Find a Bankruptcy Lawyer

When business fails, the business owners usually find themselves in a dilemma because questions like “What will I do with these stocks?”, “How will I dispose of them?”, “How will I pay my creditors?”, “What’s going to happen to me now?”, “How do I tell my employees that I won’t be able to pay them anymore?” are just some of the questions that keep most businessmen awake at night. Some business owners would escape these problems by fleeing to other states or countries. Some would merge with bigger companies while others would go to the extent of taking their own life. The honourable ones would file for bankruptcy.

Bankruptcy is basically a legal way of getting assistance from the government in liquidating a business owner’s assets to be able to settle debts, get reorganized, and make an unconditional fresh start. However, as simple as it may seem, the Bankruptcy Law has a lot of twists and turns. It has so many legalities, so many rules and regulations that one non-conformity may result to the disqualification of the business owner from filing. And since this is a law, the best way to get assurance that a business owner would qualify is by hiring a bankruptcy lawyer but the question there is “Will any lawyer do?”  Friends or family members may refer lawyers they know but this does not necessarily mean that the lawyer will be reliable unless the person that referred the lawyer went through this ordeal themselves.

A bankruptcy lawyer must have credibility. Credibility is determined by years of experience, how often the lawyer is involved in cases like this, if they have continuous training, and how good they are in understanding their client’s needs.

 Here are some tips in finding a qualified and credible bankruptcy lawyer:

1. Search on-line for bankruptcy law firms. The company must have affiliations with reputable associations such as the American Bankruptcy Institute.

2. Write down the names and telephone numbers of the prospective lawyer. Call each one for interview. Make sure that they can answer all your questions confidently but most of all make sure to select the one’s that does not charge anything for consultation on their first visit. Ask them about their personal background and their history regarding bankruptcy cases, and their success rate for that matter. Do not forget to ask how much they charge, or if they have payment plans, and the type of bankruptcy case that you need to file. This will be a great factor to determine if you should file.

3. Make a list of questions you would like to ask before visiting all the prospective lawyers. Once there, look around the lawyer’s office for this will give you an impression if the lawyer is organized. Note how he dresses up because this determines his preparedness to help you. Write down the lawyer’s answers to your questions and make follow-up questions if or when necessary. Listen carefully on how clearly he provides answers to your questions, and make sure that all your questions are confidently answered. Do not forget to ask about financial stuff like their service charges and other fees that they may charge you, and possible payment schemes.

4. Review all the responses provided by the prospective lawyers you visited. Eliminate the ones you cannot afford. Compare the reliability of the ones you can afford based on the answers they provided and how they answered them.

5. Call the law firm you chose and make sure that the lawyer you interviewed is the one they will send to represent you in your bankruptcy case.

The lawyer you will choose must not only be professional but must also have the skill to understand your needs and concerns in a personal way- that’s how to find a bankruptcy lawyer.