I feel like giving up :-(

[jazzladyw]

Hello everyone. Warning, this is gonna be a long rant. lol

*I'm frustrated with the process and pace of my bankruptcy case. I'm married, but filing alone. I did the free consultation with my now lawyer at the end of April. Hired her a week or two later. Hit a couple roadblocks here and there in the following weeks/months, but nothing major.

*My biggest complaint is the lack of communication and lack of progress from my lawyer and firm. I've had more contact with my lawyer's paralegal than my actual lawyer, and that's not saying much. 2/3 of my emails and calls to the paralegal are ignored. Had to send my lawyer an email once just to get some answers to some of my questions, and she forwarded the email to her paralegal and asked him to take care of it.

Delays on their end has delayed my case. My lawyer has gone AWOL lately, and nobody will tell me anything. Last month I was supposed to have a telephone conference with her, but I waited and waited and waited, and nothing. I missed my last bus home from work waiting for this call. It never happened (this is when she first went AWOL) and I was left sitting with with my cellphone in my hand for over an hour before I gave up. Turns out that she had cancelled the phone conference but NOBODY from her whole office EVER called me, the client, to inform me. How's that for communication?

I was told by the secretary that she left the office early that day due to sickness, and then I was told by the paralegal that she never actually came in to the office that day. Two different stories. (this was on a thursday) The paralegal told me she'd be back in the office on Monday. That Tuesday, the paralegal said she'd be out for the rest of the week. *I*ended up doing the phone conference with some lawyer in the firm that I have never even heard of. I still don't know if my lawyer is even back yet.*

Last week, I FINALLY went in and signed my petition (with a totally different paralegal I might add). This was last Saturday the 9th, and my petition has STILL yet to be filed! What the hell are they waiting for?????

*Meanwhile, I'm getting creditor and collection calls up the wazoo, as are my parents. I'm frustrated beyond belief. At this rate, I won't even be discharged by Christmas. Needless to say, this is creating alot of stress and arguments between me and my husband.*

He's frustrated with the progress of things and the way things are being handled. Plus, half of the $1400 lawyers fees was his money, so he's even more aggravated. He feels that his hard earned money is being wasted cause very little progress is being made and they're dragging their feet getting anything done.

*I thought I'd be filed a long *long time ago. I'm so stressed, it's eating me up, and causing problems in my marriage. It's too late to back out now, cause when I hired my lawyers and started the petition, I stopped paying my creditors. I'm so far behind in payments, that if I was to quit the bankruptcy now, I'd never be able to catch up with my creditors. I have no choice but to continue on. People say that the light at the end of the tunnel is discharge. I'm beginning to wonder if I'll EVER see that light. I'm beginning to have very little faith in that.*

[AngelinaCat]

You sound very much like our own case. We had a bad attorney also. Please try to stay calm and know that it WILL eventually get better. I know that this is easy to say, but can be hard to believe. Trust me, my DH, AngelinaCatHub and I, have vented many frustrations with our attorney when we first joined in April 2008. If you wish to search that time period, this may give you some perspective...

Welcome to the Forum, and my very best wished~~~

[tobee43]

i so understand your frustration.

it is common, although not nice, that some atty's are filing only twice a month with the courts, in as much as actual court dates for those clients which are filing bk's. as harsh as that may seem, it is designed to save the firm money and one person can go to court for many cases all in the same day.

also, the new trend is not only PA's (physicians assistants) in the medical world, but. in the legal world, incompetent paralegals, which are really NOT, paralegals filing your case. (in our case it was a 19 year old $8 an hour employee) whom just enter your information into the computer. (and, many times incorrect information at that!) i had to do all work myself and PAY them!

demand a meeting or a phone conference with the atty, whom you paid in good faith to handle your case. and if there is not a response, contact the senior partners and advise them what is happening with their junior partner's or associates. i do really believe they will not be happy and address your situation, hopefully asap.

[df04527]

When we filed it took our lawyers office 30 days to actually file it after we signed. She didn't tell us that either until I asked if there was a problem - she explained that her office does them in "batches" because there are so many. That made sense to me and sure enough it was filed and sailed through with no issues. Does your lawyers office do alot of them maybe?

[jazzladyw]

If that is the case (filing in batches), why wasn't I told this in the beginning, or even when I asked my paralegal like 50 times when will I file/if I've filed yet? The communication on their part sucks! I even sent my paralegal an email stating how unhappy I was with the lack of communication. Sent a copy to my lawyer too. I didn't hear a thing from either person. No acknowledgment that they got the email, no apology, no nothing. I can't wait until this is over with and I never have to deal with them again. This is a well known firm and came highly recommended. Looked up my lawyer, and she's very experienced in this area, and has won awards. So what the hell is going on? Why am I getting crappy service? Ugh!

