How To Choose The Right Lawyer:
Which lawyer should I go to? This is an extremely important question. Filing bankruptcy will have a significant impact on your life for years to come.....but bankruptcy law is very complex, with many twists and turns, and traps for the unwary. If you need to file bankruptcy...choosing the right lawyer is critical.
In many cases, the simple truth is that the more experienced attorney will do a better job, which means getting you the most benefit from filing and avoiding the mistakes that someone less experienced is bound to make.
Don't take chances. Here are some of the questions to ask in order to find the best available bankruptcy lawyer:
1. Do you practice bankruptcy law full-time?
2. How many years have you done bankruptcy full-time?
3. How many bankruptcy cases have you filed?
4. How many Chapter 13 bankruptcy cases have you filed?
5. Do you attend all the Federal, State and local bankruptcy seminars?
6. Are you a member of the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys (NACBA)?
7. Are you Board Certified?
Do you practice bankruptcy law full-time?
You want a full-time Bankruptcy lawyer, who spends all his time representing people in bankruptcy. You want a lawyer who knows the Bankruptcy Code and the local rules....inside and out, who has a good, established working relationship with the local Trustee and knows his or her preferences, who has a good reputation before the local Bankruptcy Judge, who knows which way the local Bankruptcy Judge tends to lean on certain key issues, and who enjoys the respect of the local creditor lawyers.
What you don't want is the lawyer jack-of-all-trades....who does a little of everything...including bankruptcy. Think about it. He or she may be great at handling a real estate closing, drafting a will or and taking care of a speeding ticket...but the fact is....if a lawyer does anything other than bankruptcy..... he or she is obviously not spending all his or her time learning and staying sharp on bankruptcy law. There is a reason that lawyers limit their law practices to one area of law or another....and you want the lawyer that does nothing but bankruptcy law for a living. For instance....
What about the Law Offices of West & Associates?
How many years have you done bankruptcy full-time?
You have to be careful here. Lots of lawyers advertise years and years of experience. But the question should be "How many of those years did you spend doing nothing but bankruptcy law?" Generally....the more years....the better. For example, full time for 10 years is way better than full time for a month or even a year.
What about Richard E. West?
Richard West has actively practiced bankruptcy law since 1986.
He has limited his practice to bankruptcy law since 1997.
How many bankruptcy cases have you filed?
You want the best lawyer available. In most cases....the more cases a lawyer has filed....the more experience the lawyer brings to the table.....and the more expertise the lawyer brings to the table....the better the result, benefit and protection you and your family will get.
What about the Law Offices of Richard E. West?
We usually file between 85 and 100 cases per month.
How many Chapter 13 bankruptcy cases have you filed?
This is a very telling question. Lots of lawyers file a few Chapter 7 cases. Some even practice bankruptcy full-time......but only do Chapter 7 cases. In most cases.....Chapter 7 is much easier and less complicated than Chapter 13. In my experience.....the best, most experienced lawyers handle lots of both Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 cases.
What about the Law Offices of Richard West?
We consistently rank in the top filers of chapter 13 cases in the Dayton Bankruptcy Court.
Do you attend all the Federal, State and local bankruptcy seminars?
Bar Associations and Bankruptcy Courts put on seminars every year. We attend the major national seminars no matter where in the country they are held. We travel to Chicago, New Orleans, Boston, wherever we need to go to stay on top of the changes in Bankruptcy Law.
Are you a member of the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys (NACBA)?
This is the one national association for consumer bankruptcy attorneys. Not all good bankruptcy attorneys are a member, but membership in this organization is generally a good indication of a strong commitment to providing the very best in bankruptcy services to the public.
What about the Law Offices of Richard E. West?
All of our lawyers are members of NACBA.
Is the attorney Board Certified?
You expect certification from your doctor - expect it from your lawyer too.
Board Certification means that the certified attorney has met rigorous, objective standards and has demonstrated knowledge in bankruptcy and/or creditors' rights law. Hiring an attorney with expertise in any specialized field of law can be a bewildering experience. As a client, you want to make sure your counsel is experienced in the particular field. Unfortunately, prospective clients usually have little objective criteria on which to rely.
The American Board of Certification's (ABC) programs are designed to identify and recognize those attorneys in consumer or business bankruptcy who have met or exceeded rigorous certification standards relating to experience, continuing legal education, integrity, and peer review; in addition to demonstrating a sophisticated understanding of the law in their specialty area.
Richard E. West is the Dayton area’s ONLY Board Certified Consumer Bankruptcy Attorney.