Moving forward with a bankruptcy filing can be an emotional decision and one that many people only make when they believe they have no other options. If you’ve just made that decision, or are looking for advice as to whether there are alternatives you’re not aware of, the best thing you can do is to seek help from an experienced bankruptcy attorney who will patiently review your documents, assess your situation and give you their opinion on your best path forward.  To make sure that your bankruptcy attorney has a complete sense of your financial situation, you need to provide them with as much information as possible.

Though you may dread the idea of gathering all of your financial documents, they are what will provide your attorney with the clearest possible picture of which assets you will be able to keep and which you may need to sacrifice, as well as whether you are likely to qualify for a Chapter 7 bankruptcy as compared to a Chapter 13 bankruptcy. They may even be able to help you find a way out of your situation without pursuing a bankruptcy at all.

So what should you bring to your first meeting?

The documents that you provide your bankruptcy attorney for review will serve as a starting point to help them determine whether your debt is indeed too overwhelming for you to overcome. They will serve as the foundation for their presentation to the court. Though there will likely be more information needed in the future, you’ll begin with a complete list of both your outstanding debts and your major assets such as your home, any vehicles you own, and what you have in the bank or investments.  You’ll also want to provide a recent pay stub and a summary of your monthly expenses. Bringing bills and statements is helpful, but as long as the information that you provide is accurate it will be unnecessary for your first meeting. If you choose to move forward you will be given a checklist of all the documents you need, which will include receipts, copies of titles and tax returns, and more.

For assistance in making sense of what you should do in the face of overwhelming debt, contact our bankruptcy attorneys today. We can help.