Guess it's time to start interviewing attorneys....

[JEM]

I set up one appt for Thurs. I don't know why--I am stinkin' scared now.

Maybe because it seems so much more "real".

I was hoping to ask a few questions on the phone, do they not generally do that? I didn't get past the receptionist--who said they do free consultations, and gave me the list of what to bring.

2 yrs tax returns
6 months paystubs
ALL of our closing paperwork from the house??
Proof of Homeowners insurance
Vehicle loan paperwork and proof of insurance on all vehicles
current statements from CC's
A rough idea of monthly expenses (is this where they would get expenses for schedule J? So do I need to have this fine tuned, because it is what it is after I hand it in??)

When you leave the attorney's office...how do you leave it? Do you say "Well, I have other attorney's I need to talk to.." or what?

What do they do with all the info you gave them if you choose NOT to retain that attorney?

** Deep Breath **

[OHBOY]

Quote: "When you leave the attorney's office...how do you leave it? Do you say "Well, I have other attorney's I need to talk to.." or what? "


Love your sense of humor !

I had one attorney suggesting I leave a postdated check as retainer, another told me that $ 100 would retain him and asked if I wanted to pay that.
In both cases I just stated that I wanted to 'absorb' everything I had heard, and 'think' about it ....and,...I thanked them for any/all info.

[JEM]

Quote: "When you leave the attorney's office...how do you leave it? Do you say "Well, I have other attorney's I need to talk to.." or what? "


Love your sense of humor !

I had one attorney suggesting I leave a postdated check as retainer, another told me that $ 100 would retain him and asked if I wanted to pay that.
In both cases I just stated that I wanted to 'absorb' everything I had heard, and 'think' about it ....and,...I thanked them for any/all info.

Ok...that sounds good.

I have a very hard time with being pressured into things. I do not like car shopping, I don't like furniture shopping, I don't like feeling like I have to decide on something RIGHT THEN. So I wanted to be sure I knew what I was going to say right at the end of the appt.

Since my husband will be working and I will be going alone to this appt, I guess I can use the "well, I need to talk to my husband and we can make some decisions."

[ToughTimes]

Looks like a pretty standard list of "what to bring".

"I/we appreciate your time and candid sharing of information." seems to me a fine way to conclude a consultation. If the attorney asks for a commitment, I'd make a commitment to call him/her back on a specific date. You can call and change that date if you find you are unable to consult with as many attorneys as you feel you need to.

In our case, I did everything except signing the petition papers and the 341 meeting alone, so my "out" was always, "I appreciate your time and [insert service provided here]. I'll be happy to get back to you after I've had a chance to discuss this with my husband." Or, "I need to share this information with my husband before I can make a commitment to move any further along."

Attorneys will (or at least it seems reasonable to expect they will) tell you their fees and the actual filing costs during your consultation with them. Ours accepts cashier's checks or USPS money orders. It's not like you're going to have one of those in your pocket, so you don't need to feel like you should be able to pay even the one you DO want to hire at that very moment. Many people cannot pay their attorney until a month or so after they've stopped paying their debts. BK attorneys know this.

I felt much as you describe, but found our attorney to be kind and supportive. Attorneys in this specialty realize that people approaching them are often upset to find themselves in the circumstances that require them to be taking this path. They'd not do much business if they made a habit of shaming or humiliating potential clients!

[OHBOY]

Quote: "I guess I can use the "well, I need to talk to my husband and we can make some decisions."

Definately !

I actually love shopping with my wife..... as I always can tell the pushy salesmen that it's in THEIR best interest not to sign an agreement with my (loving) 'lunatic" (lol) wife.

I tell them the truth by stating that she is SURE in hell going to find 'something' wrong after 'thinking about it' ...and than she'll evoke the 72 hr recinding clause (or some other d^%$& thing she can come up with...) to get out of the deal... I have seen it...i.e.: already had to cancel a car contract.. take out the newly installed water softener.. (because the saleman failed to inform of the risk of increased sodium that she read about afterwards), ect. ect....

So, my suggestion to any salesman (or attorney) is always to: "....better let her sleep on it, before encouraging her to 'jump'....

