can i file for chapter 7 bankruptcy in WA without a lawyer?
i don’t have the 00 to pay and it is a simple bankruptcy for one creditor just wondering if i can do it myself and just pay the state fee of 9?
could you go into detail as to why?
i read that you could buy the documents at "office depot"
Posted February 7th, 2010 in File Bankruptcy Yourself. Tagged: bankruptcy, creditor, office depot, state fee.
You can do a Bankruptcy "pro-se" (by yourself), but like the other person said, it is very dangerous. If you try and file a ch 13, some attorneys will put the fee into your BK (bankruptcy) payment with the trustee..if you are definitely doing a ch 7, try saving up the money or calling other attorneys and see if anyones fee is lower. It is dangerous because you are getting rid of all of your debt without legal representation…you aren’t an attorney and Bankruptcies require a lot of legal knowledge and terms, and it isn’t a piece of cake, especially if there is property (real estate) mixed in with it. I hope that helps. Feel free to email me with any other questions about it.
February 7th, 2010 at 2:12 pmYou can but you’re asking for trouble. It’s a very bad idea.
February 7th, 2010 at 2:12 pmYou say you are trying to file pro se for one credit. Is this the only debt you have? If you are going to file chapter 7, you have to file for all your debt and that includes debt you owe to relatives. Now if it is the only creditor that you have, then you can file pro se but I wouldn’t recommend it. If you miss a schedule or mess something up you whole case could be dismissed and then you are asking for trouble.
February 7th, 2010 at 2:12 pmIf you don’t have the money now and are sure that you will be filing, then stop paying your creditor. By law, you are not allowed to pay more than $600 dollars to a creditor in a three month period (prefferential payment).
I live in WA state and I just went through a BK. Do not and I repeat do not file BK on your own. Even with an attorney some things went wrong with mine. My attorney worked for his fee, believe me. Have you considered going through a consumer credit counseling service if your debt is not really large. BK stays on your credit report up to 10 years with Chapter 7, so I would think long and hard before filing.
February 7th, 2010 at 2:12 pmDepending upon how much you owe that creditor and your income and other debts, you may not qualify for BK filing. You have to meet a "means test" to determine if you qualify for Ch 7 filing. If not, you’ll have to go the Ch 13 route and pay the debt off. Also, certain debts cannot be discharged via BK filing.
If you do qualify, you’ll be asking for trouble. You could inadvertently reaffirm the debt, which means you are acknowledging the debt and you intend to pay it. You may lose all of your assets including your home in Ch 7 BK, but not in Ch 13. Your home could have a lien placed against it even in Ch 7 if you have sufficient equity in it.
February 7th, 2010 at 2:12 pm