Attorney choice / how to choose

[Viper1]

I have what I think would be a fairly easy BK. With pages and pages of BK attorneys where do I start? I asked some people about recommendations but it's not something I want to advertize. My only debt is unsecured CC and I have sold most of what I owned to keep up and avoid BK in the last couple of years. I have never ever missed or been late on any kind of payment in my life and I have a good score. The idea of BK is hard to even think about so I limit my time concidering it. I have about 3 or 4 months and I will run out of money and nothing left to sell.

[sophieanne]

Hi Viper,

I'm not the best one to give tips on selecting an attorney. I was lucky enough to meet a good one on my first visit. What I am going to say though,
is stop waiting. Don't wait until you're out of money and possessions. I think a number of us have been in your situation of not wanting to file but when we did it was the best thing we could've done and wished we had done it sooner. My filing was based totally on unsecured credit so I know where you're coming from.It truly was the best thing we did and now we're getting closer to the end of our plan.

Good luck and I know you'll get good advice about choosing an attorney from others on the site.

[LadyInTheRed]

Stop selling stuff! Each state has a list of what property you can exempt in BK. Your profile says you are in Ohio. You can read about Ohio exemptions at http://www.nolo.com/legal-encycloped...xemptions.html.

Even if you can't exempt all of your assets, the trustee may not want to bother taking your non-exempt assets if they aren't worth selling to generate cash to distribute to creditors. Also, if you end up filing Chap 13 instead of Chap 7, the trustee won't take any assets at all!

To find a lawyer, search the Ohio Bar Association website for bankruptcy attorneys. Find some that practice only bankruptcy and/or debtor/creditor law. Find their websites and see if you can determine who is most experienced. Make appointments for consultations with at least 3 experienced attorneys. Most give free consultations. Learn as much information you can at bankruptcy before the consultations and be ready with questions. Choose an attorney you are most comfortable with. If you get conflicting information from attorneys, post here and we can try to help figure out why. Keep meeting with attorneys until you find one you are comfortable with.

[Viper1]

I was selling in hopes that something would change but now I have nothing more to sell. My thought is if I have to do a BK and if I kept my payments current it would help build my credit after the BK. My payments has been equal to my yearly income for the last two years. I have been living off what I have sold.
I guess I am in a really bad spot. I am really glad I found this site. After a health problem in 2012 kept me from working and living on CC for a year I got buried in debt.

[Geeznowwhat]

Oh geez, I thought the same thing

I paid all my credit cards. I didn't owe anything to any bank. I had an 810 credit score before BK. I want you to know it does not make any difference.

The credit union I had such a good relationship with? Treats me like I am the worst deadbeat in the world now. My credit score crashed and landed at 550 (depending on which credit reporting you ask).

I was refused a prepaid card at my credit union. (At least they let me keep my checking account).

I have gotten a card from Capital One. It isn't much, but it is letting me rebuild my credit score.
I was offered on from Credit One, but after reading the reviews I decided to avoid them.

I paid all those credit cards....and it didn't make any difference....I am no better off today after the BK than I would have been to not pay all those months and keep the cash to pay for other things. In other words...you are treated just the same if you do or don't discharge CC debt. So do, if you are sure to go BK...do not pay. And for sure do not sell your stuff to pay...you will not be helping yourself.

[Viper1]

Thanks.