Question do you know any good attorney, that is a nice human being also?

[seamoonil]

I live in Tacoma WA 98466

I have never met a attorney before in my life; what to expect?

[AngelinaCat]

Anyone having a recommendation, please advise the poster via PM.

Thanks

[DeadManCrawling]

I know a few very nice attorneys. One frequents this board, MSBKLawyer.

I have friends and acquaintances who are very nice attorneys.

You do NOT necessarily want a nice attorney.

You want an attorney who is nice to YOU, and an absolute tiger FOR you when he or she should be.

That said, if you meet an attorney who treats you unkindly and YOU are considering hiring THEM, head for the door. YOU are the boss.

Now, there is a difference between being courteous to you and giving you all the answers you want to hear.

If the attorney is kind AND tells you the truth you do not want to hear, you have a winner.

Good luck

[AngelinaCat]

Very GOOD reply, DMC

[seamoonil]

any attorney in Tacoma WA

that I can trust?

[DeadManCrawling]

No one can POST any recommendations on the board.

People can suggest via private message, but that is probably unlikely, since people come and go here with pretty quick speed.

Your best bet is to ask among friends if you can. If not, make a few appointments with attorneys who work a lot of BK cases in your area and interview them. Most initial consults should be free. If they are not, I would find someone else. General wisdom here is to interview at least three and then decide.

I would seriously use my above post as a guide, but make sure YOU are comfortable, above all else.

[flyinbroke]

Your best bet is to ask among friends if you can. If not, make a few appointments with attorneys who work a lot of BK cases in your area and interview them. Most initial consults should be free. If they are not, I would find someone else. General wisdom here is to interview at least three and then decide.

This. You will know him or her when you find them. "Try on" several lawyers. You may not like what you hear, but if a lawyer is willing to go to the mat for you and get you the best BK for your situation you have a winner.

[ryan]

Also on the forum is a lawyer from Nevada who is very helpful and defends debtors regularly. (BKDefender)

There are plenty of decent, honorable lawyers everywhere. You just have to do some interviewing.

[BKDefender]

I'm a bit biased because I'm also a member, but if you're looking for a bankruptcy attorney who practices primarily, if not exclusively, in consumer bankruptcy go to www.nacba.org (National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys.) You can search on the top right side for an attorney near your address.

--William

[OhioFiler]

You're looking for an attorney who happens to also be a nice human being? Boy, that's a tough one.

Honestly, I find the underlying assumption a bit off putting. There is no lesser ratio of nice human beings practicing law than there are nice human beings practicing sandwich making at sub shops. The fallacy that attorneys are calculating evil doers is simply not the truth.

John Edwards is the exception, not the rule.

[MSbklawyer]

There is no lesser ratio of nice human beings practicing law than there are nice human beings practicing sandwich making at sub shops. The fallacy that attorneys are calculating evil doers is simply not the truth.

The practice of law, especially litigation, rewards some level of 'pushiness' and 'forwardness'. It also has disincentives for shyness, and a desire to be liked by everybody or a need to "go along and get along". It also requires an emotionless, steel-cold evaluation of facts and law. It's hard to get yourself out of that frame of mind once you're in it, and that is in large part why non-lawyers see lawyers as aloof or 'non-human'. My wife (and even my kids now ) call it "lawyer mode" and I am expected to shed it at the door along with my "lawyer shoes".

You know you're bringing your work home too much when you hear your 9 year old tell his mother that "the facts don't support that argument" when she's explaining to him why he has to have a bed-time on school nights.

[OhioFiler]

The practice of law, especially litigation, rewards some level of 'pushiness' and 'forwardness'. It also has disincentives for shyness, and a desire to be liked by everybody or a need to "go along and get along". It also requires an emotionless, steel-cold evaluation of facts and law. It's hard to get yourself out of that frame of mind once you're in it, and that is in large part why non-lawyers see lawyers as aloof or 'non-human'. My wife (and even my kids now ) call it "lawyer mode" and I am expected to shed it at the door along with my "lawyer shoes".

Your professional decorum is certainly no reflection on whether you're a nice person or not. My profession calls for me to be "nice". It's when I get home and take my shoes off I get to be a bit of an emotionless prick!

[viking64]

I have several attorneys as friends who are quite nice, and I can only think of one I would go to professionally because of that!

My BK attorney was professional, courteous, efficient, and successful. She wasn't interested in conversation, but in getting to the facts and proposing options. We did have 3 minutes of personal conversation after the consult, which was nice and put me further at ease. I went in needing a little hand-holding, which she wasn't there to give. However, the non-emotional and factual way she led the consult was exactly what I needed to know so that I could get through this without shame or loss of dignity. It's only money . . .

The first 4 qualities were what I needed in an attorney, and the personal conversation was a bonus.

[MSbklawyer]

I went in needing a little hand-holding, which she wasn't there to give. However, the non-emotional and factual way she led the consult was exactly what I needed to know so that I could get through this without shame or loss of dignity. It's only money . . .

The first 4 qualities were what I needed in an attorney, and the personal conversation was a bonus.

I get a lot of quizical looks from clients when I try to politely shut down their tendency to go on literally for hours explaining to me in minute detail all the unfortunate circumstances that brought them to bankruptcy and assure me over and over and over again that they wouldn't be doing this except that there is no other way and how they've always paid their bills . . . . and so on. I'm sure it seems a bit uncaring but I don't really need to know everything about the entire disease process that caused them to incur all these hospital bills -- or whatever it happens to be.

I'm glad you said this, Viking64 because I've wondered how I must come across. But if I just let them talk I would get nothing else done.

[viking64]

I get a lot of quizical looks from clients when I try to politely shut down their tendency to go on literally for hours explaining to me in minute detail all the unfortunate circumstances that brought them to bankruptcy and assure me over and over and over again that they wouldn't be doing this except that there is no other way and how they've always paid their bills . . . . and so on. I'm sure it seems a bit uncaring but I don't really need to know everything about the entire disease process that caused them to incur all these hospital bills -- or whatever it happens to be.

I'm glad you said this, Viking64 because I've wondered how I must come across. But if I just let them talk I would get nothing else done.

I was amused at my 341 when the Trustee had to shut down a debtor trying to explain her life story to answer a question clarifying the appraised value of a home. He actually said, "You don't want to give me more information than I asked for. The only answer I need is what is the appraised value." It took two more tries before she understood!

I'm in a profession where I have to, and want to, listen to the whole story and deal with emotions, etc. It was very refreshing to just discuss facts. It also helped me to realize that an hour of therapy would be much cheaper than an hour of legal services, but that legal services were what I needed to get out of this mess I got myself into.