Due Diligence- Ask the Right Questions

After putting a list of potential bankruptcy attorneys, it is time for you to evaluate them. Like anything else in life you should prepare some questions you'll use to compare the attorneys and make your selection. Some of the questions you might consider asking include the following:

• How does the bankruptcy process work? What will you be doing? What will I be doing?
• Take me through the timeline of my bankruptcy filing.
• Are you board certified as a bankruptcy attorney?
• Will I be working with you on my bankruptcy filing? If not, who will I be working with and may I interview them as well?
• How many bankruptcy cases do you handle each month?
• Do you handle primarily personal or business bankruptcy cases?
• Do you file cases for BOTH Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 Bankruptcy?
• Will you and your firm have adequate time to devote to me?
• What information will I be required to provide for the filing?
• Describe the fees that I will be charged and when they are payable.

Bankruptcy is a volume business. While many bankrutpcy filings are relatively straight forward you must be comfortable that you can work with your bankruptcy attorney and his firm, which included paralegals. You should be very comfortable with the answers to the questions you ask. Evaluate the sincerity of the responses and whether or not you are getting enough detail in the answers. Get a sense as to whether or not the bankruptcy attorney will have enough time to devote to your case. You may have to make a choice between an experienced attorney who is heavily loaded and a competent attorney who will have time to spend on your bankruptcy filing.

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