Finance
Fact-checked

At WiseGEEK, we're committed to delivering accurate, trustworthy information. Our expert-authored content is rigorously fact-checked and sourced from credible authorities. Discover how we uphold the highest standards in providing you with reliable knowledge.

Learn more...

Where can I get Good Bankruptcy Advice?

Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen

Bankruptcy advice can come in many forms. The television sets that feature economists or personal finance experts could be filled with it. On the Internet, numerous sites offer it, and of course, phone books also lay their claim to numerous sources of advice, usually in the nature of legal help or credit counseling. Obviously a person knows they don’t just need any advice; they need good bankruptcy advice. It can get difficult determining where to find this, but there are several places to look.

Lawyers may certainly be an excellent source of bankruptcy advice, and those best suited to the job tend to specialize in bankruptcy. A good lawyer in this area often doesn’t charge for a consultation, and this means it’s quite possible to consult several attorneys regarding this matter. This is also a great way to choose an attorney, compare prices, which are frequently a set rate for personal bankruptcies, and initiate bankruptcy proceedings.

Lawyers can offer advice to people who are considering filing for bankruptcy.
Lawyers can offer advice to people who are considering filing for bankruptcy.

Some people find they’d like to obtain a bit of bankruptcy advice prior to talking to attorneys. Books can be a great source of bankruptcy advice. People should find publications with good reputations. For instance books on going bankrupt that are offered by the legal publishing company Nolo Press®, can be a great way to start, especially in the US. In addition to explaining legal aspects of different types of filing, Nolo Press® tends to share a lot of advice on what to ask of and look for in any attorneys hired. Having this type of information in hand before hiring an attorney may prove very useful.

Note that unless a book is written for a particular region, the only advice it can give is general. Bankruptcy laws vary in different areas. It’s important to expect this variance and not fully depend on any book for advice.

There are some folks who look for bankruptcy advice from the angle of whether or not they should consider this step. Here, a different source of counsel could be needed. People might look to personal attorneys, tax attorneys, accountants, credit counseling services or others to decide if going bankrupt is the best possible call.

Another source of advice springs from friends or family who’ve had personal experience with the issue and who are willing to talk about it. Either family or friends might be best at describing the personal ramifications of this decision. Unfortunately, this type of advice may not always be the most accurate either, but hearing the perspectives of others can help with decisions.

A lot of the bankruptcy advice on the Internet is produced for sites owned by lawyers. Even if these folks clearly want business, it would be damaging to reputations if what was written was not accurate. Sometimes this damage simply accrues, but more frequently, sites written or owned by bankruptcy lawyers can give excellent tips. Again, any information given is usually specific to regional bankruptcy laws.

Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen

Tricia has a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and has been a frequent WiseGEEK contributor for many years. She is especially passionate about reading and writing, although her other interests include medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion. Tricia lives in Northern California and is currently working on her first novel.

Learn more...
Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen

Tricia has a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and has been a frequent WiseGEEK contributor for many years. She is especially passionate about reading and writing, although her other interests include medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion. Tricia lives in Northern California and is currently working on her first novel.

Learn more...

Discuss this Article

Post your comments
Login:
Forgot password?
Register:
    • Lawyers can offer advice to people who are considering filing for bankruptcy.
      By: woodsy
      Lawyers can offer advice to people who are considering filing for bankruptcy.