Top Pelham, AL Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Lawyers Near You

Do You Qualify for Chapter 7 Personal Bankruptcy?

A Chapter 7 personal bankruptcy filing is also known as liquidation bankruptcy. The “means test” determines if you qualify by looking at your income and debt. Although Chapter 7 bankruptcy discharges some of your debts, it doesn’t eliminate all debt. Contact a Pelham attorney to determine if you are eligible for Chapter 7.

How to Prepare to Meet With Your Chapter 7 Personal Bankruptcy Attorney

Prior to meeting with your chapter 7 personal bankruptcy attorney, get all your paperwork, assets, debts, loans, financial statements and other necessary documents in order. Once all the necessary paperwork has been gathered, meet with an a Pelham bankruptcy attorney to guide and advise you as to what best suits your particular situation.

How an Attorney Can Help

An attorney can often resolve your particular legal issue faster and better than trying to do it alone. A lawyer can help you navigate the legal system, while avoiding costly mistakes or procedural errors. You should seek out an attorney whose practice focuses on the area of law most relevant to your issue.

What to Expect from an Initial Consultation

• Seek to determine whether the attorney can represent you. There is no one-size-fits-all legal solution and it may turn out your needs are better served by an attorney in a different specialization.
• It’s important to find a legal ally who is both competent in the law and someone you can trust to protect your interests.
• Discuss how the practice’s billing works and discuss possible additional charges or fees that may arise during or after the resolution of your case.

An attorney consultation should provide you with enough information so that you can make an informed decision on whether to proceed with legal help.

How will an attorney charge me?

A reputable attorney will be very upfront about how he/she will charge you. The three most common fee structures that attorneys use to charge for their services are:

• Bill by the hour
• Contingent fee agreement
• Flat fee agreement

Depending on your specific legal situation, it’s possible that only one type of fee structure is available. For instance, criminal defense attorneys almost always bill by the hour. In a flat fee arrangement, an attorney accepts a one-time payment to help you resolve your issue. With a contingent fee agreement, the client pays little to nothing upfront and the attorney receives a percentage of the money recovered if you win your case.

Common legal terms explained

Personal jurisdiction – Requirement that a particular court have authority over a person, in order to bind that person to the judgment of the court, based on minimum contacts. International Shoe Co v. Washington is a landmark Supreme Court case outlining the scope of a state court’s reach in personal jurisdiction.