At your initial consultation, you will need to provide us with some basic information such as information on your debts (including your credit card debt, any lawsuits, foreclosures or repossessions, tax, student loans, or medical bills) and information about property you own (bank accounts, real estate, cars, insurance policies, retirement accounts, etc.). After reviewing this information with you, we can discuss your finances and concerns, and we will propose a recommendation for action.

If you decide to file for bankruptcy, we will then prepare the necessary bankruptcy documents from the information you provided, and we review it with you carefully ensure accuracy. 

After you sign the documents, your case is immediately filed with the Bankruptcy Court, and a trustee is appointed.  At this point your creditors must stop harassing you.  Any contact from them should be referred to your attorney.  Filing a Bankruptcy Petition also stops any lawsuits, foreclosures, garnishments and attachments.

Next, the Court sets a date for a creditors meeting, and notifies your creditors.  The creditors meeting takes place approximately one month after filing. This is usually a brief, informal hearing which we will attend with you.   The trustee will ask you questions regarding your assets, income and your outstanding debt.  We will prepare you for this meeting.  Relax, this very informal and the creditors usually do not attend.

In a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, your case will generally be discharged after approximately three months. You will receive a Notice of Discharge from the Court eliminating your debts. Under a Chapter 13 bankruptcy, the Court issues a discharge once you have made all your payments. After discharge, creditors are prohibited forever from collecting these discharged debts.