Hiring a bankruptcy lawyer: eight questions to ask

How to Find a Good Bankruptcy Attorney

So you’re drowning in debt and you need help. You know you need to hire a bankruptcy lawyer but which one to choose? How can you find a good attorney? The sheer number of choices can be overwhelming. Especially with the economy in a prolonged downturn, bankruptcy lawyers are popping up everywhere. What questions should you ask a bankruptcy attorney when you reach the consultation?

Eight Questions to Ask Your Bankruptcy Lawyer

Below are eight questions for your bankruptcy lawyer formulated by Orlando bankruptcy lawyer and Chapter 7 Trustee, Lori Patton. A good bankruptcy attorney will not be offended and will be happy to answer them:

1. How much of your practice has been devoted to bankruptcy since the new law hit in 2005? (the answer needs to be at least 50% or higher)

2. How many bankruptcies have you completed since the law changed in 2005?

3. Did you do bankruptcy before the law changed? If yes, how many years of experience?

4. Are you involved in any voluntary bankruptcy bar groups? (The answer to this really needs to be at least NACBA –National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys-)

5. Do the local bankruptcy judges know who you are? (you need a “yes” for this one)

6. Can you name all of the local Chapter 7 Trustees and do they all know who you are? (you need a “yes”)

7. Who is the local Chapter 13 Trustee and does he/she know who you are?

8. Who is the United States Trustee for this area and do they know who you are?

If the bankruptcy lawyer you are considering trusting with your major lifetime event cannot comfortably answer most of these questions to your satisfaction, it may be a sign to move on and find someone who can.

Other Resources

Bankruptcy is a complicated area of the law practiced primarily by attorneys who focus exclusively on bankruptcy law. For this reason, many bankruptcy attorneys are members of organizations such as the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys (NACBA) which help to promote causes that are important to the American consumer as well as the bankruptcy practitioner. The NACBA website is a good source for finding bankruptcy attorneys. Additionally, our site has an attorney directory which lists attorneys by state as well as by ZIP code.