How Bankruptcy Assistants Work
By
Todd Lange
More and more Americans are finding themselves neck-deep in debt, and as a
result, more of them are filing and declaring bankruptcy. Lawyers are finding
big business in bankruptcy laws and handling bankruptcy cases. But they are not
the only ones finding money in helping people recover their losses and start
anew. There is a new and emerging trend of bankruptcy assistance. There are
actually other individuals and companies that know of people's cases other than
the court and their lawyers. They are the bankruptcy assistants.
These bankruptcy assistants work in two ways. A debtor has the option to
contact a bankruptcy assistance service and have them arrange and compile
necessary files and forms for him. This is especially helpful if a debtor wants
to apply for bankruptcy the DIY way. However, these assistance service do not
provide legal advice, they merely collect all pertinent information that a
debtor need for declaring bankruptcy. This lack of legal advice seems to throw
people off the service. To address this lack, these companies often affiliate
themselves to lawyers. Lawyers get the full benefit of processing bankruptcy
case with less stress for a small fee.
Bankruptcy lawyers are often saddled with several cases. They need to file
forms, handle inquiries, and prepare petitions for different clients. They get
so overworked which increases the chances of missing an important detail or a
problem in the proceedings. Bankruptcy assistance companies see this as an
opening to have stable clients and a wide market. Before debtors worry about
their files sitting on someone else's desk other than that of their lawyers,
these companies are certified by the lawyers association. Their staff also have
to undergo specific training before becoming bankruptcy assistants.
How do bankruptcy assistance services function? They benefit both debtors and
bankruptcy lawyers alike by reducing the hassles of preparation. They relieve
lawyers of the client inquiry and updating calls. This saves lawyers the
exasperation of listening to several clients asking the same nuisance questions.
Debtors need not worry because they connect calls to your lawyer's line if the
matter is pressing enough. Otherwise, they handle all general calls such as
updates on the status of applications and lacking requirements. These phone
conversations or correspondence are filed and documented for the lawyer's
review. He does not miss any information except for the frantic sounds of
clients's voice. Bankruptcy assistants also alert lawyers of possible problems
concerning a client's application. They also conduct interviews and other means
to get the necessary information pertinent to the application. Lawyers also save
storage space because all files and folders about bankrupt clients are kept by
the company confidentially. Aside from more storage space, lawyers also have
file back-ups if the need arises.
As money is the main concern of bankrupt clients, they do not have to pay for
the service. It is the lawyers who shoulder the amount because it is their
prerogative to get a bankrupt assistance service. Clients are able to sit back
and wait for their fresh start with constant reminders and updates from friendly
bankrupt assistants.
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