Founding Attorney
Are you considering filing for bankruptcy in Massachusetts? The first thing to do is meet with a bankruptcy attorney to discuss your options. At Logan A. Weinkauf, P.C., we understand you might be nervous about consulting a bankruptcy lawyer. We want you to know that your consultation is confidential. You will meet with our Massachusetts bankruptcy attorney to review your financial situation and hear options to get out of debt. Our goal is to help you resolve your financial problems in the best way possible for you and your family.
What Should I Bring to My Consultation With a Bankruptcy Attorney?
During your bankruptcy consultation, the attorney reviews several aspects of your finances. Let’s look at them individually to note what you should bring to assist the attorney in evaluating your situation:
Income
The attorney needs a complete understanding of your household income. Even if your spouse does not intend to file bankruptcy, their income must be included in household income. Therefore, bring proof of income for the past six months for everyone in the household.
Income is all sources of money coming into the household, including wages, Social Security, disability, unemployment, workers’ compensation, child support, etc. Also, bring copies of your tax returns for two years.
Expenses
We will review your household expenses. During the meeting, having a monthly budget with all household expenses can be beneficial. This document does not need to be overly complicated. Simply make a list of the bills and expenses you are supposed to pay each month, including:
- Mortgage/rent payments
- Car payments
- Insurance premiums
- Food
- Utilities, including electricity, gas, cell phones, cable, internet
- School expenses
- Gas and car maintenance
- Entertainment
- Medical bills
- Childcare
- Alimony/child support
Try to be as accurate as possible. The attorney uses this information to determine your disposable income, which can impact whether you can file Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy.
Assets/Property
The attorney must also review what you own, including your home, vehicles, boats, retirement accounts, jewelry, etc. Bring the latest tax bill for your home and vehicle registrations if possible. Create a general inventory of assets, but you do not need to list every item individually unless it has substantial value. Instead, you can group assets such as $1,200 in clothing and $750 in kitchen items.
Be as thorough as possible when making your asset list. It is better to tell the attorney about all property because concealing assets is a bankruptcy crime.
Debts
Finally, make a list of all debts you owe. Debts include, but are not limited to:
- Back child support and alimony
- Credit cards
- Personal loans
- Judgments
- Medical debts
- Taxes
- Debts owed to family or friends
- Car payments
- Mortgage payments
- Student loans
Most unsecured debts are dischargeable in bankruptcy. You do not have to pay discharged debts, and creditors cannot try to collect discharged debts. However, the debts must be listed on your bankruptcy forms to be discharged, so try to be as thorough as possible.
Don’t Worry, We Are Here to Help
We understand that gathering information can be overwhelming. The more information you bring to your consultation, the better the attorney can advise you of your bankruptcy options. However, we do not want you to feel stressed or fail to meet with an attorney if everything is not perfect.
Come into our office with what you have to get started. Our legal team works with clients to compile the information needed to complete the bankruptcy forms.
Get More Information During a Free Consultation With Our Massachusetts Bankruptcy Attorney
Call Logan A. Weinkauf, P.C., to schedule a free evaluation to discuss your financial situation with a Massachusetts bankruptcy attorney. Filing for bankruptcy can give you a fresh start to recover from a hardship that caused you to get behind on your bills. We look forward to speaking with you.