Legal Fees for converting from 13 to 7

[appleae]

Should we expect the same legal fee to convert from a Chapter 13 to a Chapter 7 as we would if we just filed a Chapter 7 initially? We've already paid our attorney over $3,000 for the Chapter 13 and have been in the plan for only about six months. You would think the attorney would cut us a break.

[justbroke]

The fee for a Chapter 7 is usually less. However, fees are usually based on standards (the so-called "no-look" fee) in your particular District. Sometimes your existing attorney would give you a discount if you use them to convert you to a Chapter 7, since, if they use a computer package like BestCase, they don't have to re-enter all your information. Not that it would need to be re-entered anyhow, but it helps!.

The attorney -- new or not -- would still need to attend the new 341 Meeting of Creditors. Based on local rules, they may need to file a new Means Test using the Chapter 7 version of it (Form B22A). They also need to file a Statement of Intentions and serve it on the creditors that need to be notified. There is "some" work to be done!

[researchnerd]

FWIW, we paid my attorney $2500 for the Ch13 (an additional $2000 was to be included in the plan) and now he is charging us $500 for the conversion to Ch7. I know it's extra work for him, but it seems a bit excessive. If he can get us a successful Ch7 conversion though, it will be worth every penny. Gods forbid we have to convert back to a 13...

[justbroke]

Nice attorney!

[jennilynn]

When converting, there's paperwork to update and file, the conversion fee for the Court... the attorneys time to attend the new hearing, and you have a different trustee assigned now, so documents may be requested by the new trustee, of which the attorney/his office must copy, review and send.. as well as any issues that may come up with the conversion. It's common for a conversion to be several hundred dollars... not fun, but common!