Why should you hire bankruptcy attorney

Why should you hire bankruptcy attorney instead of paralegal for Bankruptcy case

As more and more people are forced to file for bankruptcy in the United States, the popularity of paralegals, also commonly referred to as “typing services” or “petition preparers” has increased as well. However, it’s important to be aware that paralegals are only capable of drawing up bankruptcy forms, and cannot act in a court of law and cannot legally provide advice regarding your bankruptcy case.

Before making any firm decisions regarding your bankruptcy case, it’s vital that you know who can help, and what they can do to help. Don’t get trapped having your papers drawn up by a paralegal only to later find out that they won’t be representing your case in court.

Paralegals CANNOT offer Legal Advice

To clear up any confusion, let’s just start with the facts. Filing your bankruptcy documents does not in any way mean that your bankruptcy claim has been filed, rather, it’s just the beginning. You’ll be required to attend hears, answer questions regarding your assets, additional claims to be filed and the possibility of motions or objections in court to be answered. A paralegal can do none of these things for you. If you’ve already filed your bankruptcy claim without the assistance of a lawyer and feel that a portion of the file was filled our incorrectly, assets that you want to keep, like your home, car and furniture may be put at risk.

Unfortunately, lots of people that are in need of filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy still don’t seem to care that a paralegal cannot give them legal advice and continue to urge the paralegal typing up their casework to guide them through their case. They seem to think that paralegals know as much about Bankruptcy Law as attorneys, but just don’t charge as much. This is highly illegal and falls under a practice called Unauthorized Practice of Law. (UPL)

Questions You’ll Need an Attorney to Answer

Let’s check out a list of several questions that you’ll want an experienced Bankruptcy Lawyer to answer in regards to your case.

– Should you be filing a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 Bankruptcy action?

• What forms do I need to fill out?
• What else do I need to turn in with my paperwork?
• Can I keep my ___________? (car, house, jewelry, inheritance, etc…)
• Can filing for bankruptcy stop a ____________? (foreclosure, garnishment, repossession, etc…)
• My debts are almost all from my business. Should my LLC file bankruptcy or should I?
• I filed for bankruptcy three years ago, can I file again now?
• I had a very high income, but was recently laid off. Do I qualify to file for a Chapter 7 bankruptcy?

If any of these simple questions look like something that you’ll need to the answer to, you’ll be in need of an experienced Los Angeles Bankruptcy Attorney. Legally, a paralegal is required NOT to give answers or advice regarding any of these questions.

Contact Us Today

If you or one of your loved ones are currently considering filing for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, don’t wait, contact the offices of KE Law today. We look forward to getting you back on your feet as quickly as possible. Contact us at 323.426.8300.

Bankruptcy Attorney Los Angeles

As unemployment rates continue to climb, and many family’s struggle with financial difficulties, filing for bankruptcy looks like a more viable option all the time. However, it’s important to know that not only will filing for bankruptcy seriously damage your credit, it can also affect your ability to make future purchases. If you’ve recently considered filing for bankruptcy, here are a couple of tips to avoid it.

1. Consolidate Debts

Having trouble keeping track of which credit card needs to be paid when? Try contacting your creditors to have them move due dates to the same day. This can help prevent future late fees that only add to existing debt.

2. Ask you Creditors for Help

At this point you may begin to feel that creditors are the enemy, but the truth is that they may be able to work with you and may also be the only people that can help. Negotiate with your creditors to see if the lenders will lower your interest rate in order to work out a new payment plan.

3. Inform Creditors that You’re falling Behind

Make sure to call your lenders and creditors before your first late payment. If you’ve come to the realization that you’ve only been making minimum payments and are still getting behind, let your creditors know. They may work with you and forgive a late payment without penalty or even extend the deadline for you.

4. Refinance!

One alternative to high interest credit card debt is to refinance your home to receive cash. Mortgage is a secured debt, which has a much lower interest rate than most credit cards, by refinancing you can apply secured debt at a low interest rate to pay the high interest unsecured debt that you’ve accumulated.

5. Live Within Your Means

This might seem like an obvious tip, but the most important step that you can take in maintaining a healthy financial life is to live within your means. Spend less than you earn. Though this may seem like a very difficult lifestyle change, adhering to a sustainable lifestyle is really the most realistic option.

6. Build an Emergency Fund

An adequate emergency fund should be able to cover about 4-6 months of take home salary. This way, if you were to lose your job, or emergency were to strike, the savings will help cushion the blow from your recent loss of income.

If you or one of your loved ones are considering filing for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy don’t hesitate and contact our offices today. We can help you make the choices that will get you back on your feet as soon as possible. Contact us at 323.426.8300.