It’s hard to find much positive to say about the COVID-19 global pandemic, but one good thing is its timing from a technology perspective. The internet and the advent of advanced communications technology have made it possible for us to keep in touch with loved ones, tp have telemedicine appointments with physicians, and to continue doing business of all kinds, including filing for bankruptcy. Accommodations have been made to previously stringent rules, and that means that doctors are willing to write prescriptions without actually seeing patients, schools are willing to let students take tests without being proctored, and courts are allowing those who are in isolation to file bankruptcy papers and have lawyers represent them without having to actually leave their homes.

The easing of existing requirements won’t be of help to those who intended to represent themselves in bankruptcy proceedings: it will be necessary to rely upon a bankruptcy attorney to accomplish your goal. The good news is that you will be able to interview most bankruptcy attorneys online, and you can do your due diligence by reading reviews on social media,  as well as by asking friends or family members about their experiences or knowledge of reputable attorneys who have helped them or people they know to get past their debt problems. When you make contact with these attorneys, make sure that you ask them about their willingness and ability to proceed on your behalf while you remain at home. Attorneys who are unable to make this accommodation for you should be thanked for their time and then bypassed unless you have time to wait for the COVID-19 crisis to pass.

Attorneys who are able to help you will make use of email, scanning of documents and other technology tools to make sure that all of the necessary paperwork that is required by the bankruptcy court can be sent back and forth between you, your attorney, the courts and your creditors.  You will also still need to take credit counseling and debtor education courses as part of the process, and those are also available online.

Though it may feel strange to go through such an important legal proceeding without ever meeting an attorney in person or going to court, filing for bankruptcy is a process that is best done as quickly as possible so that you can move ahead with a fresh start on your financial health.  For information on how we can help, contact us today.