Can You Trust Your Bankruptcy Lawyer? |
|
Believe it or not, there are many bankruptcy petition preparers and bankruptcy lawyers who are ready to use your dire financial situation to make a profit for themselves -- and leave you worse off then you were when you found them. Some of these scam artists are even licensed bankruptcy lawyers who should know better then to leave their clients hanging out to dry. If you are considering a bankruptcy, knowing about these scams is an important part of protecting yourself. First, there are both bankruptcy lawyers and bankruptcy petition preparers -- both can turn out to be untrustworthy individuals looking to take you for a ride. Whether they intent to take your money and run or whether they make a mistake because they are not experienced enough, you need to protect yourself from both. Why would someone put themselves in this type of situation? The simple answer is because bankruptcy can come with expensive attorney fees, and some people are not able to afford their own bankruptcy. These unfortunate people often turn to bankruptcy lawyers and bankruptcy petition preparers who offer a discount on their services. While some of these discount providers are legitimate, competent individuals, it is mostly in this group where you will also encounter bankruptcy lawyers and bankruptcy petition preparers who are either looking to take your money without providing proper services or are not experienced enough in the bankruptcy process to give solid advice. Besides giving you botched advice, there is also another way that bankruptcy lawyers can take advantage of their clients. Some have been found to talk their clients into Chapter 7 bankruptcy, instead of advising Chapter 13 bankruptcy, so that their home would be sold to repay debts. The bankruptcy lawyer would then snatch up the property and resell it for a large profit. The clients who were purposely mislead end up losing a home that they could have kept and are forced to restart from square one. Although actions can be taken against these bad bankruptcy lawyers and bankruptcy petition preparers, that takes even more time and effort that the victims often do not have, as they are too preoccupied trying to get their life back on track -- whether it be by finding their family a new home or paying off high unsecured debts that would have been discharged in their bankruptcy if they had gotten sound advice. Even if the victims do try and take action, they are often able only to recoup what they lost due to their botched bankruptcy -- getting nothing for the time and effort they had to spend and pain and suffering that they endure due to the negligence of someone else. Situations like this is why it is important for anyone considering a bankruptcy to do their research before choosing a bankruptcy lawyer or bankruptcy petition preparer. The outcome of your bankruptcy and outlook on your future depends on their actions, and choosing the right representation may be one of the most important decisions you will make during your bankruptcy process. |
