One of the main worries that individuals have when filing bankruptcy is the major costs that are associated with making a claim.
One of the main worries that individuals have when filing bankruptcy is the major costs that are associated with making a claim; the main one being bankruptcy attorney fees.
It is true that the service of a bankruptcy attorney can set you back at least $1,000 and many people do not have this sort of money when they are going bankrupt. Thankfully, there are other options for a cheap bankruptcy filing.
Regardless of which route you take to achieve a cheap bankruptcy filing there is always one fee that you will have to pay – the court filing fee which costs about $300. Other expenses such as administration fees and the credit counseling course may be waived depending on individual circumstances.
Here are your options are for a cheap bankruptcy filing:
• Cheap bankruptcy attorney – hard to find but they do exist. It can be difficult to find a low cost attorney who will do a good job. You may want to talk to a debt settlement lawyer first to explore your options.
• Law school – many law schools offer their services where a law student, overseen by a professional attorney can deal with your case free of charge or for a nominal fee in return for practical experience.
• Legal secretary – one who used to work for a bankruptcy attorney and has since set up business on his/her own. They can provide assistance for substantially less than a bankruptcy attorney.
• Bankruptcy preparation service – significantly cheaper than an attorney and they can help you with documentation and filling out the required forms.
• Bankruptcy software – can be purchased online or in local bookstores. Provides you with all the bankruptcy forms that you will need along with instructions on how to complete them.
• Self representation – people have gone down the route of representing themselves in court though it is not advisable for most. It is time consuming as you will have to research an awful lot of information on your own but it does allow you to have an active part in your own filing. However, if something goes wrong it will be to your detriment.
If all of the above seems a bit too much, then just one of your other options to consider is to use a debt consolidation service and see if they can help you work out arrangements with your creditors. The people you owe money to do not want to get stuck with zero money against your bill as is often the case when people go bankrupt.
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