Often times one of the first things out of peoples mouths when I pick up the phone is How Much Does It Cost to File Bankruptcy? My answer is pretty much the same each time which is “well it depends on your situation.” Most bankruptcy attorneys cannot give out fees without first assessing the clients situation as every case is different and may require more or less attention depending on the situation and the fees will also depend on whether a debtors wants to file chapter 7 or chapter 13 bankruptcy.
There are many factors too consider and a Bankruptcy attorney needs to determine how much time that they plan to spend working on a case in order to determine what the legal fees will be. Certain factors that may affect how much a bankruptcy attorney charges will include how many creditors you have, whether you are filing jointly with somebody else or on your own, whether you are self employed or own a business and whether or not there are other extraneous issues that need to be dealt with that may take up your attorneys time. The court filing fee for a chapter 7 bankruptcy is $335 and $310 for a chapter 13 bankruptcy. Those fees will have to be paid regardless of whether you file your case by yourself or with the help of an attorney. The court will allow you to pay only $100 towards the filing fee at the time of filing however most attorneys will request that their legal fees be paid prior to them filing your bankruptcy case. This is because an attorney cannot collect on their debt after your have filed for bankruptcy as most unsecured debts, including attorney fees would be discharged in the bankruptcy. For more information on bankruptcy fees check out How Much Does It Cost to File Bankruptcy Article.
If you have additional questions regarding the cost of filing for bankruptcy, give Symmes Law Group a call today to discuss your options at 206-682-7975.
