Seattle Bankruptcy Attorney Review

You’re in deep debt.  You want a fresh start & have decided to explore the option of bankruptcy.  You have many unanswered questions, such as: ”Am I qualified for a Ch. 7 or Ch.13?” or “What happens to my assets when I file for bankruptcy?”

When seeking a Seattle Bankruptcy Attorney, it is absolutely crucial that you use a “qualifying standard” prior to hiring that attorney, or you could find yourself in a lot of trouble and perhaps even in deeper debt then you were before.

Here are a few key points to consider when seeking a qualified bankruptcy attorney:

How do they rank on the LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell Ratings?

If you’re seeking to compare lawyers in terms of level of their experience, ethical standards, legal knowledge and overall capacity for excellence, you’re in luck, because the work has already been done for you. The LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings is a 3rd party ranking system established by LexisNexis & Martindale-Hubbell, two of the largest legal firm servicing companies on this planet, with active profiles of over a million lawyers.

There are only three ranks available, AV attorneys, BV attorneys and Rated attorneys.

An AV rating is designated for attorneys with only the highest level of achievement & experience.  An attorney with an AV rating is typically top-tier, the type of attorney that is highly respected among other attorneys, boasting an extremely vast list of satisfied clients & partners.

A BV rating is designated for attorneys with some level of experience and is a respected mark of achievement.  While it falls short of an AV rating, BV rated attorneys are still very qualified for the job.

When an attorney is simply Rated without an AV or BV rank, this shows that they do stand out from the crowd in terms of reputation & ethical standing.  While this ranking falls short of both the AV & BV ratings, attorneys that are rated with LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell still remain among the finest of attorneys.

So when seeking an attorney, which ranking should you be searching for?  You tell me.  Onto the next point:

Is Bankruptcy in your Best Interest?

More often then not, homeowners will rush into bankruptcy without considering alternative options such as debt settlement (negotiating with their creditors).  Bankruptcy attorneys profit from submitting the paperwork and representing you in court, so find an attorney who is willing to give you general counsel for little to no cost (this is typically not possible unless you are working with a Legal Shield attorney).  You need to make sure that if you move forward with bankruptcy, that you’ve explored every other option and have determined that it is indeed in your best interest.

How Much is the Attorney Charging you for General Legal Counsel?

In light of Legal Shield (see above section), there really is no reason why you should pay any attorney $200-300 an hour for general legal consultation.  It should you cost you no more then $17 a month for unlimited consultation, so don’t trap yourself into an $800 bill for having a couple conversations over coffee with an attorney.

How Many Years of Experience does your Attorney Actually Have?

I have, in the past, worked with attorneys without verifying their track records, wrongfully assuming that just because an attorney is licensed and/or works with a reputable firm, that they have enough experience to work with my clients.  This is far from the truth.

When seeking an attorney, one way of gauging their level of experience is simply to find out how long they have been in the business.  I typically like to work with attorneys with 15-25 years in this business.  Anything less does not necessarily mean that they can’t get the job done, but I have noticed that the longer an attorney has worked in a particular field, the easier it is to figure out how competent they will be for the task at hand.

Where Can I find an Experienced, AV ranked Bankrtupcy Attorney?

Seattle Short Sale Blog endorses the use of Washington’s Legal Shield Firm for general counsel and discount bankruptcy services.  The founder of this firm is an AV ranked attorney with 25+ years of experience in law.   I recommend using Legal Shield to obtain general legal counsel and if it truly is in your best interest to file for bankruptcy, to work with their designated Bankruptcy Attorneys for the actual filing process.

In summary, finding a qualified bankruptcy lawyer/attorney can be an easy process as long as you abide by the golden rule:  “you know a tree by its fruits.”  Work with someone with a proven track record and you should see great results.