Why Pay a Bankruptcy Lawyer to Do My Paperwork?

There are a few options for people who are thinking about filing bankruptcy with regards to getting help with the paperwork and the process. The three most likely options are to hire an attorney, use a petition preparation service, or file "pro se".

First things first. If you are filing for bankruptcy you likely do not have a lot of cash available, and hiring a lawyer is expensive.

A lawyer will typically charge somewhere between $1,200 and $2,000 for a simple chapter 7 bankruptcy case. It will be even more, probably between $3,000 and $5,000 for a more complicated chapter 13 case.

The other options are much less costly. A petition preparation service will put together all the necessary paperwork for around $300. So why do most people hire a lawyer? Well, lawyers are the only ones that can help you with important decisions along the way, beginning with the most important: Should you file bankruptcy?

An attorney can help you protect any property that may be in jeopardy in a bankruptcy case, ensure you get the maximum amount of debt discharged, and generally ensure that you get the most out of your bankruptcy case.

You Can Do It on Your Own
That being said, many people can handle a simple bankruptcy case on their own. There are many useful resources online that can help you understand the intricacies of a bankruptcy case. I personally helped produce what I think is one of the best starting places for bankruptcy information online. This Guide to Bankruptcy was produced to help regular people understand what bankruptcy is, how it works, what it can do, and what to expect in the process. Even so, I still think there is nothing online that compares to the comprehensive information provided by Nolo's collection of bankruptcy books.

If you really want to file for bankruptcy without a lawyer, pick up one of Nolo's books and give yourself a few days to read it and really understand what is involved.

If you do your research and prepare your petition and other paperwork carefully, you can successfully complete a bankruptcy on your own. If you find that the process is more complicated than you feel comfortable with, talk to a few bankruptcy lawyers and see if you can determine if that is the better route for you.