When declaring bankruptcy, you need an experienced lawyer on your side. Find out how to choose the right Chapter 7 bankruptcy lawyer in this easy guide.
Bankruptcy is a difficult process for all parties involved, but is unfortunately common. In 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic’s beginning, there was a huge drop in bankruptcies. However, even in a year with fewer bankruptcies than usual, there were more than 544,000 bankruptcies!
As bad as bankruptcy is, it is even worse to go through bankruptcy without the competent counsel of a great Chapter 7 bankruptcy lawyer. However, not everybody knows how to find the best lawyers in the business.
So what exactly should you be looking for when you are picking the right Chapter 7 bankruptcy attorney for your unique situation? How can you recognize the right lawyer when you meet them?
Read on to learn the best ways to find the right Chapter 7 bankruptcy lawyer for you!
Find a True Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Attorney
Some lawyers go their whole careers without ever really settling down to specialize in a particular area of law. The reason is that if they work with clients with all kinds of different cases, they can increase their bottom line. Unfortunately, they cannot provide any of their clients with the level of expertise that comes with specializing in a single area of law.
When you are looking at attorneys, make sure that you pick an experienced bankruptcy attorney and not just an attorney who offers bankruptcy services alongside many other legal services. You should look at their advertising and website to make sure that they talk exclusively about bankruptcy and closely related services.
Just finding a bankruptcy lawyer is not enough. There are Chapter 11 bankruptcy lawyers and Chapter 13 bankruptcy lawyers. What you really need is a true Chapter 7 bankruptcy lawyer who will specialize in exactly what you are looking for.
When you speak with a prospective attorney, ask them about their area of specialty. It is best to do this before telling them what kind of bankruptcies you are interested in. That way, you will know that they are not just telling you what you want to hear.
Find a Bankruptcy Lawyer With the Right Kind of Experience
You might be able to find a long list of lawyers just by searching on Google for “bankruptcy lawyer near me,” but you are going to need to more research than that. Even finding a true Chapter 7 bankruptcy lawyer is not the end of the road. After all, you want the best Chapter 7 bankruptcy lawyer, not just any Chapter 7 bankruptcy lawyer.
As a result, you should also inquire about your prospective lawyer’s experience. In the case of bankruptcy, there is sometimes a big difference between the best bankruptcy lawyer and the best bankruptcy lawyer for your particular situation.
Even if a lawyer has 40 years of experience, if that experience is not working with cases like yours, then you might want to go with a different lawyer. A lawyer with 10 years of experience working exclusively with cases similar to your own, might know a lot more about how to help you.
The law is constantly changing, so people who work with bankruptcy cases regularly are the most likely to be up-to-date on the best strategies to help you navigate this difficult process.
The More Local Your Lawyer Is, the Better
There is similar reasoning behind the rule that says that you should find a bankruptcy lawyer who is hyper local. The closer your lawyer operates to you, the more likely they are to be familiar with any local idiosyncrasies in the law or the legal system. Even being familiar with the judges and attorneys in your area might help them give you an edge in your bankruptcy case.
Stay Away From Bankruptcy Mill Firms
Some firms like to focus on quantity rather than quality. They find as many people going through bankruptcy as possible and try to drive them through a cookie-cutter system. Unfortunately, this does not provide quality service.
You need individual attention. You need a lawyer who will understand your unique situation. Stay away from firms that focus on mass numbers of cases.
Spend Some Time Looking at Ratings and Reviews
You can almost certainly find ratings and reviews of lawyers in your area. Picking the lawyers with the top ratings can help you generate a shortlist of prospective attorneys. You should also read the reviews to help you gain a greater understanding of each lawyer.
Get a Sense of the Personal Connection
Even if a lawyer seems great on paper, you need to interact with them personally. That way, you can get a feel for how the two of you will be able to work together. If the personal connection is missing, that can have negatively affect the outcome of your case.
Find the Best Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Lawyer for Your Situation
To learn more about how to pick the best bankruptcy lawyer for you, or to find a great lawyer near you, get in touch with us at 402-415-2525 at any time!
