Facing bankruptcy is a frightening proposition and should be avoided at all costs. If you have exhausted all other options and are left with only bankruptcy, you may be wondering if you should contact a bankruptcy attorney. Let’s address the pros and cons of navigating bankruptcy without an attorney and look at some ways to avoid bankruptcy when possible.
Bankruptcy Is a Big Deal
If you are considering filing for bankruptcy, it stands to reason that you are out of money and struggling to pay your bills. This may lead you to consider filing without the help or advice of an attorney.
While this may seem the best decision for some cases, it may have unforeseen consequences in others. The decision to file for bankruptcy should not be made lightly, and likewise the decision to or not to consult an attorney should be considered of equal importance.
Note: CreditGUARD does not offer legal counsel and does not help its clients file for bankruptcy. This information should be considered for educational purposes only and, as such, is not legal advice.
Pros of Going It Alone
For those without any alternative to bankruptcy, it may seem like there are some pros to forgoing legal representation. At CreditGUARD, we always advise using an attorney to handle bankruptcy. It’s a complex filing – so even seemingly simple bankruptcies should still be handled by a professional. It doesn’t make sense to take a difficult situation and turn it into a regrettable, problematic one.
Cons of Being on Your Own
If your case is more complex, it can become very difficult to traverse the bankruptcy landscape without the advice of an attorney. Your personal property and assets are at stake, and only some of it is protected. And even after filing bankruptcy, some types of debts are ineligible for discharge. This means that even after declaring bankruptcy and losing most of your property, you could still end up owing creditors.
Without an attorney, you also run the risk of increased oversight mandated by the court. This can be just to make sure you have listed all your assets correctly, or for other reasons as the court deems necessary.
Avoiding Bankruptcy
Avoiding bankruptcy should be the absolute floor-level goal of every financial situation. The more debt you accumulate, the further away from security you become, and that much closer to being bankrupt. This will affect your credit and mental health for years to come, and put you at an extreme disadvantage if your life situation should change.
There are many avenues available before things get that bad. Seeking credit counseling and expanding your financial education are paramount. At CreditGUARD we don’t want to see anyone experience bankruptcy and the lasting damaging effects it can cause. We stress sticking to a workable budget and making payments on time every month. If you have been considering filing for bankruptcy, give us a call right away. Our trained credit professionals are ready to talk to you about developing a plan today.