Do you lay awake at night worrying about how to pay your bills or put food on the table? It’s an emotional and stressful time when your bills are piling up with no light at the end of the tunnel. Sometimes filing for bankruptcy is the best option to be able to regain control over your life and your financial situation, but can you do it yourself? Do you need to have an attorney to file bankruptcy? Why would you pay an attorney to help you file, when you’re already in financial distress?

Here at Hampton Roads Legal Services we understand your concerns; you want to save as much money as you can when you’re already in the midst of a financial crisis. The last thing you want to do is spend more money on an expensive attorney. Well, you don’t HAVE to have an attorney in order to file bankruptcy, but let me tell you why you should.

Bankruptcy is not an easy process; it’s a highly technical process that even attorneys who don’t regularly practice in bankruptcy can have issues understanding. We have met many people who have tried to file bankruptcy without attorney representation, and unfortunately they often end up losing thousands of dollars and possibly their discharge in the process. To further complicate things, you do not have the right to have your case dismissed once a Chapter 7 bankruptcy has been filed. If you don’t turn over money that hasn’t been properly protected, you can lose your discharge. If this happens, the debts that you included in your bankruptcy can NEVER be discharged in the future.

In addition to that, all the decisions you make in your life can affect the outcome of your bankruptcy. Timing is everything when it comes to filing bankruptcy. Some common errors that people make include making big purchases before filing, paying off loans to family and friends, getting married right before filing, filing the wrong type of bankruptcy or simply waiting way too long. All of these mistakes can be very costly.

Don’t let this happen to you. Our Managing Attorney Edrie Pfeiffer has written several books on Bankruptcy that you can request completely free of charge. If you are still considering filing bankruptcy by yourself, please request and read at least one of these books before making your decision. An even better option is to give our office a call to set up a consultation where you can sit down with Attorney Pfeiffer and go over your situation. If there is a better alternative and bankruptcy isn’t right for you, she will tell you that. You have nothing to lose.

Give our office a call today at (757) 340-3100 or fill out one of our contact forms so we can reach out to you. We want to make sure you know all your options!