It’s tough enough dealing with debt problems without having to worry about who is going to represent you in your bankruptcy case. You know you need someone who understands the law and can protect you, your family and your assets from creditors.
Making an educated decision in retaining the right attorney to help your solve your financial problems will protect you from the day to day barrage creditor calls. Don’t underestimate the importance of your decision on retaining the right attorney to represent you in your bankruptcy case.
I’ve made it easy for you to find the right attorney by providing you just simple questions to ask any attorney BEFORE you retain them to help you through the bankruptcy process. All attorneys are not alike. Do not be lulled into thinking that just ANY attorney can help you solve your debt problems. In many cases, the simple truth is that the more experienced attorney will do a better job, which means getting you the most benefit from filing and avoiding the mistakes that someone less experienced is bound to make.
Here is my very simple process. All you have to do is ask any attorney the following three questions before you hire them to file bankruptcy for you. Here they are:
- Do you practice bankruptcy law full time?
You want a full-time lawyer, who spends all his time getting better at representing people in bankruptcy. You want a lawyer who knows the Bankruptcy Code and the local rules....inside and out, who has a good, established working relationship with the local Trustee and knows his or her preferences, who has a good reputation before the local Bankruptcy Judge, who knows which way the local Bankruptcy Judge tends to lean on certain key issues, and who enjoys the respect of the local creditor lawyers.
What you don't want is the lawyer jack-of-all-trades....who does a little of everything...including bankruptcy. Think about it. He or she may be great at handling a divorce proceeding, a real estate closing, drafting a will or and taking care of a speeding ticket...but the fact is....if a lawyer does anything other than help people handle their debts..... he or she is obviously not spending all his or her time learning and staying sharp on bankruptcy law. There is a reason that lawyers limit their law practices to one area of law or another....and you want the lawyer that does nothing but help people who owe more than they can afford to pay.
What about the Law Offices of Steven P. Taylor?
The answer is "Yes".
In fact....both of our Indianapolis and Kokomo bankruptcy lawyers do nothing but bankruptcy law..
- How many years have you practiced bankruptcy law full time?
Lots of lawyers advertise years and years of experience. But the question should be "How many of those years did you spend doing nothing but bankruptcy law?" Generally....the more years....the better. For example, full time for several years is better than full time for a month or even a year.
What about the Law Office of Steven P. Taylor, P.C.? Steven Taylor has actively practiced consumer bankruptcy law full time since 1996. Each of our bankruptcy attorneys has at least 10 years of active bankruptcy practice
- How many clients have YOU helped with their debts?
You want the best lawyer available. In most cases....the more cases a lawyer has filed....the more experience the lawyer brings to the table.....and the more expertise the lawyer brings to the table....the better the result, benefit and protection you and your family will get. However, you may not want the biggest bankruptcy law firm because you might just get the feeling that you’re just a number. Also, just because the law firm has handled many cases, what about the lawyer assigned to your case? How many clients has he or she helped through the bankruptcy process.
Our Indianapolis and Kokomo bankruptcy attorneys are among their markets top filers of bankruptcy cases. Consequently, our bankruptcy attorneys have the expertise and experience to use that expertise properly for you.
- How many Chapter 13 bankruptcies have you filed?
This is a very telling question. Lots of lawyers file a few Chapter 7 cases. Some even practice bankruptcy full-time......but only do Chapter 7 cases. In most cases.....Chapter 7 is much easier and less complicated than Chapter 13. In my experience.....the best, most experienced lawyers handle lots of both Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 cases. Who would be a better person to advise you of all aspects of how bankruptcy may help you? Someone who handles both types of cases or only one type of case? Over 50% of all cases filed through our Kokomo and Indianapolis offices are Chapter 13 cases (national average 30%) and we pride ourselves on getting your case through from start to finish.
- How do you stay current with developments in bankruptcy law?
There’s no way to stay in tune with developments in bankruptcy law if you don’t read recent rulings and attend bankruptcy law seminars. In addition to staying up to date with changes in the law, is the attorney a member of the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys? NACBA is the one national association for consumer bankruptcy attorneys. Not all good bankruptcy attorneys are a member, but membership in this organization is generally a good indication of a strong commitment to providing the very best in bankruptcy services to the public.
Ok, lets quickly review the questions you must ask an attorney before your retain him or her to represent you in a bankruptcy case.
- Do you practice bankruptcy law full time?
- How many years have you practiced bankruptcy law full time?
- How many clients have YOU helped with their debts?
- How many Chapter 13 bankruptcies have you filed?
- How do you stay current with developments in bankruptcy law?
If you are currently struggling with your debts and you need immediate help… .Call the Law Office of Steven P. Taylor, P.C.
