Filing Michigan Bankruptcy

Questions About Filing Michigan Bankruptcy?

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I filled out the form, now what?

Congrats! It’s all smooth sailing from here. Taking the first step is always the hardest. If you didn’t fill out the form (maybe it’s broken?) you can always click on the chat bubble in the bottom right corner of your screen. That’s actually us. We’re not a robot or a call center in India so it might take a second while I put down my coffee before I respond. If it says “offline” it’s probably because I went home or got overwhelmed. You can still click on it, however, and I’ll get an email instead of a chat.

If you’re old fashioned, you can also always call (248) 237-7979,
email, or stop by. There’s also a ‘Bankruptcy Evaluation Form’ on this page. That form is helpful for giving us an idea about your situation. Any of the methods mentioned will get our attention. Hopefully you’ll find that we’re easier to get in touch with than most law firms. Whenever possible, Scott and I try to answer the incoming calls ourselves. We figure that nobody is calling to talk to a paralegal anyway, so we may as well let the office staff stay productive. If we’re busy with other clients or in court we’ll get back to you within hours, not days. You also aren’t forced to make an appointment just to talk to your bankruptcy attorney. Filing Michigan Bankruptcy shouldn’t be that hard.

How Much Does it Cost to File  Bankruptcy in Michigan?

I recently danced around some ballpark costs and fees for a Chapter 7 bankruptcy.  You can find that on our blog. You can also find the court’s filing fees on their website. There are essentially three costs to filing Michigan bankruptcy cases with the help of a lawyer:

1. (1) The attorney fee
2. (2) Filing fees paid directly to the court.
3. (3) Mandatory credit counseling and debtor education

How to File Bankruptcy in Michigan for Free?

I covered those fees in my previous blog post. I’d also be happy to further explain the costs to you either in person or over the phone. Filing for Chapter 7 in Michigan requires a $335 fee paid to the court. When people are Googling “How to File Bankruptcy for Free in Michigan,” I suspect they’re talking about attorney fees. Filing costs and credit counseling fees can be waived. It’s not easy to get those fees waived, however. You have to prove your income is below a certain point. I’d highly recommend anticipating having to pay them and hoping for the best. Otherwise, you might find your case being dismissed for lack of payment.

How to File Bankruptcy in Michigan without a Lawyer?

Again, I strongly encourage you to use an attorney whenever possible. Filing Michigan bankruptcy is complex. Please don’t try to do it yourself just because you assume you won’t be able to afford an attorney. You definitely aren’t the first person who needs to file bankruptcy but is short on cash. We’re able to work with clients no matter their ability to pay. You’ll be surprised by how many solutions we have. We can even file certain cases without the client paying anything out of pocket. We offer our clients payment options and can oftentimes recover garnishments that have already been taken!

The other route (unless you know all the required forms already) is to use a bankruptcy petition preparer. I think this scares me more than clients trying it themselves. Check out the Detroit News if you want to see some of the problems with bankruptcy petition preparers. This one in particular was sentenced last week to 4 years in prison.

The short answer was no. You don’t need a lawyer to be filing Michigan bankruptcy cases. I think it’s an incredibly risky idea, however. If you’re still thinking about trying it, please give me a call first so I can at least tell you what to look out for. I promise I won’t try to sell you on using our firm if you tell me you’re going to do it yourself. I just really would love the opportunity to warn you about the biggest mistakes most people make.

Any other advice on filing Michigan Bankruptcy?

Tons. Google also suggests questions like “how often can I file for bankruptcy in Michigan” and “how much debt do I need to file Chapter 7 bankruptcy?” I’ve answered a bunch of these questions in various places on this website. Poke around for as long as you like. If there’s something specific I can help you with, please don’t hesitate to call.

We specialize in filing Michigan bankruptcy cases. Please let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.