Filing for bankruptcy is not east. If hiring an attorney, you should be prepared to show your attorney a honest financial picture. Make sure to prepare:
List of secured creditors – i.e. mortgage information or any lien on your vehicle or household property. Provide a copy of most recent statements showing the current balance of mortgage, vehicle or claim if any.
List of unsecured creditors – i.e. those who you owe on credit cards, medical bills, broken leases, personal loans, etc. Put the last known amount owed, account numbers and any other information for the debt.
List of your income- You will need to disclose all of the income you have received in the past 6 months. This information is needed so that your attorney can make sure you pass the Means Test and qualify for bankruptcy.
List all necessary expenses – Living expenses must be reasonable because bankruptcy must be made in good faith. It's your lawyer's obligation to perform certain due diligence and certify to the court that the expenses information provided has been verified as much as possible.
Notify the lawyer of important information – If this is not your first bankruptcy filing, note the date you filed, so that the lawyer knows in advance. If you have lived outside of the state your currently reside in or outside of the United States, this shouyld be noted to your bankruptcy attorney as well. If you have made any recent purchases, cash advances or transfers of property, you should notify your attorney of this as well.
These are just a few of the things needed in order to complete a bankruptcy petition. If you have any questions about bankruptcy, contact an Orange County Bankruptcy Lawyer at 1st California Law today.