[Drazil65]

In your next communicaton with them let them know that you are thinking of going to the local Bar Association to file a complaint about the lack of communication. Ask them for the exact date your petition will be filed and give them a deadline for answering your question. Let them know if you do not hear from the ATTORNEY by that date you will have no choice but to call the Bar Association and the BBB to file complaints. I would be leaving voice mails for everyone at the firm asking for this attorney to call me back as well as the email I would send would CC: everyone and anyone at the firm, make yourself heard. If nothing else they will get it done just to shut you up!

[newbie2]

Instead of leaving voice mails and hoping to get a response back, why not call and make an appointment to sit down face to face with the attorney?

[tobee43]

If that is the case (filing in batches), why wasn't I told this in the beginning, or even when I asked my paralegal like 50 times when will I file/if I've filed yet? The communication on their part sucks! I even sent my paralegal an email stating how unhappy I was with the lack of communication. Sent a copy to my lawyer too. I didn't hear a thing from either person. No acknowledgment that they got the email, no apology, no nothing. I can't wait until this is over with and I never have to deal with them again. This is a well known firm and came highly recommended. Looked up my lawyer, and she's very experienced in this area, and has won awards. So what the hell is going on? Why am I getting crappy service? Ugh!

we had a similar problem with out atty. we did exactly what newbie2 suggests. i called up the office and insisted on a "sit" down to discuss issues with the office and my filing. (for us the problem was they keep putting the wrong information on our petition...LIKE our address and the property that we were surrendered was the WRONG one), just little problems like that. after a number attempts to work with the office staff, (just a note here about that, we were told were working with paralegal, whom, so it turns out was an 18 $8 employee). right!!!

i would call and get into the office to a face to face meeting about your concerns. if all else fails then maybe the bar assoc. however, think carefully about that, an atty that has YOUR money, you are unfortunately for the moment, should try and work something out. THEN after it's filed if you still feel that way i would do your complaint to bar.

best of luck!! bk's are trying times on the emotions. these atty's offices do this EVERYDAY, so sometimes they forget WE DON'T! i'm certain you'll be able to straighten things out.

[sunshinepa]

I agree with tobee43, get into that office. I would be camping on their doorstep, seriously. I was filed electronically 15 minutes after I signed the papers, no excuse for what's happening to you!

On the other side, hang in there, it will get done and even if it's a Christmas discharge, wouldn't that be a wonderful gift?????

Good luck and keep us posted.

[IamOld]

To echo everyone "above" - do NOT give up!!!! You're almost there - almost there...

[discouraged]

I am so sorry this has happened to you. I also would just camp out at their office until someone saw you. After all, they have to go to lunch sometime and if nothing else, you could catch them then.

[jazzladyw]

I'm finally filed! Thank god. One major hurdle over. I emailed the paralegal at the beginning of last week asking if I would be filed before Friday (the 15th). He said he realistically expected yes. I waited the rest of the week for word on whether I was filed or not, but heard nothing. Friday came and went, nothing. Emailed him this past Monday asking him whether or not his office filed in bunches, and if so, could I please have a date on when I'll be filed. He responded that day saying it wouldn't take that long and that he'll file my case the following day (Tuesday). Also sent an email to my lawyer asking what the holdup is. Nothing from the lawyer. I waited all day Tuesday for word from the paralegal, and nothing. Fed up, I emailed my lawyer and asked her if I was filed yet. The next day Wednesday), I get an email from the paralegal saying that he filed my case TUESDAY! Wtf! Why didn't he email me on Tuesday and tell me? Why'd he wait until the next day, when he knows I've been waiting anxiously to hear? Hell, I've been hounding the heck outta him for months now. Later in the day, I also heard from my lawyer telling me the same, that I was filed. Both gave me a case number too. Now, I just need to get the date for my 341. If the filing delays are any indication, I'll be doing this well into next year! Ugh.

[IamOld]

Great news jazzlady - if you want to be a PACER-holic you can watch your case "unfold" on PACER

[oregonpilot]

OK Iam.....now none of that. ROFL I understand that you want company in that pacer-holics group.
Get this....i was going to go on pacer the other day just to look at my closed case. NOW THAT IS BAD!!!!! hehehehe
So glad to read that you finally got filed jazz.

[jazzladyw]

I did a search on pacer. They charge you money every time you look at your case???