[Flowers]

JEM:
I hope you can get a good idea if you feel comfortable with this esq.
I know you are nervous about going alone, and you have a good out, in that, you will want to talk with your husband.
Good thing to say, "what would the next step be" . . . and he will say . . "full payment of $xx for a Feb. 1 filing."

(try to get them to be as specific as possible. And make sure he is really looking and being strategic for you).

[JEM]

Our plan is to not file until Mar/April. Is it ok to tell them that upfront?


I called another attorney and made an appt for Wed. (So I have a Wed, and Thurs consult now)

The only thing I have to bring to THIS appt is a itemized list of our monthly expenses.

I did get a few questions answered on the phone. She asked what our income was, how many in the family, whether we were current on our house and car.

She did say that tax refunds are protected (within reason)....which I question because TX has no way to protect cash. ???

[JEM]

Ok, one more called me back. He answered a few questions over the phone and seemed very nice and patient. So, two pluses in his column...one for calling me back so quickly and another for having a nice phone rapport.

Made an appt for next Tues. with him.

So 3 consults set up.

After I attend all 3, we'll go from there. Meaning, either I'll have found one I like, or it'll be time to interview more.

[bkpain]

Make the most out your free consults. Make a list of a questions, scenarios and what if's? Jot down their answers to help you remember and see if all answer the same. I had 3 pages of questions and this really helped stop the hard sell tactic.

[JEM]

Make the most out your free consults. Make a list of a questions, scenarios and what if's? Jot down their answers to help you remember and see if all answer the same. I had 3 pages of questions and this really helped stop the hard sell tactic.

Oh yes, most definitely! I already have a list. It helps that I'm a list maker ANYWAY, in regards to EVERYTHING. And I have a small notebook to take notes at the consultations. Which will be even MORE important, because I'll have to give the low down to my husband since it will be just me going.

[Flowers]

I like the idea that the one wanted all the information. That means to me that he wants to be able to take a good view of your case.
But he might do a hard sell.
You should be okay, You have a good number of appointments and I will look forward to seeing your results.

[JEM]

Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. Ugh.

Gathering all the paperwork. I have a good portion of it already together. BUT, all the attorney's want paystubs from July thru Dec. Well, July thru Dec. puts us over the median income by ...drum roll....$931.

Hubby got a referral bonus in Sept for $1000 and we were dumb and sold off a few vacation days to "get by"...plus he's been training new hires, which comes with training pay.

I thought we'd skate in "just under". If we go with our original plan of filing on Apri 1st-ish, then all of that "extra" stuff would be off of the 6 month look back...but still.

It just makes me "anxious" being over "even now".

[Flowers]

You should also know how much money you have in the bank.
I was on fumes, and my lawyer listed $20.00 in my checking account.

[JEM]

You should also know how much money you have in the bank.
I was on fumes, and my lawyer listed $20.00 in my checking account.

You mean on the day we file? Or for the consultation days? We wont be filing for a few months, possibly until June now, depending on how things play out.

[jdcat]

Hey JEM I've found a good resource for finding attorneys with experience and maybe it's something you can do also. I've been going to my local bk courts website and looking through the courts calendar. The calendar will list the date and times of 341's as well as the attorney representing each case.

What I've discovered is that some of the attorneys I've considered calling for a consultation only show up about once a month in court so they don't seem to do bk's very often. One attorney that I had a phone consult with said she has been doing this for 12 years but her name did not show up at all on the calendar. So that was a red flag for me.

Other attorneys seem to show up way to much and after googling their names I discover they belong to bk mills. Two of the attorneys are from a mill that charges a lot more than what's typical for my area, and I've read complaints on line about very little client/attorney interaction with this mill.

I've found a few attorneys that have a number of cases per month that are neither to few nor to many. It makes sense to me that these attorneys will be the ones that not only have the experience I'd be more comfortable with but I'm also assuming they will be familiar with each of the trustees to a degree that the other attorneys won't be. And they don't have flashy websites or over the top adds in the yellow pages. They don't seem to be to concerned about bringing in clients by the droves. Which is a turn off for me personally.

Maybe go to your courts website and do some scouting around. Combined with some on line research you might find someone you might otherwise have not found at all. This has definitely helped me in my search.