Not only should you visit each lawyer on your list and take their advice into consideration, but conducting additional investigation would be highly advantageous as well. Kangs Solicitors is an innovative and experienced law firm with branches located in London, Birmingham and Manchester. Proud recipients of the highly esteemed National Award ‘Legal 500 Criminal, Fraud & Licensing Firm for Licensing Firm. Since 1997 we have undertaken all aspects of solicitors for helping with bankruptcy such as serious white collar crime such as VAT/MTIC fraud & laundering as well as non-financial criminal matters such as blue collar theft. Over recent years we have received instructions in some of the largest such cases throughout United States over that time frame – such as VAT/MTIC fraud/laundering as well as blue collar non financial crime.
Here are some important aspects to investigate:
Reputation
If a friend or family member recommended a lawyer, ensure you research their reputation carefully before selecting one to assist with your case. Visit their law firm website for additional details such as when and where each lawyer completed their bar examination as well as which schools each lawyer attended. Doing this will allow you to select an attorney capable of helping complete it successfully.
Experience
When hiring a bankruptcy lawyer in Maryland, ensure they have been practicing for at least the time period they promise and verify they hold a valid license to do so. Furthermore, inquire as to their experience handling similar situations as yours and see if there’s anything they have learned that can assist your situation.
Professionalism
Visit the law firm website and ensure it is professional. Check to see if a bankruptcy lawyer has an in-office receptionist or call center; professional attorneys should make time for meetings either face to face or virtually. Take note of how long the lawyer spends communicating with you as well as their style of communication; it should give an indication as to whether or not they treat their clients with respect.
Compassion
Financial issues affect everyone from all backgrounds. A compassionate attorney has the experience needed to assess your unique circumstances and offer sound advice that can lead to optimal results.
Reasons to Hire a Bankruptcy Attorney
Bankruptcy is a formal legal procedure. It’s an intricate and lengthy process with multiple deadlines and processes to navigate. Although a bankruptcy attorney might not be necessary for filing bankruptcy, legal representation should still be strongly advised as there will be numerous court forms and paperwork that need filling out correctly or any allegations of fraud could arise against you if these steps aren’t handled correctly.
What Should I Expect from a Bankruptcy Attorney?
As with all legal matters, navigating them effectively takes time and skill; to maximize success in this journey it would be best if an attorney assisted with that journey.
An effective bankruptcy lawyer will give you peace of mind by providing at least these four items:
- An initial consultation is typically free! In order to gain an overview of your case.
- Assistance on available options and the type of bankruptcy filing to complete.
- Filing bankruptcy requires filing paperwork that must be completed properly in order to file.
- Representing a case before it goes to court.
Beginning the bankruptcy process begins with an initial 30-minute consultation between you and an attorney. If married, both partners should attend so all questions can be answered truthfully and accurately by your legal advisor, who will also outline all available options, such as filing bankruptcy alone.
Do not make educated guesses as to the size and source of your debt, which may result in court. Attorneys need documentation proving your assets as well as what debts you owe; don’t be reluctant to get an accurate analysis from an experienced legal advisor that takes into account all details provided to them by you.
Once your attorney has reviewed all available documentation to assess your case, he or she can make suggestions as to the most suitable course of action. A reputable attorney won’t necessarily advise bankruptcy; more moderate solutions such as debt settlement or management plans might provide more lasting solutions.
If you have decided to file for bankruptcy, the next step from an attorney will be filing documents before the courts. Remember that their job is to protect as much of your possessions as possible so make sure you let him or her know about what matters to you most!
Marketing Tips for Bankruptcy Lawyers
Provide Free Bankruptcy Resources
Offering free resources is an effective way of engaging potential customers and strengthening ties with current ones. Focus on issues that affect many individuals such as bankruptcy exemptions that could help individuals retain some of their property. Explore various topics, such as how divorce and marriage relate to bankruptcy. Examine all possible forms of debt which could lead to bankruptcy, including medical bills, credit card balances and taxes; those which cannot be discharged through bankruptcy (like student loans and balances on credit cards); as well as those which could possibly be reduced through filing bankruptcy – such as student loans (usually not dischargeable) or balances on credit cards that frequently can be resolved with bankruptcy filing. Provide basic financial advice like paying off higher-interest credit cards first while consolidating debt. As well as provide information regarding which debt relief firms/agencies/ firms/agencies you trust for relief services/agencies/firms etc.
Position Yourself as an Expert
When individuals need help with bankruptcy issues, they require reliable guidance from an expert in the field. Therefore, bankruptcy attorneys must employ strategies which will assist in them becoming authorities in their practice area by using various tactics. As a digital solution, consider hosting a webinar or workshop where you provide useful information on a particular subject matter, or take part in individual discussion and Q&A sessions on it. As part of your webinar planning, briefly present yourself and let your expertise speak for itself. Explain the meanings of bankruptcy chapters to viewers in plain, straightforward language – not legalese. Provide attendees with resources they can take home (download) and minimize sales pitches for your company during presentations, for instance at their conclusion. Alternatively, consider hosting learning sessions and workshops where attendees can exchange similar details and experience.
Carefully Craft Marketing Messages
Bankruptcy can have severe repercussions. When companies file for bankruptcy protection, employees can lose their jobs. Bankruptcy also creates uncertainty among its victims about maintaining houses, cars and other essential possessions. While it can be tempting to leverage fear-filled public sentiment into effective messages encouraging people to contact your company, care must be taken not to send messages that exploit people’s vulnerabilities directly.
Each message that capitalizes on others’ distress is more likely to drive people towards another attorney’s office, than messages which acknowledge both its seriousness and reality while providing hope and assistance.
PPC Advertising
People searching the internet are much more likely to encounter bankruptcy lawyers than most other practice areas, simply due to not anticipating financial issues that require filing for bankruptcy and therefore unfamiliarity with bankruptcy lawyers. While people might remember other lawyers due to exposure from advertisements in other fields, bankruptcy specialists might not use large marketing campaigns as often; even when you run such campaigns people who do anticipate financial issues may forget any interaction they had with bankruptcy lawyers.