How to Avoid Unwanted Surprises in Your Bankruptcy Case

When you are filing for personal bankruptcy in Oak Park, one of the last things you want to happen is for an unwanted surprise to pop up in your case. To be sure, any surprises in bankruptcy cases typically mean that there is a problem with your bankruptcy filing, and your bankruptcy discharge ultimately could be at risk. When you work with an experienced Oak park bankruptcy lawyer on your case, you can help to reduce—and often prevent entirely—the risk of an unwanted surprise coming up when you are planning for a bankruptcy discharge. In the meantime, we want to give you some tips for avoiding unwanted surprises in your bankruptcy case.

Do Not Try to Handle Your Bankruptcy Case on Your Own

Bankruptcy law is extremely complicated, and the U.S. Bankruptcy Code can be incredibly difficult to understand if you do not have experience handling bankruptcy cases. Whether you are planning to file for Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy, it is much more likely that an unwanted and unexpected issue will arise if you are not working with a bankruptcy lawyer on your case.

Hire an Experienced Consumer Bankruptcy Attorney

In order to avoid unexpected issues or unwanted surprises popping up in your bankruptcy case, you will want to hire a bankruptcy lawyer from the start. Your bankruptcy attorney will help you to understand the nuances of the consumer bankruptcy process and will ensure that all of your materials are filed in a timely manner. In the event an unwanted surprise does come up, it is equally important to have a lawyer on your side who can handle the unexpected.

Do Not Hide Any Assets

One of the most common reasons that an unwanted surprise comes up in a bankruptcy case is that the debtor has failed to disclose all assets, or has attempted to hide assets by “gifting” them to a friend or family member. If you are honest and provide all of the required information for your bankruptcy case, you will be less likely to encounter a problem or an unexpected “surprise” during the bankruptcy process.

Be Honest and Upfront With Your Bankruptcy Attorney

If you have any questions or concerns about the financial documentation you are providing, or about the specific information you must include with your bankruptcy filing, you need to ask your lawyer up front to avoid any confusion. Likewise, you need to make certain that your attorney has a full and complete understanding of your present financial situation, as well as knowledge about any and all assets you have that the bankruptcy court will need to take into consideration. By being completely open with your attorney, you can avoid problems down the road in your bankruptcy case.

Seek Advice from an Oak Park Bankruptcy Attorney Today

Are you thinking about filing for consumer bankruptcy? Do you have questions about getting started on your case? One of the experienced Oak Park bankruptcy attorneys at our firm can talk with you today about your situation and can discuss the steps you will need to take in order to file for bankruptcy. Contact the Emerson Law Firm to learn more about how we can assist you.


See Related Blog Posts:
Why Was My Bankruptcy Discharge Denied?
Consumer Bankruptcy Myths: Part I

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