useful tips about free bankruptcy forms
free bankruptcy forms
The cost of legal professionals ranges from $400 to $1,500 in a typical bankruptcy filing. In most cases, it behooves you to find a knowledgeable attorney to guide you through the process, especially if you’re filing for Chapter 13 bankruptcy, which requires negotiation with your creditors to reach a reduced settlement and repayment plan. However, if you’re filing for a basic Chapter 7 bankruptcy, then you may be able to represent yourself “pro se” and obtain free bankruptcy forms online.
Many of the needed bankruptcy forms library officials provide free of charge, just as you can obtain annual tax forms. While you’re there, you can snag your free bankruptcy forms and also take out a few books to guide you through the bankruptcy process. One book to try is “We The People’s Guide to Bankruptcy: A Do-It-Yourself Plan for Getting Out of Debt” by Ira and Linda Distenfield, which offers other alternatives to bankruptcy as well. If you’re unsure of the laws surrounding bankruptcy, then try “Personal Bankruptcy Laws For Dummies” by James P. Caher and John M. Caher or “Personal Bankruptcy Simplified” by Daniel Sitarz. For Chapter 7 bankruptcy, you may find a book called “How to File for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy” by Stephen Elias, Albin Renauer and Robin Leonard handy. For Chapter 13 bankruptcy, try “Chapter 13 Bankruptcy: Keep Your Property & Repay Debts Over Time” by Robin Leonard J.D. and Stephen Elias or “The Complete Chapter 13 Personal Bankruptcy Guide” by Haman.
You will probably come across a number of sites advertising bankruptcy document forms or kits for $14 to $19. When compared to $500 to $1,500 for a legal professional, this may sound like a great deal. However, you can also find free bankruptcy forms if you know where to look. For instance, thebankruptcysite.org will give you these same forms absolutely free. You’ll find voluntary and involuntary petitions, forms to list your expenditures and creditors, a Chapter 7 statement of intention, No Asset forms and free forms for Chapters 11, 12, 13 and 15 as well. You will need to have Adobe Acrobat installed to read and print out these forms.
If you feel lost scouring the internet for free bankruptcy forms, then you can purchase software that will guide you through the process and include checklists and deadlines, just as a lawyer would. At nolo.com, you can learn about the new bankruptcy laws and purchase “Financial First Aid kit” software for $37.99 that will help you file. Other top-selling software containing legal forms and instructions include: Family Lawyer 2002 Deluxe, Kiplinger’s Home and Business Attorney 2004 and E-Z Software Personal Law Library.
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