attorney is so slow.....

[daxtell]

i am just venting here.... back on November 20th (2010) i met with my attorney, payed all my fees, turned in all of the required paperwork that took me weeks to go through and obtain. Since then it has week after week of pure heck. i call and the assistants say it is being worked on. some weeks i get to talk to the newest attorney asking me questions, and then the next week when i call she asks the same questions again. then the answers are well its being reviewed and we will file this week promise. every week i get this answer. last week i learned the newest attorney quit and the owner or senior partner is hardly ever in. i was asked to come in again and sign again. so i did. today i call and was told well he hasnt been in all week and has yet to review but he will be in tomorrow afternoon maybe.

i am so frustrated. asset acceptance who bought a credit card account of mine originally with chase/first usa bank got a judgment and garnishment back in Jan 2010 and has been ruthlessly pursuing me ever since. i tell them i have an attorney and give them the name but they don't care. i lost my job in the summer where they were garnishing my wages. they have yet to find out my new place. but i get home today and they have posted another notice of reopening the garnishment. it says on there they are trying to serve my old place of employment again so they won't get anything but it is still frustrating.

today i told the assistant at the law office i was thinking of calling the better business bureau and complaining.

i mean heck. my jeep is on its last leg. is an old 1995 and i am barely keeping it running. i have been patiently waiting for months to get this over and done with so i can get a loan, even if high interest after i file, for a reliable auto to get to my new job.

any ideas or thoughts would be greatly appreciated. thank you.

[ValleYum]

My opinion is that your attorney's "handling" of your case is unacceptable as well as unprofessional.

I know that you feel bound to him both financially and paperwork-wise - just getting together the info to file was gut-wrenching for me. *But* the fact that other attorney's are quitting and the senior partner is not available should be of grave concern to you. If this is how your preparation is going, can you imagine them representing you well at your 341?

As well as the BBB, you can file a complaint about attorney misconduct with the Virginia Bar Association here: http://www.vsb.org/site/regulation/inquiry/

I would call and tell the assistant that I plan to be in their office to personally speak to the senior partner at a certain date and time. If he can not do this, then you expect the full return of your money and your paperwork to be picked up at said date and time. (What kind of agreement did you sign as far as fees go?)

I wish you good luck and a speedy resolution to your problem.

[despritfreya]

I have to agree with Valle Yum. It should not take two months to prepare the documents. The attorney should have had you fill out worksheets and then you should have met with someone to review them. Once reviewed they should be typed and printed out with you meeting for one final review and signing. This does not take two months to do. Even in my most complicated cases the turn-around is no more than 3 weeks.

Sounds like you need to get some satisfaction or you money back and move on.

Des

[daxtell]

that is a great idea about saying i would like to file something with the virginia state bar... thanks....

the thing about the worksheets.... that is what is so frustrating. i used all of my paperwork to fill in all the information myself into their online website they gave me access too. then all they had to do was pull that information into their own reporting etc.. that all transferred to the petition that i went into the office to sign. twice.

so when they tell me they are not done reviewing, it makes no sense. it has all been entered. and he is only reviewing the petition.

[csonly]

Something doesn't seem right. So, they haven't even filed yet and you signed the paper work. My attorney filed the same day we signed the paper work. I think you need to find a new attorney and demand to get your money back. I'm not sure who said this above, but I don't think I would want them at the 341 meeting either. I also think it's odd that you entered your own information into their website, never heard of that before. I would take this time to visit a few other attorneys for a consult.

[tcreegan]

Hi daxtell,

...sorry on the attorney situation. ValleYum gave you the link to the VA bar association, attorneys will take a bar assoc. complaint much more seriously than a BBB complaint.

Hope you can get your $$ back and find a better attorney!!

Tom in Colo

[df04527]

I don't know what's right or anything but our attorney took almost 8 weeks as well to get the paperwork together and filed. They are not quite a BK mill type office but they do do alot of them -- we were filed in a "batch".

Did I like it? no -- it finally got filed and the 341 went fine.

[daxtell]

well...here is an update... i never made it to the point of saying anything about the Va bar... my attorney called today and i am officially filed!!!with a case number!! and i checked pacer and its all there. my 341 is set for March 1st, and the attorney will be there with me they said.... and the last date i saw was the date of objections to discharge due by 5/02. woo hoo! i feel such a relief. finally those asset acceptance people will be served...

thank you everyone..

[despritfreya]

well...here is an update... i never made it to the point of saying anything about the Va bar... my attorney called today and i am officially filed!!!with a case number!! and i checked pacer and its all there.

That's just great but your post bothers me.

Did you review AND sign the documents BEFORE they were filed? If not, how do you know the information is accurate? Did the attorney supply you with a complete copy of what was filed? If not, you need to get it, review it and make sure the mistakes are immediately corrected.

I do not recall any of your posts stating that you reviewed the final version of the Petition, Statements and Schedules. Sorry to be so abrupt but it is a MUST that the debtor review and sign documents before they are filed. An attorney should not be filing anything without the client's signature or express approval first. Please advise.

NEVER MIND. I SEE YOU DID SIGN 2X. MY BAD.

Des.

[tcreegan]

Des just looking out for you daxtell !

[chicagoannie]

well...here is an update... i never made it to the point of saying anything about the Va bar... my attorney called today and i am officially filed!!!with a case number!! and i checked pacer and its all there. my 341 is set for March 1st, and the attorney will be there with me they said.... and the last date i saw was the date of objections to discharge due by 5/02. woo hoo! i feel such a relief. finally those asset acceptance people will be served...

thank you everyone..

Oh, I am familiar with Asses Acceptance. Glad you are filed and will be rid of them!