A good bankruptcy lawyer wears many hats. Sometimes we’re like boy scouts, helping the client cross the street without getting hit by the approaching bus. Sometimes I’m a tarot card reader. Ok, maybe not but I’ve got to predict the outcome of the client’s case. You know, it’s sort of like taking on the same role as Gary Sinise in Apollo 13. Remember? He wasn’t in the shuttle but he simulated the shuttle crews’ emergency situation from the ground and was able to help them avert danger. So as the bus is rapidly approaching our client, we imagine ourselves as the bus driver, trying to think of the different ways our client might be run over. Then of course, we use that information to get the poor client out of harms way.
Maybe a better, and less macabre way of looking at how I do my job is that I pretend that I am trustee and I ask myself: what has my client told me or shown me that would send up a red flag? What could make my client’s life even more difficult than it already is?
It’s no surprise that the most common thing I hear after a client has received their bankruptcy discharge is, “I only wish that I had filed sooner.” That is because their decision to file a bankruptcy case is often preceded by months/years of financial difficulties with and the great anxiety that comes along. A properly prepared bankruptcy case without complicated issues can take anywhere from 4-6 months from the date of the filing of the petition to conclude. I meticulously prepare my client’s cases even at the cost of delaying the filing because in my view, these people have already been through enough. A sloppy or wrongly-filled bankruptcy petition can keep a debtor in bankruptcy for years.
Chapter 13 and chapter 11 cases are very different because the goal is restructuring instead of liquidating. But the underlying goal for my client is the same: get the relief you need. Get the protections afforded by the code. Get the plan confirmed. Get things back on track and get some breathing room.
I cannot tell you the number of times I watched a creditor’s meeting where a question is asked of the debtor and the question catches the debtor and the attorney by surprise. That is a simply a symptom of being unprepared. My goal is for creditor’s meetings to be quick and easy for my debtor. I make sure I am prepared and my goal is for my client to be as prepared.
Every single bankruptcy case is inherently complicated. But an good lawyer, an experienced lawyer will know the value of preparation. Preparation will allow you to navigate the rough waters and enjoy the protections afforded you under the Bankruptcy Code.
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A Unique Law Firm For A Unique Client Life is not as simple as black and white‚ nor are your needs and concerns. At Liss Law, LLC we understand that it’s the color in life that requires unique attention. We are a law firm dedicated to providing clients the best legal services and solutions available. REAL ESTATE: we represent clients in a broad spectrum of Real Estate matters; including residential and commercial conveyance, condo conversion and creation, zoning, permitting, Landlord/Tenant and Eviction. BANKRUPTCY: Consumer & Creditor- Everyday we continue to navigate individuals, small businesses, and creditors alike through a very trying economic climate. Our unparalleled comprehension and detailed knowledge of the Bankruptcy Code prepare us to assist you through this process.