The first consultation with a bankruptcy attorney is crucial. Many reputable bankruptcy attorneys and personal injury lawyers in the Pasadena area offer it for free. It means you will not be charged any legal consultation fee for this meeting. You can make the best use of this free consultation by getting well prepared. Your preparation will save a great deal of time not only for you but also for the lawyer. First of all, you need to shortlist some good bankruptcy lawyers. You can do this by checking local listings or by getting recommendations from families and friends. Following is a brief rundown on how to prepare for the first meeting.
Collect All Bills
When it comes to getting prepared for the first consultation with a bankruptcy law attorney, the first thing you have to do is to collect all your bills. In order to be able to evaluate your case thoroughly, the lawyer will need all necessary bills that may include court summons related to debts, descriptions of outstanding taxes, medical bills, and bills from collectors and creditors. Besides that, you must also carry proofs of all paid bills that may include confirmation numbers, cancelled checks, cleared checks, and bank statements among others. If you have already settled some of your debt accounts, you must bring the related documents of those settlements.
Obtain A Credit Report
The lawyer will also like to look into your annual credit report in order to get a better picture about the kind of financial situation you are currently in. There are three major agencies that prepare and maintain these reports for consumers. These agencies are – TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian. As per the laws applicable in the United States of America, all consumers are entitled to get at least one free credit report from each of these agencies every year. So, this is the time to get one. If you have already obtained a report earlier, you may be charged a certain amount of fee for another report.
Document All Your Monthly Living Expenses
The bankruptcy attorney in Atlanta will also need to look into the details of your monthly living expenses that should include things like grocery costs, transportation, utilities, and housing expenses. It will be better if you also include the estimates of some personal upkeep costs also, such as haircuts.
Complete The Basic Paperwork
You are likely to be asked to complete some basic paperwork before the appointment. So, make sure you fill out all those documents in advance, which the lawyer may need during the meeting. Generally, these documents are detailed reports of your assets and debts. Some lawyers may even ask you to fax all these documents before the appointment so that they can do a thorough analysis beforehand and suggest you the best legal options during the meeting.
Overall, all these preparations will make it very easy for you get the best legal advice from a bankruptcy attorney in Atlanta.