What is the role of an attorney in a chapter 13 bankruptcy case?
The chapter 13 bankruptcy trustees tell me that less than 3% of those filing without an attorney can ever be successful in a chapter 13. This statistic pre-dates the 2005 Reform Act, which dramatically increased the complexity of filing for bankruptcy protection. Many people ask me if they “can file their own bankruptcy”. I always answer “Yes, anyone has the legal right to do their own open heart surgery, so why not not their own bankruptcy!” The laws were complicated before they changed in 2005, now I believe that only an idiot would file their own bankruptcy, no matter “how simple”. In fact, after the law changed many lawyers stopped doing any bankruptcy law because it had become so complex; event fewer will help with chapter 13. Never listen to the advise of someone who filed their own bankruptcy. They had a “fool for a client” and probably committed at least one federal crime, but did not get caught. The new laws are being aggressively enforced and the Attorney General’s Office is
