As you probably know, there are a variety of non-legal websites offering ways to file bankruptcy on your own. Unless you are a bankruptcy lawyer, using these websites is probably a bad idea. Because bankruptcy law is extraordinarily complex, hiring a lawyer to handle your chapter 7 bankruptcy in Pennsylvania is smart. Similarly, if you plan to reorganize your debts, you likely want the assistance of a skilled chapter 13 bankruptcy attorney. Either way, here are some reasons you probably shouldn’t handle your bankruptcy filing yourself.
Complicated Filings
If you plan to seek bankruptcy protection, you aren’t merely filing a few forms. Instead, you are embarking on a legal proceeding that has some consequences. The legal filings associated with bankruptcy are very complicated. Simply put, most people do not have the legal expertise to represent themselves in a bankruptcy case. The attorneys at The Law Offices of David M. Offen, however, do. Instead of risking missed deadlines or otherwise not complying with bankruptcy law, you should consider putting the skills and experience of actual bankruptcy attorneys to work for you.
Other Options
As you probably know, filing for chapter 7 bankruptcy in Pennsylvania has some financial consequences that can stick with you for some time. Also, you can’t discharge all types of debt with a chapter 7 filing. As such, you probably want to know what other options you have before you seek bankruptcy protection. If you use a do-it-yourself website, you won’t have the legal counsel you need to take advantage of alternative programs. You also might file for chapter 7 when in fact you should have instead filed chapter 13 protection. Before you file your bankruptcy case on your own, ask an experienced attorney which options are best for you. You will feel relieved to know you are making the right choice of which bankruptcy to file after receiving competent legal counsel.
Obstacles
Virtually no bankruptcy filing is free from obstacles if it is not done perfectly. In most cases, if everything is not done properly things get complicated right after the initial filing. For that reason, bankruptcy lawyers often advise their clients and take steps to help avoid the unexpected. If you hire an experienced lawyer you can avoid many obstacles that arise during your bankruptcy case by dealing with any issues before you file. Proper planning can help bring excellent results. On the other hand, if you don’t take the right steps at the start, you may be in substantially worse shape than you would have expected. You can avoid and remove most of these obstacles if you hire a lawyer before the initial filing.
In addition, if you do not pick the proper exemptions, you run the risk of losing substantial amounts of property. This is avoidable if you hire experienced counsel that knows the right steps for you to take. In fact, we have even seen cases of attorneys not experienced in bankruptcy causing their clients to lose property because they made mistakes on the forms or the advice they gave their clients.
While you might theoretically be able to file a bankruptcy case through an online website, that is likely not a good idea. It could cause you substantial serious unexpected problems. Rather, for chapter 7 bankruptcy in Pennsylvania, consider working with a skilled bankruptcy attorney from The Law Offices of David M. Offen.
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