What you should expect of your NJ bankruptcy lawyer the first time you meet

As NJ bankruptcy lawyers (we also serve clients in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania) we find a lot of misunderstandings about NJ bankruptcy and what a good NJ bankruptcy lawyer should be expected to do. Just as important is that a prospective client do his or her part. I'd like to tell you what our approach as NJ lawyers is and why we do it.

Unlike some others, we treat our initial meeting with you as an in-depth exploration of the problems that led you to financial trouble and the ways we can help you take back control of your life. Too often, we hear that attorneys meet with clients for the first time and give them a brief, vague and general overview of bankruptcy. We don't do that.  How bankruptcy works out in practice can be very different based on the facts of your case. So, I sit down and go over some of the problems that got you here, and most importantly go over your budget and finances. I want to know how you will fare if I can remove the pressure of mounting debt for you. I want to be part of an overall solution that brings you to financial stability. I want to explore with you all your choices and options. If bankruptcy is not right for you, I will be the first to tell you.

That is why we ask our clients to fill out a worksheet with lots of yes or no questions, and a household budget. For many people, this is first time they have actually totaled up what they need to spend to keep a roof over their family's head and meet basic costs of living. The result is always illuminating. No matter what you do going forward, you need a plan. And to plan, you need to compare the money coming in to what you need to spend. Whether bankruptcy is right for you usually depends on knowing these simple facts.

The same approach works when we have a client with a business in trouble. At the end of the day, success in turning around a financial mess--whether through bankruptcy, workouts, mortgage modification, or other alternatives--depends on knowing what cash is going to come in and what money needs to be spent now and in the future.

In the initial interview, we also ask a series of carefully targeted questions. These are carefully designed from decades of experience as a NJ Bankruptcy Lawyer and as a bankruptcy trustee to spot the problems that could lie hidden until they blow up derailing our plans and our clients' prospects. We do not want that to happen., As bankruptcy lawyers, we owe that much to our client.

Lastly, we ask our prospective clients to assemble this basic information for us. It is important for them, as well as for us. We recognize it is a burden in what may be a hectic and tension-fraught time in our clients' lives. But for us as NJ Bankruptcy Lawyers, and for our clients, whether they chooose bankruptcy or not, it is time and effort well spent.

NJ bankruptcy, like bankruptcy elsewhere, is not simple. Embarking on it without a careful understanding is asking for trouble. You are entitled to expect that your New Jersey bankruptcy lawyer will take the time to do the job right, and explore all the problems and issues. To make this work, you need to do your part.