Saving money and cutting back on expenses is something we could all do a little more frequently, but you have to make sure that the areas you cut back in don’t cause more harm than good. For instance, it is probably a good idea to take your lunch to work more often rather than eating out daily because you can save money and also make healthier choices. The same could be said for your morning cup of joe, where brewing at home or electing to pour a cup from the office kitchen can cut down on the expense of going to Starbucks or some other specialty coffee shop. There are plenty of other ways you can cut out certain expenses when you need to, but it is rare to have one of those areas be something related to a professional service. Even though you can look up symptoms online and in some cases find an over the counter medication that helps, you would not take that same tactic if you needed your appendix removed. Most of us opt to see a doctor for serious health issues, and should do the same when a legal issue arises that needs our attention.
Four reasons not to represent yourself in bankruptcy court include:
• There are certain rules that have to be followed, and if you don’t know them your case might be dismissed.
• Bankruptcy Court requires filings to be done electronically and while you may be successful in getting that requirement waived you need to know how to ask for that waiver and what evidence is needed in support of your request. If denied, you will have to abide by the electronic filing rules, which can be hard to understand if you have not done this before.
• A misstep could lead to missing a court date, and that can lead to a dismissal of your case. Many of the deadlines you need to follow will be pursuant to the federal rules or a local rule, and these are not always the same.
• Attorneys who regularly practice bankruptcy law are known to each other, and this can be helpful if you need a continuance or are planning a strategy. When you know your opponent and how he or she typically reacts to certain requests, you stand a better chance of having your case run smoothly.
If you are going to go through the effort to gather the financial data and documents needed to file bankruptcy, so you can get some financial relief, why risk it by doing it alone? The better approach is to allow a trained professional take on these burdens for you, so you can rest easy knowing there won’t be any surprises and that you will ultimately reach your goal of being debt free!
For more information about bankruptcy, contact us at www.DsouzaLegalGroup.com.
