A high level of indebtedness can lead to increased household delinquencies and bankruptcies. In these situations, hiring the right debtor attorney becomes a very important decision. When making such a big choice, finding an attorney who has relevant expertise, checking credentials and factoring in price are all ways to choose the best debtor attorney.
The first decision that you must make when choosing a debtor attorney is expertise. Depending on your personal financial situation, a civil litigator, a debt relief specialist or an actual bankruptcy attorney might be best for you. To locate the right professional, visit websites that feature listings of lawyers along with their specializations in your area. Make sure to always deal locally, and never work with an attorney that you have not met with personally. Lawyers who offer their services strictly over the telephone or online might not be the most legitimate of legal enterprises, so be wary of these kinds of offers when searching for representation.
After you have made a list of debtor attorneys, the next step is to check their credentials. To do this, you must get in touch with someone from the association or agency that oversees lawyers in your area. A representative will be able to help you determine the validity of each prospective attorney’s licensure. This agency also can advise you whether there has ever been a suspension of licensure or any other disciplinary action against these lawyers.
Another good step to take is to conduct an Internet search for each lawyer’s name. This might reveal negative information connected with an attorney or any news about him or her. You also can check with a consumer agency to find out whether there any complaints about the attorneys on your list have been filed by previous clients.
The final thing to consider when choosing the best debtor attorney is price. Make sure to get an exact quote for all legal fees that you will be responsible for paying if you enlist a certain attorney’s services. Use your short list of attorneys that you have researched and verified, and get an estimate for each one.
After following these steps, you can make your decision. Avoid any attorneys who have been the subject of any disciplinary action or have had numerous complaints filed by previous clients. When you have made your choice, you can be confident that you will be getting legitimate legal representation from a verified, respected local debtor attorney, and you will not be paying too much for it.