How much does it cost to file for Bankruptcy?
You should be very careful in choosing the correct lawyer because the consequences can be devastating if your case is not properly handled. During your search to find the right bankruptcy lawyer, please keep in mind the following items:
- Be wary of non-lawyer paralegals and high volume/low fee bankruptcy attorneys that make claims like “lowest fees”, “20,000 cases filed”, or “pay only a low fixed fee”.
- Paralegals and non-attorney Petition preparers are not allowed or qualified to give you bankruptcy advice, but are only allowed to fill out your bankruptcy documents. Once they have prepared the documents, you are on your own! You must deal directly with the Bankruptcy Trustee or Department of Justice on your own! If there is a problem with your case, you have little, if any, recourse since these paralegals are not allowed to obtain malpractice insurance.
- Similarly, “high volume/low-fee” bankruptcy businesses are almost as dangerous because they may not closely review your case for problems that may cost you valuable assets or, even worse, that may result in your bankruptcy being denied a discharge.
- The main risk with low-fee attorneys is that they charge such small amounts that they cannot afford to take the time to properly interview you or properly analyze your case.
- Our rates are competitive with other attorneys whom practice bankruptcy law exclusively.
- Our fees are determined on a case-by-case basis and are based on the complexity of your case. We also disclose how much we have been paid on your petition so that the world is on notice as to how much we have charged for your case.
- For a chapter 7 or 13 case, we require an initial retainer of $500 to pull your credit report and carefully review all aspects of your case. Typically, for a Chapter 13 case, the balance of your case is financed into your case, meaning that the only other amounts you will pay will be paid to the Bankruptcy Trustee in monthly installments, according to your Chapter 13 plan. For a Chapter 7 case, we accept payment plans and gather all of the necessary paperwork to complete your petition before your case is filed. A chapter 7 case usually runs from $1,500 to $2,500, depending on the complexity of your case.
- Other fees in your case include the court-filing fee, which is $299 for a Chapter 7, or $274 for a chapter 13.
- Our office can usually process your case in a week or two.
- Once you have retained my office, any harassing phone calls should stop and you will be on your way to a fresh start.