Beware the Bankruptcy Petition Preparer
I saw an advertisement on craigslist yesterday that piqued my interest.
It was a simple ad really, Chapter 7 bankruptcy $399. So I started thinking what’s the catch. Generally speaking attorneys in the Lehigh Valley charge anywhere from $1600-$3000 for Chapter 7 bankruptcy service depending on the complexity of the case.
So I open the add and started snooping around. The first thing I noticed on the add is that it said $399 plus the court filing fees. The court filing fees in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania are $299, so this ad is misleading. The unsuspecting customer clicks onto the site expecting to pay $399 and have a bankruptcy case filed for them. They are caught unawares by the $299 filing fee, but more than that they eventually are e-mailed a bankruptcy petition that they are expected to file with the court themselves.
What makes this ad so nefarious is that the company, who shall remain nameless because I don’t give Google love to frauds, has a name that sounds like it is a law firm. Its website makes it look like it’s a law firm. Its not a law firm, it is a bankruptcy petition preparer.
If your bankruptcy petition preparer I’m not mad at you, in fact on some simple cases, a bankruptcy petition preparer might be all a consumer needs to get back on their feet.
For the vast majority of consumers, their cases are more complex, and filing the petition on your own only sets you up for failure.
My father was right when he told me in this world you get what you pay for, and if you’re paying $399 for an attorney to file a bankruptcy, they probably aren’t very good. Most likely though they aren’t even an attorney, and instead of the quality legal protection and counsel that you need, you get a PDF e-mailed to you and be told to finish the job on your own.
If the financial future of yourself and your family is worth too much to leave it in the hands of an out of state petition preparer and you are ready to get real help from a real live lawyer who specializes in helping people with their debt problems, then call me at 484-661-2891 or email me at jim@padebt911.com to set up a free consultation.
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