etc. Once I made the appointment I couldn't wait to meet with my attorney to get some "realistic" info on where I stood. My attorney specializes in BK, so I figured he had seen just about everything and mine was pretty run of the mill. I was really dreading the 341 meeting since I've never been to "court", but like everyone says, that is one of the easier things. Preparing all the initial paperwork almost drove me bonkers. I'm waiting on my attorney to make a couple of amendments to see what my final payment will be. Each step, no matter how painful, has re-enforced the idea that I made the right decision to file. This forum has been a BIG help. Good Luck!

I feel like this also, we must be twins. But this forum helps for a softer landing. Thanks for your post.

[oops123]

Yes, I agree with everyone too. Very hard. Very stressful. My confirmation is set for the 23ed. I'm hoping we get there.

Then, I hope we can make it through our 5yr plan...

[ednasouth]

Yes, I agree the 5 year plan can be very stressful, especially when you start considering all the unknowns like, what if my car goes out?, what if I get laid off in a couple of years?, etc. The worries/anxiety this process alone creates could impact someone's life so much that it can cause health issues, poor job performance, marital problems, etc. I try to think positive and on the bright side. Here are a few things I heard recently that may help others. I know these are MUCH easier said than done, but they are good starting points...

Take life one day at time, worrying about what may happen in 2 years probably won't change anything anyway.

When it comes time to setting goals, living on a budgets, doing something new, etc. The hardest part is saying "I CAN". Once you believe you can do something, you will figure out a way to do it.

Again, easier said than done, but I like this philosophy.