court forms bankruptcy
What is a fair price to pay for a chapter 7 bankruptcy in Iowa? A lawyer wants $2500, is that too much?
I recently visited a big city to see some relatives and there were signs everywhere that said bankruptcy $500. $2500 seems like too much for what amounts to filling out some forms and filing with the court. What is a fair or typical price in Iowa?
The best attorney for you is not necessarily the one with the biggest billboard.
$2500 for a SIMPLE Ch 7 sounds like it is on the high side. $500 is too little and probably does not include the services of an attorney.
$1500 is probably closer to average in the Midwest for a SIMPLE Ch 7. If your case is complicated, or involves a business bankruptcy, it could be considerably more.
Most bankruptcy attorneys offer one free consultation to review your situation and advise you on your options. They should give pricing at that time for any services they offer to provide. Do a little comparison shopping. Make appointments with several attorneys. Think about not only how much they are charging, but also what they are offering for that charge, how comfortable you would feel working with them (and their staff), what their qualifications are (do they do primarily bankruptcies, or are they just jumping on the bankruptcy bandwagon because other areas in which they practice aren’t paying very well at the moment?), how convenient is their office location and office hours for you, and what your comfort level is with their expertise.
Representing clients in bankruptcy is far more than just “meeting with a client for an hour or so” and “filling out forms.”
Those places that offer to do it for $500 are probably non-attorneys who can ONLY “fill out forms” for you. They are legally prohibited from offering ANY legal advice, including advice on which forms to fill out, or how to fill them out, or advice on what the form is asking for if you don’t understand. If that’s all you need, you can do it more cheaply yourself. The forms are available on the US Department of Justice website.
Just a word to the wise, though: Under the direction of multiple attorneys, I have “filled out the forms” for well over 1000 bankruptcy cases. I’m an expert at “filling out bankruptcy forms.” But if I were in a position where I needed to file bankruptcy, I wouldn’t even consider trying to do it myself without an experienced bankruptcy attorney. Filing bankruptcy is FAR more than “just filling out forms” and the conduct of your bankruptcy case can (and does) impact your life for many years to come.
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