I had to duck into an Office Depot the other day to get some rubber bands and binder clips. Walking down one of the aisles, I came across a display full of “legal kits”. Have you seen these things? They had kits to draft wills, form businesses, and get divorced.
It just so happens that there was one for bankruptcy. Of course, I had to take a look at it. According to the cover of the kit, inside was everything you need to file a Chapter 7 bankruptcy. I wondered why I hadn’t just picked up one of these packets instead of spent years in law school and hours upon hours researching bankruptcy law to learn what this company purported to be able to provide in a neat little package. This would have made things so much easier.
Should you use one of these? I’ve written before that I don’t think that everyone who files needs an attorney. If you’re single and don’t own any real estate or personal property of significant value, you might be able to draft your own petition. I think you’ll still want to do a fair amount of research. I assume you’ll want to keep all your property. Do you know what property in Colorado is considered exempt or non-exempt? What happens if you forget to include a creditor? Preparing a bankruptcy petition requires more attention than just filling in blank forms. And keep in mind that according to statistics kept by the bankruptcy court a surprisingly high number of cases that are filed by people without an attorney get dismissed.
If you’re thinking about bankruptcy, take a look at these kits. Amazon sells one for $29.95. Maybe it’ll work for you. If you’re still feeling overwhelmed after you’ve looked at it, consider talking to a bankruptcy attorney.