Legal Question in Bankruptcy in Massachusetts

Re: Can I file without an attorney

Yes, you can file without an attorney. The do-it-yourself forms are available from Staples, Borders Bookstores, Barnes & Nobles, for about $30. Most people who do their own tax returns can understand most of the forms. The most confusing (and potentially the most dangerous) is Schedule C, the exemptions.

The filing fee is $200; my fee for a simple c. 7 is $500; I also offer a service for $75 in which you get and prepare a draft of the forms, and I review them, walk you through the process, and show you what needs to be corrected or changed with your forms. You complete the changes and file them.

Re: Can I file without an attorney

Yes, you can certainly file without an attorney. DO NOT, however, use any of the form preparation services around. They generally do it wrong, charge too much, and create more problems than they solve. That said, filing without an attorney is NOT a good idea because the forms you must complete are not always easy to understand for a layperson. Also, get an attorney that practices bankruptcy regularly; it is a sufficiently complex area of the law that a minor error can cause major headaches! I do about 95% bankruptcy, so (frankly) I recommend myself. Call for an appointment.