How to Choose a Bankruptcy Attorney

When one is faced with overwhelming debt and is considering the possibility of bankruptcy, another big decision must be decided: How to Choose a Bankruptcy Attorney? The most important thing to consider in this decision is experience. Nothing will put you at more ease in knowing that everything is going according to plan than the experience of the attorney that you have chosen. You can always find an attorney that will file your bankruptcy for peanuts, but then you are often in the situation you would be in if you filed the case yourself. In this scenario both you and your inexperienced lawyer are learning the law as you go and you are feeling the same butterflies and consternation as the lawyer that is being chastised for mistakes that were made in the case. Believe me, I understand that since you are filing a bankruptcy you don’t have much money, but if there is anyway you can come up with the extra few hundred dollars or so it would take to get you an experienced attorney that knows what they are doing, believe me you will get much more sleep during the process and you can’t put a price on the ease you will feel during the process. It is important to keep in mind that it is not just experience in years or age, but experience in expertise. You may find an old, wise attorney, that files bankruptcy cases along with handling divorce, wills, criminal cases, and personal injury cases, but it is the attorney specializing in bankruptcy law that will give you the overwhelming experience that your piece of mind will enjoy and benefit from. Compatibility is another key component to finding the perfect attorney to represent you in this often-overwhelming experience. Talk to the attorney and make sure this is somebody that you will be able to work with. If you meet with someone and they are trying to get you out the door, immediately sign the contract, or even worse belittle you for incurring the debt in the first place, then you need to leave. You need someone that does understand that you were allowed to incur this debt and likewise you are allowed to file bankruptcy. You need someone that has the ability to listen because if your attorney isn’t listening to you properly then things will get missed in your case. Also consider the staff of the attorney you are going to be working with. In many law offices, the staff will become your main point of contact throughout much of the process. Maybe the attorney is nice, but what if the staff is quite the opposite and you find yourself unable to communicate with them, at least in a way that satisfies your wants and needs? This is where it is important to keep an ear and eye open throughout your visit to ensure that you feel comfortable working through this process. Finally, check with the Colorado Supreme Court to see if the attorney has had any complaints filed against them. You can contact the Colorado Supreme Court to ensure the attorney you are considering working with is still licensed and whether any complaints have been filed against them. It’s your dollar, it’s your life, and it’s really important that you go into the process feeling good about it from start to finish. Take your time and make sure you have chosen an attorney that you would recommend to your friends. If you wouldn’t recommend the attorney to a friend you certainly wouldn’t hire the attorney for yourself.