Do I Need an Attorney to File a Bankruptcy? Or Should I DIY
Do I really need a lawyer in order to file for bankruptcy? The totally honest answer to that question is no you don’t. You’re allowed to file a bankruptcy by yourself. I would caution you to seriously consider how wise of an approach that would be. Bankruptcy law is very complex. The bankruptcy itself consists of a number of complicated forms that have to be properly filled out. When you file for bankruptcy you’re subject to both federal law and state law. It’s important that you understand the implications of all of those laws and the consequences of not following them. It’s very hard to sit in a room where a meeting of creditors is being held and see a person who’s filed a bankruptcy on their own or filed a bankruptcy with the assistance of someone who makes a living by preparing petitions and see them run into horrible problems. I’ve seen folks being told that they’re going to lose thousands of dollars in potential tax refund because of the timing of when they filed their bankruptcy. I’ve seen folks that didn’t understand the law, have their bankruptcy discharge revoked. All of the debts that they thought they were going to have wiped out were not wiped out and all of the consequences that they were trying to avoid with the bankruptcy like a garnishment or like the loss of a vehicle all come back to hit them because they didn’t know the law and they didn’t do the right thing at the right time. We’d be happy to help you with that. We offer a free consultation. There’s no risk, there’s no charge to come in and see us. We’ll talk to you about the bankruptcy process, we’ll talk to you about what it is that we can do to help you and answer any questions that you might have at that time. Give us a call today at 317-759-1483.
About the Attorneys
Andrew Sawin received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Indiana University in 1989 and his Doctor of Jurisprudence from Indiana University School of Law – Indianapolis in 1995. He has concentrated his practice in the field of Consumer Bankruptcy for the past 15 years.
Richard Shea graduated from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona with a Bachelor of Science degree in Hotel & Restaurant Management in 1995 and received his Doctor of Jurisprudence from Indiana University School in 1998.