Woo-Hoo! Just spoke to BK attorney who is also a Trustee!

[octoblonde]

I called his office to make an appt. for a consult and he answered the phone HIMSELF. He was super friendly and scheduled me for an appt. Friday. I asked a few questions over the phone and he answered them and also said that he could tell I had done my homework. He called me savvy and jokingly asked if I wanted a job, lol. I told him about how great this forum is.

He told me that for a jointly owned house, I only need to protect half of the equity and that indeed, ANY SSDI funds are exempt, even back pay. He also said that I was correct in thinking that NO WAY should I ever file a Ch.13.

This phone call made my day! I cannot wait to meet this guy.

Anyone on the fence about what BK attorney to call, I say you can't go wrong running your case by a trustee who also has a private practice. They will most likely be able to give solid answers about what flies in your district.

[discombob1]

Great! Let us know how the consultation goes... sounds like you have a great option for an attorney!

[panda]

You did good, congratulations. He sounds like he knows his stuff and that is what you need, someone confident with what they say in the areas of concern.

[octoblonde]

Thanks, Discombob & Panda. He sounds like he's on top of things and sure of himself, which is exactly what I need. I will post how things go with the consultation on Friday.

[AngelinaCat]

Congratulations!!! I cannot tell how pleased I am to read your posts. That is great!

[BrokeinMD]

For me the hardest part was going to the initial consult and admitting how bad I screwed things up for myself. You're past that hurdle. The rest is a piece of cake! Good for you! Please keep us posted!

[octoblonde]

Thank you, Angelina & BrokeinMD. I'm keeping my fingers crossed and will post an update on Friday.

[angles]

Anyone on the fence about what BK attorney to call, I say you can't go wrong running your case by a trustee who also has a private practice. They will most likely be able to give solid answers about what flies in your district.

What you found is a great attorney. Congratulations!

I have do disagree with your statement though. In my experience we were the driving force in asking the right questions and pushing the attorney to do what he needed to do. Yes, our guy is a Trustee.

[octoblonde]

Angles,

Thank you. What I meant is that this attorney seemed very decisive and "in the know" as opposed to two other offices I consulted with. The first guy seemed very unsure about the house, about how to value the vehicle, etc. He even mentioned a Ch.13 even though I'm on SSDI and am below the median for my state. The second office, the lady gave me very wrong information. It was refreshing to speak to someone who could tell me the answers to my questions 1,2,3. There was no, "Well, hmm...maybe, I don't know." I can't let my case be messed up by someone who doesn't know what they're doing. Of course, it is ME who knows what I need to exempt, knows what the main issues in my case are, etc. If I were clueless, then maybe I'd have a problem because I wouldn't even know enough to disclose everything or bring up certain things to my attorney.

[tada]

We went with an attorney who was also a trustee. He knew what he was doing, and he knew what to expect. Made the filing easy. He also knew the trustee for our case.

[JJCA]

How do you find an attorney that is also a trustee?

Thanks...

[holycowe]

How do you find an attorney that is also a trustee?

Thanks...

+1 please!

[tobee43]

What you found is a great attorney. Congratulations!

I have do disagree with your statement though. In my experience we were the driving force in asking the right questions and pushing the attorney to do what he needed to do. Yes, our guy is a Trustee.

i think you are correct, anyone actually, could have an excellent atty, but i believe YOU are still the BEST avocate for yourself. we had an absolute excellent atty, not a trustee, however, the firm was very close to the trustee and i know it helped because the firm knew what was expected from the courts and didn't make any mistakes!

however, we still had to be in the "drivers" seat.

[tada]

Most attorneys give free consultations where you can ask if they are a trustee. You can also ask by just calling their office and speaking with them or their assistant. Sometimes they have a website that identifies the fact. Being a trustee is not a huge money maker. It really enhances their "street cred". They are paid out if part if the settlement they receive for the creditors. No asset cases make them no real money. But they can see the case and know what a trustee will require. They maintain attorney-client privelege and cannot release your information privately to another trustee. Even if you go with another attorney after dealing with them, they cannot judge your case based on information that you revealed to them.

[daylate]

+1 please!

I think you can get that information from your local court.

And octoblonde-congrats on getting a good one-I struggled with choosing one and finally picked a wrong one from a list of many wrong ones. Thank god for this forum.