Payment Plans Are Available
You most certainly can get on a payment plan to file a bankruptcy. In fact, most people do not have the ability to pay the lump sum which is the court costs and the attorneys’ fees, all at one sitting. What I like to do is offer a client a reasonable payment plan whereby they can hire the firm for as little as $100 down and then go on a payment plan of $100 every two weeks. The typical payment plan that I work in my office is called an electronic fund transfer. The electronic fund transfer is an automatic deduction every other Friday out of a checking account, typically in the amount of $100. This gives clients the ease of being able to make payments without mailing them in or writing a check or going to a currency exchange and acquiring a money order. It also gives the clients a track to run on whereby they know that every other Friday, pursuant to a particular schedule, that attorneys’ fees are going to be paid. It’s a way to discipline and budget for the payment plan for the attorney.
Some Attorneys Require Full Payment
Now, there are some attorneys that are going to require all the money up front before they do anything, before they allow you to refer creditors to them, before they will even do much for you. In my office, it works quite differently. $100 down will definitely hire the firm. You will be able to notify creditors that you have hired us. We will handle your creditor’s calls; we will answer any questions that you have. You are free to call the office, stop by the office; anything you need, you have hired the firm at that point as long as you stay on your payment plan and as long as you abide by the Bankruptcy Code.
A Small Downpayment Gets You Started
So yes, you can make payments over time to your bankruptcy attorney under Chapter 7 or under Chapter 13. You do not need to feel like you need the entire balance of attorney’s fees and court costs to move forward with your case. In fact, 90% of all the clients start out with a small down payment and enter into a payment plan of $100 every two weeks. That is how I work it at my office. That is how I help clients. That’s how I get them filed and get them a fresh start as soon as possible.
