After your free bankruptcy consultation with our office, you will receive the ARM Lawyers Bankruptcy Welcome Packet. This packet has everything you’ll need to get you started on your path to being debt free.
In your packet, you will receive:
- Welcome Letter
- ARM Lawyers Fee Agreement
- Debtor Questionnaire
- Pre-Filing Credit Counseling Flyer
- Credit Rebuilding Flyer
- Vehicle Loan Information (if applicable to your situation)
- The Essential Bankruptcy Survival Guide
We’ll discuss each of these below.
Welcome Letter
The welcome letter is a concise walk-through of the initial process. This letter will guide you toward getting the necessary information back to us as quickly as possible. The letter also contains a QR Code for our Client Resources so you have quick and easy access.
It normally takes our office about a week to prepare the petition. Once we start, we can ordinarily schedule a time for you to meet with the attorney to review (a bankruptcy petition signing). If the questionnaire, portal and documents are all completed correctly, it can reduce that time. If we must contact you for incomplete documents or an incomplete questionnaire, that will make the process take longer.
Bankruptcy Fee Agreement
The fee agreement explains the costs and fees associated with your bankruptcy.
In a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, normally the entire retainer is due before our office can start preparing the petition. You can make payments toward the retainer, but any work on the petition will not start until we have the entire amount.
In a Chapter 13 bankruptcy, we do not require the entire fee up-front to start the preparation and filing of the petition. Each case is different. We will discuss your quoted fee with you during your free consultation. Your fee agreement will explain the total amount due and the amount due up-front prior to our office preparing the petition.
A signed fee agreement and any portion of the retainer allows us to inform creditors that we represent you. At that point, you can give our name contact information to any creditors that may call. Once you provide our contact information, the creditors are no longer able to contact you. When creditors call us to confirm representation, we will advise them to refrain from calling you.
Bankruptcy Debtor Questionnaire
Depending on how you have chosen to complete our questionnaire, you will either get a PDF fillable supplemental questionnaire and a link to our online Debtor Portal or a full paper questionnaire in the mail. We have videos explaining how best to complete each option, so please review those videos if you have any questions. The more thorough the questionnaire and portal are completed, the quicker we can schedule a Signing appointment and get your bankruptcy filed.
Credit Counseling Flyer
We will also include a Pre-Bankruptcy Credit Counseling flyer. Prior to the filing of the bankruptcy, all debtors must take an online credit course. We recommend CC Advising, as we have found they are one of the lowest cost options and have fantastic customer service. Along with the flyer, there is a list of Bankruptcy Court Districts, separated by county. It is important you select the correct district when registering for the course. We have more information regarding Pre-Filing Course here. If you’re wondering what bankruptcy district am I in, we have that information here as well.
720 Credit Score Flyer
The 7 Steps to a 720 Credit Score Program is free for our bankruptcy clients ($1000 value). This is one of the biggest advantages to using our office to file your bankruptcy. We not only eliminate your debt, but help you rebuild your credit – all while offering award winning customer service. In your Welcome Packet we include the flyer for the program. You can learn more about using this program to rebuild your credit after bankruptcy here.
Vehicle Loan Information
Many times, my clients are concerned about their vehicle in bankruptcy. Do I get to keep my car? Can I surrender my car? Can I lower the interest on my car? Bankruptcy provides a lot of great solutions for your vehicle. Our advice is always case specific. It depends on a number of factors including what chapter you’re filing, the age of the car, the mileage of the car, etc. If we’ve discussed a solution with you, you may receive additional information in the Welcome Packet.
For example, if we discussed a vehicle replacement loan (buying a new vehicle after filing bankruptcy), you may receive information on how to go about that. If we discussed redeeming your vehicle (similar to refinancing your vehicle), you may receive information on that.
The Essential Bankruptcy Survival Guide
You will also receive a free copy of the “The Essential Bankruptcy Survival Guide“. This is available in either e-book or hard copy format. As part of the ARM Yourself With Knowledge series, this guide aims to help you navigate the process of filing for bankruptcy and what happens afterward.
Have more questions?
If you’re already a client, you can find answers to many of your questions in our Client Resources. You can also call us anytime with any questions you may have. If you’re not yet a client, that’s ok too. Call us for a free consultation and we can help you get the bankruptcy process started.
