Complimentary Consultations
We are happy to provide complimentary initial consultations so we can analyze your goals and circumstances and determine if bankruptcy is a good fit for you. At the conclusion of the initial consultation, in addition to determining whether bankruptcy is a good fit for you, we can also determine your flat fee and the terms of payment.
Initial Deposits
Following the complimentary consultation, a deposit is required to be paid prior to initiating further work on your case. The deposit pays for the time it takes to review your documents; review your questionnaire; prepare a preliminary draft of your case to determine your eligibility under the bankruptcy means test; determine your options in Ch. 7 or Ch. 13; determine your nonexempt asset exposure; determine if you have any problematic transfers; calculate a potential Ch. 13 payment range; consider and present you with strategic options; as well as covering the costs of obtaining your tri-merge credit report. Upon substantial completion of your preliminary case draft, your deposit will become non-refundable. If you decide to proceed with your bankruptcy case filing, the deposit will be applied to your total fee balance. If you decide not to proceed with your bankruptcy case filing, then the deposit fee shall be non-refundable.
Fee Balance Adjustments: Scope of Work
We reserve the right to modify your total fee balance if the information you provided during the initial consultation is significantly and materially different from the information in your documents and questionnaire. We very rarely resort to exercising this right and would only do so if your income, assets, transfers, and/or debt is drastically different from what was contemplated during our initial consultation.
Fee Balance Adjustments: Unnecessary Delays
It is not uncommon for us to recommend a short delay in the filing of your bankruptcy case. There could be practical or strategic advantages to doing so. In cases where we recommend these delays, you will not be penalized for following our advice. However, in cases where the case filing and/or completion of the preliminary case draft is delayed multiple times with weeks or months in between, a significant amount of redundant work must be performed on our part to update the case. If your case draft or filing is delayed multiple times due to delays in providing required documents or information, we reserve the right to apply an additional fee increase to your matter.
Final Balance: Ch. 7 Bankruptcy
In most Ch. 7 cases, the fee balance must be paid prior to filing your case with the bankruptcy court. If you would like to set up a weekly or monthly payment plan to pay your balance, simply advise us and we’ll gladly set you up with a payment plan that works for you. In the event you require your case to be filed with the bankruptcy court faster than you can afford to pay the fee balance (i.e., you are facing a repossession, wage garnishment, bank account garnishment, etc.), you may be eligible for financing your Ch. 7 fee. Here's how it works: After you sign an agreement with our firm, generally speaking, the court filing fees and costs will be paid up front and prior to filing. Prior to filing the case, the final balance and payment terms will be presented to you for approval. Typically, the remaining legal fee is then paid over a 10-month payment plan. This is typically only offered to clients facing imminent repossession, garnishment, etc. and is subject to approval.
Final Balance: Ch. 13 Bankruptcy
Standard Ch. 13 legal fees are established by the Bankruptcy Court. Depending on your case details and circumstances, this Ch. 13 fee may be included in your Ch. 13 payment plan, or it may be required to be paid in full prior to filing your case, or a combination of the two. In most cases, our clients choose to pay their fee in the plan since this requires the minimum up front investment and often results in a faster filing. In any event, at minimum, the court filing fees and costs must be paid prior to filing.
Thank you for choosing Fleysher Law to represent you in this unfortunate but necessary process. We look forward to working together toward your discharge and Fresh Start.
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