The Truth About Bankruptcy Costs

Choose your path carefully

You know the phrase, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn’t.”  In today’s digital world, or even on posters plastered to light posts, we are constantly assaulted with words that scream Free, $30 for 30 Days, 75% Off and a slew of other services and goods being promoted and peddled.

When it comes to legal advice, do you really want basement bargains?  Take bankruptcy law for an example,  in the Southern District of Florida U.S. bankruptcy Court filing fees are a set amount for personal consumer bankruptcy.   When a handwritten sign on a light pole claims someone can do a personal bankruptcy for $250, I just want to cringe, because it’s blatantly untrue.  The filing fee alone is more than $250.

My partner and I see this all the time, Mr. and Mrs. So and So making an appointment with one of us to get a second opinion, or are referred to us from another attorney or accountant to “clean up” a botched bankruptcy plan.  Like many other professions, attorneys specialize in one particular area of law.  They spend many years focused on that one specialty, learning the nuances of the laws inside and out, and study changes to the laws, and case rulings that impact bankruptcy filings.

We have found that there are no cookie-cutter approaches to personal consumer bankruptcy. What works for one client, may not for another.  Chapters 7 and 13 bankruptcies are loaded with complicated issues, as unique as the people we meet each and every day to advise them on their options.  Bankruptcy laws and qualifications are constantly changing. Our practice is limited to consumer bankruptcy exclusively.  Choose your attorney just as carefully as you would choose a specialty for a medical issue.  Do some research, ask other professionals for recommendations, and verify that the attorney you choose to represent you in this important matter is qualified and experienced to provide you with the best possible representation.

Robert J. Bigge, Esq.