Why You Need the Top Firm for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy in Florida

At Van Horn Law Group, we are busy.

However, we will never be too busy for you.

According to 722Redemption.com, Chad Van Horn filed 556 bankruptcies before the Southern District of Florida – Chapter 7, 11, and 13 comprise most bankruptcies – for all of 2019! This puts him in 22nd place nationwide among bankruptcy attorneys, and fourth in the entire state of Florida. 

The Facts about Bankruptcy

Compared to the heart of the Recession, the 2019 numbers actually look good. At the peak of the Recession, one in every 55 households had filed for bankruptcy. In fact, bankruptcy filings are currently at a 10-year low from 2010 when there were 1.6 million filed. However, there are some worrisome numbers to parse for 2019 such as filings were up the first seven months of 2019 compared to the same seven months from 2018. Corporate bankruptcies have also taken a toll on the job market, with over 42,000 jobs cut due to bankruptcy in the first seven months of the year, and it is the highest since 2009.

Many people and businesses with debts should file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in Florida but are often put off by the complexity of the forms, and the presumed expense of filing. In truth, the automatic stay stops all collection actions and offers debtors a chance to reorganize or even liquidate their debts. The complexity of bankruptcy comes from both federal and state law. Each state has its own bankruptcy regulations within the framework of federal bankruptcy regulations. A bankruptcy attorney must not only be admitted to practice before the state bar but before the federal bar as well.

Filing for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy in Florida – or Chapter 13, or Chapter 11

Many people who feel that they can’t afford a bankruptcy attorney often turn to bankruptcy preparers who advertise a ready to go bankruptcy for less than a hundred dollars, or even try to file as pro se. There are many reasons not to try to handle your bankruptcy with either one. In the first place, only attorneys are authorized to offer legal advice. The reason for this is that practicing attorneys are admitted to the state or federal bar and regulated thereby. If you are trying to file your bankruptcy petition on your own, you are truly on your own! The clerks of the court and other employees cannot offer you legal advice to help with your filing. Bankruptcy preparers are neither accountants or attorneys – they prepare your filing according to the information that you give them.

Unless you completely understand the process of filing, the needed paperwork, and all the myriad minutiae, your filing could be rejected. That would leave you out the time and effort that it took to prepare your filing yourself, or the expense of paying a bankruptcy preparer for an incorrect or incomplete filing. Even a “simple” Chapter 7 bankruptcy in Florida isn’t so easy when you’re trying to figure out what you need to do. If you are trying to file your own Chapter 11 or Chapter 13 bankruptcies – which are reorganization bankruptcies and much more complex – it’s easy to feel intimidated and overmatched. This is why you need experienced debt in bankruptcy attorney on your side, and working with you for successful filing.

How to Get Your Best Result

Yes, you need an attorney. More than that you need an experienced bankruptcy attorney who files consistently and is up-to-date on any changes in the law at the state or federal level. We work with the bankruptcy courts and understand the trustees and judges, and are familiar with many of the opposing counsel for your creditors. An experienced bankruptcy attorney makes it far more likely that your filing will not only be successful but that your bankruptcy outcome will be one that is beneficial to you. You will be able to leave your debts behind, and start over on a firm financial footing.

Perhaps one of the best ways that I can explain it is by comparing it to making a complicated entrée for the holidays. For instance, Gordon Ramsay has been making his famous beef Wellington for years. He knows exactly how to get a perfect result every time. When you bite into that dish you know exactly what to expect in the melding of the ingredients, the quality, and the flavor. You can make a beef Wellington yourself, but your first effort might not be the perfection that you’re seeking – or if you’re not familiar with the recipe it could end up being a complete disaster. Or, alternatively, you can have a beef Wellington made by someone else with their own interpretation. While it may be perfectly good, it’s not the outcome you really wanted.

With an experienced and practicing bankruptcy attorney, in a specialty firm, your rights and your property will be protected when filing Chapter 7 bankruptcy in Florida, while at the same time your debts will be discharged.

Come Talk to Us – We Can Help!

We’re more than just our numbers, and our clients are more than just numbers to us. When you are struggling with debt, you need a firm that is experienced with bankruptcy and other methods of handling debt. Bankruptcy is not for everyone, it is not a universal answer, and there are other approaches to deal with debt. If you want to find out the approach that will work for you, your first consultation at either our Fort Lauderdale or West Palm Beach office is absolutely free. We welcome walk-ins and are open Monday through Saturday and by appointment on Sunday. Get in touch with us and let’s get to work on retiring your debt in 2020.