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What New Jersey Bankruptcy Attorney Georgette Miller Can Do To Help
Whether you are currently struggling with unmanageable debt or you have concerns about the future because your financial circumstances have changed, you owe it to yourself to ensure that you are making the right decisions. This starts with seeking advice from a qualified attorney. Here is what New Jersey bankruptcy attorney Georgette Miller can do to help:
- Provide a Free Case Review – Regardless of your financial situation, your legal representation starts with a free case review. Georgette Miller will sit down with you one-on-one to discuss your situation in complete confidence.
- Stop Foreclosure and Save Your Home – If you own your home and are behind on your payments, Georgette Miller can help you avoid foreclosure. The bankruptcy laws provide special protections for filers’ primary residences.
- Help You Explore All of Your Options – Should you file for bankruptcy under Chapter 7? Under Chapter 13? Should you consider a bankruptcy alternative? Georgette Miller can help you explore all of your options.
- Help You Get a Fresh Start – When pursuing bankruptcy (or a bankruptcy alternative), the goal is to provide yourself with a fresh start. Georgette Miller can help you secure the maximum protections available and put you on the path toward a new beginning.
- Guide You Forward with Your Best Interests in Mind – When you are dealing with financial strain, you need to work with someone who has your best interests in mind. As a New Jersey bankruptcy attorney, Georgette Miller will only provide advice based on what is best for you in your unique individual circumstances.
5 Facts You Need To Know Before You File for Bankruptcy
If you are thinking about filing for bankruptcy, there is a lot you need to know before you start the process. Mistakes can delay the process, and in some cases, they can jeopardize your bankruptcy filing entirely. Additionally, if you choose the wrong bankruptcy option, you won’t secure the full protections you deserve. Here are five key facts you need to keep in mind:
1. You Should Not Rely on a “Bankruptcy Specialist”
You should avoid individuals and companies that promote themselves as “bankruptcy specialists.” Typically, these are not attorneys and law firms but rather individuals and businesses without legal experience that offer cookie-cutter bankruptcy “packages.” If you are under a mountain of debt, a cookie-cutter package is not the bankruptcy solution you need. Instead, you need insightful legal advice that is custom-tailored to your situation.
2. There Are Several Types of Bankruptcies
There are several different types of bankruptcies—including bankruptcies under Chapters 7, 11 and 13—and there are also several different bankruptcy alternatives that will make more sense in some cases. Before you start the process, you need to make sure you choose the right process based on your personal financial needs.
3. Debtors in New Jersey Have Clear Legal Rights
As a debtor in New Jersey, you have clear legal rights. Unfortunately, you can’t necessarily trust your creditors to respect them. As you move forward, it will be extremely important to work with an experienced New Jersey bankruptcy attorney who can explain your legal rights and assert them on your behalf.
4. It Is Never Too Early to Explore Your Options
If you have concerns about your financial situation, it is never too early to explore your options. In fact, the sooner you act, the more options you will have available. Once you understand your options, you can make informed and confident decisions about how to put yourself in the best possible financial situation for the future.
5. You Can (and Should) Make Informed Decisions At No Cost
We offer free case reviews because we believe that everyone deserves a second chance and because we know that it can be hard (if not impossible) to pay for an attorney when you are already struggling financially. Georgette Miller can help you make informed decisions at no cost and without any obligation to use our services in the future.
Choosing the Right New Jersey Bankruptcy Attorney to Represent You
When you need financial help, it is important not to choose just any attorney. Instead, you should do your research and make sure you choose the right New Jersey bankruptcy attorney to represent you.
What Does a Bankruptcy Attorney Do?
Choosing the right bankruptcy attorney starts with understanding what a bankruptcy lawyer does. Once you know why you need a lawyer, then you can choose who you want to represent you. If filing for bankruptcy makes sense given your personal circumstances, an experienced bankruptcy attorney will:
- Prepare and file your bankruptcy petition (under Chapters 7, 11 or 13)
- Deal with your creditors on your behalf
- Assert your legal rights and protections during the bankruptcy process
- Work to reduce (or eliminate) your eligible debts
- Represent you in court and finalize the bankruptcy process
Once your bankruptcy is complete, an experienced bankruptcy attorney will also make sure you know everything you need to know as you move forward. This includes ensuring that you have a clear understanding of your remaining financial responsibilities and what you will need to do to rebuild and protect your credit going forward.
