1. A Bankruptcy Attorney Can Advise
Clients On Proper Documentation
Ever since Congress passed the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention And
Consumer Protection Act it has become a lot more complicated to file
for bankruptcy. Many people filing bankruptcy after being inundated
with questions and having to gather up documentation have come up
with the conclusion that the BAPCPA was created by Congress to
discourage Americans from filing bankruptcy. Although, the changes
made it more complicated, individuals in financial trouble should not
get discouraged and just grind it out with the help of a bankruptcy
lawyer.bankruptcy attorney
Initially, when an individual in financial trouble comes in to visit a
bankruptcy attorney for advice, they are only required to give basic
financial information. This information given to the bankruptcy attorney
will help the attorney determine whether a person qualifies to file
Chapter 7 bankruptcy or not. It's not that the bankruptcy lawyer is
being nosy, every bankruptcy filing is different and to represent the
client in the best fashion it's important to ask these tough questions.
Where the real information gathering begins is after the individual
hires the bankruptcy attorney and gets a list of the documentation
needed to file for bankruptcy. Most of these documents are required
by the bankruptcy attorney before the petition can be filed. Typically,
the attorney will ask for, the past six months pay stubs for all wage
earners living in the household. Next, they will need to see three years
of tax returns for the individual filing for bankruptcy. The bankruptcy
court requires the individual filing bankruptcy to provide a copy of their
driver's license and Social Security card when attending the 341
meeting or meeting of creditors. It's pretty obvious that the bankruptcy
attorney will want copies of these also. Before filing the bankruptcy
petition the debtor will have to take a pre-bankruptcy credit counseling

2. course and show the court proof of this with a completion certificate at
the time of filing.
There are other things that will ask for and can vary from attorney to
attorney is a copy of the individual's credit report from all three credit
reporting agencies. This will help the bankruptcy attorney make sure
that all debts are included in the bankruptcy petition prior to filing.
Sometimes there will be debts that don't show up on the credit report
and the individual filing bankruptcy needs to make sure that that
information is given to the bankruptcy attorney. Some attorneys will
request a valuation report for an automobile or a home. This isn't
always necessary, but sometimes it is asked for.
The bottom line is, filing bankruptcy is a very paper intensive process
and the days of the debtor giving the guess valuations of their
property is over. It's probably a good idea to make a folder of receipts
and even go online to make copies of similar property valuations so
you would have some proof to show the bankruptcy trustee. Having a
bankruptcy attorney help the debtor through the process takes away a
lot of the pain. Since the bankruptcy lawyer typically works in the
same court district, they will know what the bankruptcy trustee expects
from the debtor.
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