If you lack a lawyer, you lack the tools needed for a successful bankruptcy. You face many dangers if you forgo hiring a lawyer and decide to file without legal aid.
Why is legal aid so important? Look at it this way: why do you need to file bankruptcy? When you look deeper at that – the reason being you want to save money and/or protecting assets – it points out how a lawyer helps you. Not by overcharging you, not by taking your money, but by helping you save money on debts. If you owe $50,000 in medical expenses, how are you going to pay? How important is hiring a lawyer, then, when you stand to save so much? If you pay a total of $2,500, a good ball park number, to pay filing and lawyer fees, you stand to save 20 times that amount.
What if you research bankruptcy? Yes, you may be able to do without a lawyer. You may be able, technically, to land on the moon too – it’s possible – but you don’t do it. Why? It would take years of study. If you want to file bankruptcy yourself, research is not going to work unless you go to law school and learn bankruptcy laws.
What if you have questions? If you do not hire a lawyer, and you’re unsure about certain filing documents or requirements, you’re out of luck. Perhaps the best asset of hiring any experienced lawyer is how he or she can answer so many questions. And when filing to save thousands of dollars or to protect valuable assets, these questions can be crucial. You might, for example, have to decide between keeping your home and discharging the debt. Then your Texas bankruptcy lawyer tells you about the homestead exemption, you save your home, and you save money.
What if you have no money? Again, research is not enough. You need a lawyer. If you cannot hire professional legal counsel, you can try and do it yourself. You might be able to get a loan to help pay this lawyer. You will not be paying huge amounts.
How much will a Texas bankruptcy lawyer cost? Typically, experienced Texas bankruptcy lawyers charge as little as $1,500 to $2,500, sometimes less, sometimes more. It depends on the complexity of your case. And there is always room for negotiation and payment plans.
Where can you find a lawyer? The Texas State Bar is a good resource for finding bankruptcy lawyers. You want one local, so if you’re in Dallas, get a Dallas lawyer. You want one who specializes: not a “do-it-all” lawyer, but someone who focuses on bankruptcy. You want one you can afford too.
Perhaps the danger of not hiring an experienced Texas bankruptcy lawyer comes down to money. If you want to save more, and protect more of what you own, you need a good lawyer.