Making ends meet
Here are four tips you should consider when choosing your Crystal Lake bankruptcy attorney.
1. Do not get run through a mill.
We have all seen a prominent bankruptcy attorney’s late-night TV commercials where used to hock his tapes that talk about bankruptcy, and now he has dozens of locations over the Chicagoland area. Even if you like and trust the guy on the commercial, what are the odds that he will be your attorney? Basically zero. Your case will be assigned to a fresh-faced attorney, straight out of law school who is learning on the job. Choose a bankruptcy lawyer with experience, who lives in the Crystal Lake area, and who understands your personal needs.
2. Choose a lawyer you can build a relationship with you.
At most bankruptcy law firms, paraprofessionals and secretaries do most of the work, and after you sign up with the attorney you met at your consultation, you never speak with that attorney again. If you paid for a lawyer, you had better have a lawyer working on your case. In selecting a Crystal Lake bankruptcy, ask the attorney outright how much of the work on your case will be performed by that attorney. The answer often will shock you. I personally do nearly all of the work on my clients’ bankruptcies, am available to talk on the phone whenever you need, and enjoy helping to guide my clients through this major life change.
3. Do not choose a lawyer with a limited toolkit.
Bankruptcy is strong medicine and is not for everyone. If you are reaching out to a Crystal Lake bankruptcy attorney, you probably have already made up your mind that you want to file bankruptcy. It is worthwhile, however, to talk to an attorney to see if there is a better solution. Debts can be negotiated. Mortgages can be modified. Creditors understand hardships and often are willing to work with you. Lawsuits can be defended and won. If you talk with an attorney who exclusively practices bankruptcy law, you likely will not find out about non-bankruptcy alternatives to managing your debt. I can help you evaluate your alternatives and determine if bankruptcy is truly the right solution for you.
4. Set an appointment with a Crystal Lake bankruptcy attorney who offers free, in-person consultations.
The bankruptcy mills I warned you about above will charge you upwards of $150 to sit down with an attorney to discuss your options. I never charge prospective clients a fee to sit down and feel me out. Sometimes I’m the wrong person for the job. More often than not, I am the right guy.