Why Debtors Can Better Afford Bankruptcy Without Attorney - Cost Of Filing Bankruptcy Using Attorney
The bankruptcy laws as defined in the bankruptcy code of the United States have been categorized into various chapters and one of the most common types of bankruptcy is chapter 7 bankruptcy. The concept of bankruptcy that a common man has is the concept described in the chapter 7 of the bankruptcy laws.
But what are the Costs of filing Bankruptcy using bankruptcy attorney? Can debtors afford bankruptcy without lawyers? And, is there really any real, tangible, legitimate difference for the DEBTOR, both qualitatively and nominally, between the Full Service bankruptcy assistance that online-based non-attorney BPP agencies provide debtors, and that which is provided by online bankruptcy attorneys to debtors? One view of it, popular in certain quarters among non-attorney online providers of bankruptcy filing assistance, is simply that there is "no difference," or "little to none," in terms of the actual or qualitative value of their work products for the debtor. The principal argument is that for each side, the actual, principal work that each side does or turns up for the debtor - the relatively simple but time-consuming, paperwork required to be prepared for the debtor's use in filing for bankruptcy - is more or less basically the same content and quality for the non-lawyer prepared document, as it is for the lawyer prepared. In each case, the argument goes, the same set of documents are turned up by people who are seemingly experienced and trained or skilled in document preparation, and, in deed, in many real instances, are one and the same paralegals who work, or might have previously worked, for the bankruptcy lawyer's office or the non-lawyer document preparer's company. Or for both.
That claim was NOT at all true. In deed, almost every credible study that had been conducted on the subject, and most experts that testified before Congress, had held otherwise. However, Congress disregarded such evidence. In stead, it promptly responded by passing the BAPCPA law, any way. In consequence, the stated and yet unmistakable purpose of this law was essentially to discourage debtors from filing bankruptcy by making it more stringent and expensive to file. The new law was to do that by forcing people who, it was said, could actually "afford" (through a determination by a complex "means test" calculation) to repay some of their debts, into filing for bankruptcy under Chapter 13, instead of under Chapter 7 - that is, the type of bankruptcy (Chapter 13) which requires that the debtor will repay at least some, if not most or all, of their debts.
But lo and behold, today, it is now some 5 years later into the new bankruptcy law. The actual results and effects of the new law are just beginning to emerge. And the question is: has the BAPCPA law actually attained the basic objective for which it had supposedly been originally designed? Actually, on one major goal of the law - the goal of discouraging debtors from filing bankruptcy and drastically curtailing the rise in bankruptcy filings by debtors - the BAPCPA law has, to date, turned out to be a woeful failure. In deed, as we speak today, there is a NEAR RECORD RISE IN BANKRUPTCY FILING. For example, in the 12-month period ending June 30, 2010, bankruptcy filings rose 20 percent, according to statistics released by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. A total of 1,572,597 bankruptcy cases were filed nationwide in that period, compared to 1,306,315 bankruptcy cases filed in the previous 12-month period ending June 30, 2009, making it the highest number of filings for any period since the BAPCPA law went into effect in October 2005.
Rather they are asked to file for bankruptcy again under chapter 13 where they will be suggested a repayment plan to pay off the debts along with the opportunity to reorganize their finances under the expert guidance of the trustee appointed by the bankruptcy court. Therefore, it is very important for you to check out everything before you file for chapter 7 bankruptcy. I must add that converting the bankruptcy claim from one type to another will require you to pay the conversion fees, which is substantial in nature.
The Charges. There is usually a ONE-Time PAYMENT ONLY amount. One of such agency's charge, for example, is $239 for a Chapter 7 bankruptcy; and $359 for Chapter 13. The price charged by these agencies tend strictly to follow an honest, upfront pricing that's based ONLY on "per project," rather than on "per hour." (That's in contrast to the attorneys' charges, which are frequently based on "per hour" hourly rate). This means that, once a reputable Bankruptcy Petition Preparer (BPP) takes any case from a debtor, you pay the BPP Agency, assuming it's, say, a Chapter 7 case, just $239, and NOT a penny more on it, ever - no matter how many creditors you have (whether they're 10 or 20, or 200), or you happen to start out with 10 creditors, but turn up 100 or 200 more later. Or, you have to file some additional papers to get some of your secured debts "affirmed" so you can keep, say, your car, etc. YOU JUST PAY THEM NOT ONE PENNY MORE. PERIOD! Thus, for most debtors, bankruptcy with no bankruptcy attorney assistance, offers the debtor low-low affordable costs and rates and is the only way to go.
