Bankruptcy is quite a serious matter and there is nothing worse for an individual or a corporation than having to file for bankruptcy. It can affect many people and ruin their careers and lives and render them completely helpless. The very word bankruptcy means a legal state of being unable to repay debts that one owes to the creditors. It is also sometimes referred to as insolvency. It can happen to both individual and organizations. Creditors will normally file a bankruptcy petition in an endeavor to recover a part of the money payable to them by the company or organization when bankruptcy happens to an organization. When it happens to an individual then they get buried in so much debt that they find it impossible to recover from it, and have no other option but to file for bankruptcy.
Therefore, whether it happens to an individual or an organization, it is absolutely necessary to seek the services of a bankruptcy lawyer who is well acquainted with bankruptcy law and will be able to shield you against the petition filed by the creditors. The bankruptcy lawyers are quite expensive and they will only render their services once you convince them that it is possible for you to bear their fees, and pay them on time. But since they are expensive and since your entire financial future depends on their expertise you should be careful as to whom you hire and follow some guidelines while looking for a good bankruptcy lawyer.
- The first step in hiring a bankruptcy lawyer is to look for an experienced lawyer who has the necessary expertise to handle any kind of bankruptcy. Remember that your future is in the hands of this individual who will represent you in the court of law. It is their knowledge and expertise which will determine how your case unfolds in the court and what is your chance of winning the case.
- It will be prudent to do some background research before you hire an expensive bankruptcy lawyer. Ask your colleagues, friends, neighbors, or any of your acquaintances who have gone through the same ordeal or knows someone who have required the services of a bankruptcy lawyer. Internet search can also throw back results about the lawyers in your location and their specialties. Yellow pages can also be a good source from where you can get hold of a lawyer. Any bankruptcy lawyer that is working in your area should be listed there and hence as per your requirements you can get the contact details of such a lawyer. Just look into the bankruptcy section and you will immediately give a list of all bankruptcy lawyers in your area.
- Once you have listed the lawyers in your area, it is time for some background checks on the list and then pick one from the list. Through the internet, it is easy to get information on the lawyers and their case histories, their success rate, and client feedbacks. You can also ask for a review on the lawyer you are interested in, by calling up the court and asking them for a review. You will also be able to check which bankruptcy lawyer has the majority number of winning cases. Also important is to find out which bankruptcy lawyer has the maximum experience of working in your area and the local court, because that will mean that the particular lawyer will have good rapport with the court officials. Hiring lawyer who has a winning streak but belongs to another state is a bad idea, because laws change from one state to another and a lawyer who is working in another state may not be successful in your state, as he won’t have enough information to fight your case.
- A consultation session is a must once you have shortlisted two or three lawyers. You can always cal up and request them to meet you for a consultation session. These sessions are usually free of the lawyers’ billing time. If a lawyer demands money for this session, it will be best to avoid that lawyer. This session will be the deal maker, and will certainly help you make that final decision regarding which lawyer is best suited to fight your case.
The current world is dominated by credit card users, and people fall into debts because it is difficult to keep a check on the spending for most people who enjoy the good life. But the result can be huge debts which have led to the increase in bankruptcy petitions which in turn has resulted in an increase in demand for bankruptcy lawyers. The above tips can be used as a guideline for finding the right lawyer as there are risks for a lay person without any knowledge of legal matters to bump into a money grabbing legal monster who is only interested in making a few extra bucks while offering poor legal services in return.
