subject: Can I File Bankruptcy By Myself [print this page] Can I File Bankruptcy By Myself Can I File Bankruptcy By Myself
If anyone tells you that you have to file bankruptcy with a lawyer, this person is wrong. If you choose to file bankruptcy yourself, you will have to prepare all the necessary forms, along with all the supporting evidence. At the trustee's meeting, also known as the 341 meeting, you will have to represent yourself in front of the trustee, with possible representation by the creditors. The trustee will be reviewing your case and make sure that the finances that you have stated are accurately represented. Any legal proceeding is filled with legal jargons and you should become familiar with it, and bankruptcy process is no different. Most of the time all correspondence will be conducted via postal mail, so you will need to be comfortable reading and writing legal documents.
I believe the single most crucial step in the bankruptcy process is to make sure that you adhere to filing the bankruptcy documents correctly. If you failed to file a specific document, or failed to submit one paperwork, you can lose the right to file another bankruptcy case for yourself or lose protection from the creditors in another case. But the single most crucial protection after you have filed for bankruptcy: benefit of automatic stay can be revoked. Automatic stay is the legal stature that gives you freedom from the harassment of the creditors for debt repayment until the end of your bankruptcy case.
bankruptcy will have financial and legal implications to your personal life after the entire complex process is completed. Bankruptcy should not be taken lightly, therefore we advocate wholeheartedly that you hire a bankruptcy lawyer to help you through the entire process. Take advantage of lawyers who have free initial consultation to evaluate if your case requires a bankruptcy relief. Generally speaking the entire bankruptcy process costs between $2,000 to $4,000. If you cannot pay for it, you should consider free legal assistance that are available to you. Please check the Legal Services Corporation, American Bar Association Legal Help page, or the website of the bankruptcy court where you will be filing your bankruptcy petition. These sites generally contain some free legal counsels who might be willing to take case. Do not ever use cash advance from the credit card to pay for the fees associated with the bankruptcy filing. These lawyers will then submit these credit card charges as part of the unsecured debt that the filers are looking to eliminate. Even if you didn't mean to do it, you are committing bankruptcy fraud, which is a crime punishable with fines and jail time.
Afterall, I do not think you should file bankruptcy by yourself. If you still want to file bankruptcy by yourself, you can check out nolo.com, which has some DIY guides that you can follow.
If you do not know where to find a qualified bankruptcy lawyer, you can visit tofilebankruptcyornot.com. Remember all initial consultation with the bankruptcy lawyer is free.
