If you are contemplating bankruptcy, then you should see a bankruptcy lawyer before you begin. There are websites available that claim to help you file for yourself and save some money, but using an experienced bankruptcy lawyer is worth every penny. The most common type of bankruptcy filed is a Chapter 7. With this filing, you will be able to eradicate all unsecured debt and start over. A Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Harrisburg attorney can make the process less complicated by directing what documents you need and how to prepare for the filing. He or she will be with you throughout the entire process.
Once you and your attorney have discussed your case and the reasons for filing, then your information will be put in a mathematical formula designed to determine if you are eligible for a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy in Harrisburg. This “means test” compares your income, debts, and family situation to others in your state and determines if you qualify to file a Chapter 7. Don’t worry, most people who consider filing do qualify.
Once your lawyer examines the results of the “means test”, he or she will request some documents from you. That list will include, but is not limited to: past tax returns, copies of pay stubs, copies of all of your most current unsecured debt bills, past mortgage statements, (if you have one), and original deed of your home. Once you have secured an attorney and have begun the bankruptcy process, the creditors must leave you alone. You will be assigned a bankruptcy filing number. You may give this number to the creditors and tell them to stop calling. They may contact your Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Harrisburg attorney for information or inquiries.
After the 341 meeting which allows creditors to ask you questions before filing, you will be given your day in court. Filing with a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Harrisburg attorney will assure you are going to have all of your papers and court requests in order for the Trustee’s meeting. It is here that the trustee of the court looks over your paperwork, asks you questions and then decides to grant the discharge or not. You won’t know until you receive a bankruptcy discharge letter in the mail, but your attorney can probably tell whether it will be granted or not.
In most cases, you are granted the Chapter 7 Bankruptcy in Harrisburg and will start with a clean slate.