What Should You Look for in a Bankruptcy Attorney?
Now that you know why you need a bankruptcy attorney, what should you look for in your legal representation? We believe that the following are absolute “must haves” when you are considering a bankruptcy filing:
- A Focus on Bankruptcy – The bankruptcy laws are complex, and understanding your options requires a thorough understanding of the relevant financial principles as well. This means that you need a lawyer who focuses his or her practice on bankruptcy representation.
- Decades of Experience – In the bankruptcy field, there are insights that you can only gain through experience. The New Jersey bankruptcy attorney you choose should have decades of experience guiding clients through the bankruptcy process.
- Local Knowledge and Presence – While Chapters 7, 11 and 13 are federal bankruptcy laws, New Jersey’s laws also impact your legal rights and options. This means you need an attorney who has local knowledge, and you will want an attorney who has local offices as well.
- One-on-One Representation – To make the right decisions, you need one-on-one legal representation. If you choose a large national law firm or “bankruptcy specialist,” you aren’t likely to get the custom-tailored advice you need.
- Communication, Comfort and Confidence – Finally, the attorney you choose should be able to communicate clearly, and your attorney should make you feel confident in your choice of legal representation. It is also extremely important that you feel comfortable discussing your personal financial matters openly. If you do not feel comfortable or confident for any reason, you should seek alternate representation.
Do You Really Need a Bankruptcy Attorney?
Reading all of this, you might be thinking, “Do I really need a bankruptcy attorney?” The simple answer to this question is “Yes.”
Consider these statistics: According to Debt.org, 96 percent of debtors who file under Chapter 7 with an attorney receive a discharge of their debts. Among those who don’t hire an attorney, just 66 percent receive a discharge. In Chapter 13 cases, debtors with legal representation receive a discharge more than 40 percent of the time, compared to just two percent for those who file on their own.
But even these statistics don’t tell the whole story. While people who file on their own may have some of their debts discharged, it is likely that they would get far more out of the bankruptcy process with an experienced attorney on their side. In short, there are multiple benefits to hiring an attorney, and the relatively modest costs of your legal representation could pale in comparison to the additional debt relief your attorney helps you achieve.
Experienced Bankruptcy Attorneys
Georgette Miller and Dilworth Paxson are well-versed in all requirements of the new bankruptcy law. They have represented individuals and commercial clients in many bankruptcy proceedings.
Our attorneys advise many businesses and individuals who have fell on financial troubles. They are experienced in representing debtors, creditors, lenders, creditors’ committees, potential acquirers, investors, and asset purchasers.
Businesses and individuals cannot pull themselves out of bankruptcy alone. Contact Georgette Miller and Dilworth Paxson today. One of our bankruptcy attorneys will guide you to rebuilding your financial security correctly. Our firm is available to provide guidance and service New Jersey, and Philadelphia, PA. For more information on how to hire a bankruptcy attorney, contact our office today.
FAQs: Restoring Your Financial Stability Through Bankruptcy
What is a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy in New Jersey?
A Chapter 7 bankruptcy is a type of federal bankruptcy filing that allows individuals and couples to eliminate much of their unmanageable debt. When filing under Chapter 7, debtors can keep many of their most important assets (including their home), and they can reduce their monthly payment obligations to a manageable level.
How Long Does It Take to File for Bankruptcy in New Jersey?
In most cases, individuals and couples can expect their Chapter 7 bankruptcy case to take around four to six months. Chapter 11 and 13 bankruptcies can take significantly longer.
How Much Does Chapter 7 Cost in New Jersey?
In New Jersey, the filing fee for a Chapter 7 bankruptcy is currently $338 (as of 2022). However, debtors who cannot afford the filing fee can apply to either pay in installments or have the fee waived entirely.
What Happens When You Declare Bankruptcy in New Jersey?
What happens when you declare bankruptcy in New Jersey depends on the type of bankruptcy you pursue. If you successfully file under Chapter 7, many of your debts will be eliminated. If you file under Chapter 11 or Chapter 13, your bankruptcy filing will result in a payment plan that reduces your monthly payments and allows you to more easily pay off your debts over time.
