If you live in the city of South bend, Indiana and are seriously considering or even possibly considering filing for personal bankruptcy then there are a number of things that you can do in preparation for a better financial future. Most South bend bankruptcy lawyers will offer up the same or similar advice for their clients. First, South bend bankruptcy lawyers are likely to suggest that their clients gather pertinent information in order to accurately assess the financial damage. The recommendation of a large number of South bend bankruptcy lawyers would be to request a recent copy of your credit report. The information that is presented on your credit report is very valuable when deciding whether or not bankruptcy is the best option for you. Your credit report will tell you how much you owe to each of your creditors. It will also let you know exactly how much you owe as well as how far behind you may be in your payments. The official information is important because it eliminates one having to estimate how much they owe and how far behind they are. It allows you to put things into perspective and accurately assess the financial damage. After evaluating your credit report, you may find that filing for bankruptcy is definitely the best thing for you. On the other hand though, after critiquing your credit report with your bankruptcy lawyer,, you may realize that the situation is not nearly as out of control as you initially thought, You may even be able to work out independent payment arrangements with your creditors and be able to avoid bankruptcy altogether. If there are any errors or inaccuracies, as far as the existence of or the amount of debt, then you can take the necessary action to initiate an investigation to have it corrected as soon as possible.