But what are the Costs of filing Bankruptcy using bankruptcy attorney? Can debtors afford bankruptcy without lawyers? And, is there really any real, tangible, legitimate difference for the DEBTOR, both qualitatively and nominally, between the Full Service bankruptcy assistance that online-based non-attorney BPP agencies provide debtors, and that which is provided by online bankruptcy attorneys to debtors? One view of it, popular in certain quarters among non-attorney online providers of bankruptcy filing assistance, is simply that there is "no difference," or "little to none," in terms of the actual or qualitative value of their work products for the debtor. The principal argument is that for each side, the actual, principal work that each side does or turns up for the debtor - the relatively simple but time-consuming, paperwork required to be prepared for the debtor's use in filing for bankruptcy - is more or less basically the same content and quality for the non-lawyer prepared document, as it is for the lawyer prepared. In each case, the argument goes, the same set of documents are turned up by people who are seemingly experienced and trained or skilled in document preparation, and, in deed, in many real instances, are one and the same paralegals who work, or might have previously worked, for the bankruptcy lawyer's office or the non-lawyer document preparer's company. Or for both.
That claim was NOT at all true. In deed, almost every credible study that had been conducted on the subject, and most experts that testified before Congress, had held otherwise. However, Congress disregarded such evidence. In stead, it promptly responded by passing the BAPCPA law, any way. In consequence, the stated and yet unmistakable purpose of this law was essentially to discourage debtors from filing bankruptcy by making it more stringent and expensive to file. The new law was to do that by forcing people who, it was said, could actually "afford" (through a determination by a complex "means test" calculation) to repay some of their debts, into filing for bankruptcy under Chapter 13, instead of under Chapter 7 - that is, the type of bankruptcy (Chapter 13) which requires that the debtor will repay at least some, if not most or all, of their debts.
But lo and behold, today, it is now some 5 years later into the new bankruptcy law. The actual results and effects of the new law are just beginning to emerge. And the question is: has the BAPCPA law actually attained the basic objective for which it had supposedly been originally designed? Actually, on one major goal of the law - the goal of discouraging debtors from filing bankruptcy and drastically curtailing the rise in bankruptcy filings by debtors - the BAPCPA law has, to date, turned out to be a woeful failure. In deed, as we speak today, there is a NEAR RECORD RISE IN BANKRUPTCY FILING. For example, in the 12-month period ending June 30, 2010, bankruptcy filings rose 20 percent, according to statistics released by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. A total of 1,572,597 bankruptcy cases were filed nationwide in that period, compared to 1,306,315 bankruptcy cases filed in the previous 12-month period ending June 30, 2009, making it the highest number of filings for any period since the BAPCPA law went into effect in October 2005.
Rather they are asked to file for bankruptcy again under chapter 13 where they will be suggested a repayment plan to pay off the debts along with the opportunity to reorganize their finances under the expert guidance of the trustee appointed by the bankruptcy court. Therefore, it is very important for you to check out everything before you file for chapter 7 bankruptcy. I must add that converting the bankruptcy claim from one type to another will require you to pay the conversion fees, which is substantial in nature.
The Charges. There is usually a ONE-Time PAYMENT ONLY amount. One of such agency's charge, for example, is $239 for a Chapter 7 bankruptcy; and $359 for Chapter 13. The price charged by these agencies tend strictly to follow an honest, upfront pricing that's based ONLY on "per project," rather than on "per hour." (That's in contrast to the attorneys' charges, which are frequently based on "per hour" hourly rate). This means that, once a reputable Bankruptcy Petition Preparer (BPP) takes any case from a debtor, you pay the BPP Agency, assuming it's, say, a Chapter 7 case, just $239, and NOT a penny more on it, ever - no matter how many creditors you have (whether they're 10 or 20, or 200), or you happen to start out with 10 creditors, but turn up 100 or 200 more later. Or, you have to file some additional papers to get some of your secured debts "affirmed" so you can keep, say, your car, etc. YOU JUST PAY THEM NOT ONE PENNY MORE. PERIOD! Thus, for most debtors, bankruptcy with no bankruptcy attorney assistance, offers the debtor low-low affordable costs and rates and is the only way to go.
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