Pro se bankruptcy filings (bankruptcy filings in which the debtor represents himself or herself) are not uncommon in Pennsylvania. However, there are a number of pitfalls that await the unwary debtor. If you make mistakes while representing yourself, you can lose assets and you may not get the relief you were hoping for.
At the law firm of Gross & Patterson, LLC, in Pittsburgh, our lawyers offer a free initial consultation to discuss your case and explain what is involved in filing bankruptcy.
Bankruptcy is complicated even for bankruptcy lawyers. The law allows you to discharge some debts but not others. Bankruptcy exemptions allow you to protect some assets, but other assets may be seized by the trustee to pay your creditors. There are also different types of bankruptcy, and one may be better for you based on your financial situation.
Here are some of the things that can go wrong when you file your own bankruptcy on a pro se basis:
- You could fail to obtain a discharge of debt.
- You could lose assets that are not protected by bankruptcy exemptions.
- You could be charged with bankruptcy fraud.
- You could file the wrong type of bankruptcy protection and not obtain the goals you wanted to achieve.
- You may need to hire a lawyer anyway to fix the mistakes in your application.
Before you attempt to file bankruptcy on your own, you should talk to an experienced lawyer. Hiring an attorney may be less expensive than you think and could end up saving you thousands of dollars.
Contact a Pennsylvania Fresh Start Lawyer
To schedule a free initial consultation with our Pittsburgh bankruptcy rights lawyers, call 412-567-4732 or fill out the contact form on this website.
