Download How to File for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Stephen Elias Albin Renauer 9781413319378 Books

Product details Series How to File for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Paperback 440 pages Publisher NOLO; Eighteenth edition (October 16, 2013) Language English ISBN-10 9781413319378

How to File for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Stephen Elias Albin Renauer 9781413319378 Books Reviews

• Filing for bankruptcy without representation is not for the faint-hearted. There is a lot to be said for how comforting it is to have a skilled and experienced attorney take care of everything and guide you through the process. It must be emphasized that if you have a complicated financial situation, a good attorney is the best investment. But if your situation is simple like mine, i.e. you have no real assets, don't own real property etc. and straight-forward income from wages only that does not exceed the median for your state, no expectation of any inheritances, no one owes you money, etc. then this book will serve you well and save you a boatload of cash. I agonized over "going it alone" for a while, but in end chose to go for it because I really didn't have the $1200+ to hire an attorney on top of the $306 filing fee. This book explains everything in such detail and is so easy to understand. The amount of information can be overwhelming at first, but I read through the pertinent sections over and over until I felt reasonably confident in my knowledge of the process I was about to begin.
  
  Yesterday was my 341 hearing. This happens about a month after you file. I had been extremely nervous about it ever since filing, to the point that I had no appetite in the days leading up to it and would lie awake at night with my heart thumping hard. It is an understatement to say that I was worried. I did my best to follow all instructions to the letter and was truthful in filling out my paperwork but I really had no idea what would happen at the 341 and whether the trustee would find a problem with my papers. I got there at the appointed time and had to sit through about an hour and a half's worth of other debtors' 341 meetings. (Note to the wise expect to be at your 341 meeting for at least a couple of hours, waiting).
  
  The 341 meeting is a strange experience. You sit in a room full of other debtors and their attorneys and witness them one at a time go up to the trustee when they are called, present their identification, swear in, and then the trustee asks them questions about their paperwork and financial situation. Sometimes it can get awkward. Sometimes it can get downright painful to watch, when the trustee thinks someone has been untruthful in their filing, or has held information back that should be disclosed in the paperwork. I must note that a majority of the debtors I witnessed being questioned by the trustee had one snag or another in their questioning that caused them to be straining to do some explaining. Many of these people unfortunately seemed to have somewhat incompetent attorneys who had failed to submit required documents to the trustee. Other times the debtor would tell the trustee something that apparently they never told their attorney. In one instance the trustee threatened to dismiss a case, but opted to give the debtor a continuation. Watching them go through this agonizing experience did not make me feel better about what I was about to face, and it took everything I had to remain composed. Finally, I was called up to the trustee, gave my ID and swore in, then took my seat and prepared for the worst as best I could. Guess what happened? Nothing. The trustee asked all of the requisite questions for a routine case, I gave my yes/no answers, and then he concluded my 341. It took all of about 2 minutes. As I left the meeting I had to resist the urge to yell "WOOOOO-HOOOO!" and run wild in the halls. I felt like a million bucks, and I owe it ALL to this book.
  
  Again, if you have a straight-forward no-asset case, and you don't mind taking the time to study the material carefully, do yourself a big favor and get the newest edition of this book. It seems a lot of the other reviewers here would agree.
• I wish I had found this book 2 years ago, I would have saved myself over $900.00. I am a high school graduate with no other formal education and this book walked me thru every step. 2 years ago I went on Legalzoom.com to file chapter 7 and was paying them $50.00 a month. When I was ready to file I found the law firm had gone bankrupt and the firm that took over was trying to cut out the middle man (legal zoom) who in turn filed a law suit and had the company assets frozen. I was beside myself because my paycheck is being garnished by 2 companies with the threat of more garnishments. I found myself in a predicament that 6 years ago I never would have imagined. Worked my whole life, 2 and 3 jobs at a time, always paid my bills in full, but could not find a full time job to save my life. I found that if you are an American, you are out of luck. An immigrant has more resources than someone that has paid taxes for over 50 years. Sorry, got off track. I could not afford to wait another 2 to 3 years to file so I went on line in search for help and found this book. It is so easy to follow, step by step instructions. Really, if you are in this horrible position, this book will get you through it. One of my patients is a lawyer. When I was finished putting the papers together, he told me that he couldn't have done it better himself. I hope this helps.
  Good luck and God bless America!!!!
• This book helped me a hell of a lot filing my own chapter 7 case. It answered all the questions I had and was amazingly reassuring for me. I spent a lot of time down and out being so young and having to start over, I felt like I was throwing my whole life away filing bankruptcy. It does actually take the time to tell you it's going to be alright lol. Still hard to believe but it's nice. I have filed and have just recently got my discharged finalized. If I had not of found this book I would not have been able to get though all of the endless paperwork and see it through.
• Love that it includes the laws of every state so one must buy the updated version. It gives you sample forms and how they are filled out. It walks you step by step through the process and is so helpful. i got a credit counselor to waive my pre filling fees and now I have my certificate, I am going to a clinic for legal to help as well, but without this book I would never have made it to this point. thank you NOLO you guys are the best people for any kind of legal aid thank you!
• I gave the book 5 stars because it really helps you do something that is complicated. However, even with the book, filing for bankruptcy is very time-consuming and tedious because of all the information you must pull together and the mathematic calculations (there are at least 3 ways to determine your expenses and income). Unless you are determined, organized and have plenty of free time, you might want to pay a lawyer to do it. A lot less stress. To be honest, if you have property like a house or car or etc, or if you are married with kids, it will be even more complicated and time-consuming than mine. But the book will definitely help.
• This book is very informative for anyone considering bankruptcy, but after reading it, I decided to hire a lawyer. When filling out the paperwork in the book, I found that I was going to lose property in my bankruptcy. I decided to meet with a lawyer for a different perspective, and I was happy I did. My bankruptcy went smoothly and I lost no property.
  
  The book gives you the black-and-white rules of bankruptcy, but a real bankruptcy is not so simple. A lawyer will navigate you through the gray areas and find creative ways to make the laws work in your favor. If you're on the fence about filing for bankruptcy, I recommend reading this book. If you've already decided to file, just bite the bullet and get yourself a lawyer, especially if you expect to lose any of your property.