General Question about BK Attorney - Iffy vibes

[lillymarlene]

How did you guys find your attorneys? Is there a site specifically for BK attorneys? One with reviews?
It's not something I want to post on Facebook looking for referrals - and I'm in a small town area.

Thanks!

I tried everything I could think of :-) I tried the "free" lawyers that answer questions one day a week at my local courthouse, the yellow pages, and online searches. I met with one attorney who did a lot of newspaper advertising and another I picked from the phone book. I was not quite sure of either of these people, and one of them wouldn't leave me alone, called almost as much as my creditors.

If possible, I think it is good to try and get a referral from a lawyer who does not do bankruptcies. After calling a few more people from ads, I decided to call somebody my father had used years ago. This worked out well since he referred me to someone he said was the best in the area. I then had my third face to face free consult, I felt this attorney would be the best for my situation and hired him a week later.

[poorpoorpoor]

You guys are awesome! Thank you.

I cancelled the meeting with attorney # 1 because he just seemed to pushy and just rubbed me wrong.

I met with attorney # 2 yesterday afternoon. I really liked him and will probably go with him if # 3 does not work out. He was a bit more expensive. He also asked for copies of my husband's bank account statements for the last 6 months. I'm not on any of the accounts and I do not see why this is necessary. Husband does have money that he's been saving forever. We are still way below the means test - I'm unemployed and he doesn't make very much, but I'm afraid if they see the funds in his accounts, it may cause problems. Thoughts on this? None of the other attorneys I spoke to requested this - only tax information and last 6 months of pay stubs to calculate if we are under or over the Means limit.

I plan to meet with attorney # 3 next week - they are not asking for husband's bank accounts.

Hoping I can write a check to either # 2 or # 3 next week to get this filed by the 15th!!! :-)

[basketsbears]

Glad you are meeting with other attorneys. I really liked our attorney. She is in a small practice, and really watched out for us a lot. Go with your gut!

Lynn

[LadyInTheRed]

Hoping I can write a check to either # 2 or # 3 next week to get this filed by the 15th!!! :-)

Is there some reason you need to file quickly? If not, don't be surprised if you aren't filed by the 15th. Your attorney needs time to review all the information you provide and prepare the petition. He/she is doing work for other clients too. So, your petition will not be the first thing that gets done after you sign the retainer agreement and write a check. When the petition is ready, you will then need to review it and make sure everything is correct. Don't rush the process. That's how mistakes are made.

[lillymarlene]

I think it usually takes people at least a few months after they pay the retainer. I gave my attorney a check August 2010 and then my chapter 13 was filed late October 2010. I remember there was a ton of paperwork. I'm self employed, so it seemed like I was doing double the work, a personal set of creditors and a business set. I had to dig for some of my account balances, some had been passed on to collection agencies, and I had to figure out who was holding them. Then I had just closed my business location, and had to wait and provide six months worth of financial statements.

Everyone's situation is different, but you can see why the process of filing takes up so much time.