If you have found yourself in a desperate financial situation, you might be thinking about filing bankruptcy. However, for many people, there is a problem: Even though they might want to file bankruptcy because they're broke, they might not be able to actually afford to hire a lawyer to help them. Since it's generally a much better idea to file bankruptcy with the help of a lawyer rather than doing it all on your own, however, it is important to explore your options so that you can reduce the cost of hiring one of theses lawyers. These are a few options that you can try if you want to make bankruptcy more affordable for you during a difficult financial time.
1. Look for Low-Cost or Free Attorneys
Some attorneys do pro bono work or work at legal clinics that offer low-cost legal services. If you can find an attorney in your area who is willing to help you with your case for free or for a very low fee, it can take a lot of pressure off of you while ensuring that you are getting the professional help that you need. Contact your local bar association, search online or look in your local telephone book to find out more about low-cost or free legal clinics in your area.
2. Negotiate with Your Lawyer
Many people don't realize it, but some attorneys are willing to negotiate with their clients and do their work at lower rates. If you have some cash that you can spare for legal fees but you are afraid that you don't have enough, consider scheduling a free consultation with an attorney and telling him or her how much you have to work with. You might just find that a good attorney will be willing to work at a lower cost.
3. Do Some of the Work Yourself
If you want to keep your legal costs low, consider doing some of the paperwork and running around for your bankruptcy yourself. Retrieving documents and filling out paperwork can be handled by you in many cases, but you can have your attorney to advise you and look over your documents before they are turned in. Since it's less work for the attorney, you can often reduce your legal fees this way. However, you won't be taking as much of a risk as if you chose to represent yourself without the help of an attorney at all.
As you can see, there are ways that you can reduce the cost of hiring a bankruptcy lawyer. Try one or all of these tips to keep costs low so that you can file bankruptcy and get the financial relief that you are looking for.
