Questions About Bankruptcy

The letter Q stands for Questions in my bankruptcy alphabet.

Like the storied Light Brigade, “stormed at with shot and shell” , we in bankruptcy are peppered with questions, not cannons.

Those considering bankruptcy have the profound questions:will bankruptcy improve my situation?

what will I give up to get a bankruptcy discharge?
what is life after bankruptcy like?

Bankruptcy attorneys in turn have questions of the client:

what do you own?
who do you owe?
what has recently changed about your finances?

Then, the bankruptcy trustee has questions:

did you read these documents before you signed them?
is everything true, correct, and complete?
do you owe any domestic support to anyone?

All three players, debtor, attorney, and trustee need to have their questions answered for the system to work.

Have the answers

When it’s your turn to provide answers, it can be make or break time. Get sloppy, indifferent or inattentive, and one or more of the central players in the bankruptcy triad gets less than is necessary to assure a good outcome.

Let me suggest that one of the most important qualities in a superior bankruptcy lawyer is the ability to answer client questions simply and directly.

The companion quality is the ability to make the client feel comfortable enough to ask the perplexing or distressing questions. If client questions are not met with respect and openness, then find another lawyer.

The person who gets a smooth and predictable bankruptcy filing is the one who takes his lawyer’s questions seriously.

Don’t just tell me about the obvious; engage and tell me about everything, whether YOU think it important or whether you believe it has value or not.

I ask for a reason.

Questions and their answers are at the heart of the bankruptcy filing process.

This post has been brought to you by the letter Q.

While I think Q is for Questions in the Bankruptcy Alphabet, consumer protection lawyer Jay Fleischman proposes Q stands for Quiet.

Questions you should ask a bankruptcy lawyer

Going to court in your bankruptcy case

Getting the bankruptcy papers right

Image courtesy of Leo Reynolds.