Online Bankruptcy Evaluations

Due to the dramatic increase in technology, business professionals now have the ability to outsource their skills and earn extra money working from home as a bankruptcy forms processor. Unlike an attorney or notary public, a bankruptcy forms processor does not have jurisdictional limits. In other words, a bankruptcy forms processor could live in Yellow Springs, Ohio and prepare bankruptcy petitions, pleadings, Motions and other court documents for attorneys practicing in California, New York or any other U.S. state.

In fact, a bankruptcy forms processor can set up a bankruptcy business in their home with very little money and earn a full-time income very quickly. This concept has also opened the door for attorneys practicing in other areas of law to open a sideline bankruptcy practice, and many of these attorneys seek a freelance forms processor to process their paperwork for them.

This is where you as a bankruptcy forms processor can fill a need that is becoming more popular as electronic filing procedures become more the norm. In fact, some states now require electronic filing of all court documents. Paper documents are only accepted by the court from consumers or in other rare circumstances. It will not be long before all the states will have electronic filing procedures in place and those resisting the change will be left behind.

A typical bankruptcy forms processing business might operate like this:

1. Client either downloads or is emailed a set of Client Intake Forms in PDF format to print and fill out at their leisure.

2. Client will fax or email their completed forms to the attorney or forms processor for review. If the attorney decides to accept the bankruptcy case, the forms processor can begin drafting the bankruptcy petition from the information provided on the Client Intake Forms.

3. Areas of the Client Intake Forms that are not properly completed by the client or containing statements that require a more detailed answer would be easy to take care of. The forms processor or attorney will simply call up the client and obtain the information. No appointment would be necessary.

4. After the drafting of the bankruptcy petition, the forms processor saves the document in PDF format and sends it to the attorney as an attachment on an email.

5. At this point the attorney may wish to meet with the clients to review their bankruptcy petition before filing, but it is not absolutely necessary. Some attorneys I worked for never meet the client face-to-face except when they showed up at court. They communicated with the client by email or telephone.

Note: Electronically filed documents do not require the client’s signature so it is not necessary to meet the clients face-to-face before filing the bankruptcy petition. An attorney is provided with an electronic signature by the court that he uses to sign all electronic documents filed on behalf of the client he or she represents.

6. After the attorney receives the bankruptcy petition by email, he or she will save it on their computer under the client file name and begin the review. The attorney can either print out the bankruptcy petition and make changes with an ink pen, or review it on the computer screen and note any changes in an email to the forms processor.

7. After the attorney has approved or made changes to the bankruptcy petition, he or she will email it back to the forms processor. The forms processor will make the changes and prepare a final bankruptcy petition ready for electronic filing. The forms processor emails the final petition to the attorney for final approval.

8. Upon approval by the attorney, the forms processor will electronically file the bankruptcy petition with the proper court or email to the attorney for printing, copying and filing.

As you can begin to see, it would be very easy to start a forms processor service working from home. So if you were like me and are tired of the office politics and playing the mental games, you now have the opportunity to work from a peaceful home environment where you can focus more on each case and give your clients the personal touch that will set your business apart from the big companies.

** This article is a book excerpt from, “How to Start a Bankruptcy Forms Processing Service” by Victoria Ring, Certified Paralegal. More information is available online at http://www.50statenotary.com/bankruptcybook

Victoria Ring is a Certified Paralegal and Notary Signing Agent. She started the first electronic bankruptcy paralegal service on the internet (The Lawyer Assistant) to serve attorneys nationwide. Visit her website at http://www.50statenotary.com/bankruptcybook

On October 17, 2005 President Bush’s sweeping bankruptcy reform law goes into effect forever changing the rules of debt collection in this natiion. Consumer advocates and the public appear to be completely unaware of the total and complete victory of the creditors under the new legislation. This article opens the door to the Trogan Horse so that consumers can prepare themselves for the worse.

The most important aspect of the bankruptcy code was the “automatic stay” provision. This allowed consumers to file for bankruptcy at anytime during the creditor’s collection process putting an immediate stop to all contact and collection activities from the creditor. The new law requires that a debtor receive credit counseling from an approved non-profit credit counseling agency for 180 days prior to filing Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy.

While this may sound benevolent, a much closer look at the practical effect of this provision reveals the crafty peeling of the debtor’s rights. The 180 day requirement is to provide the credit counseling agency the opportunity to work out payment plans with creditors. However, during this same period of time the creditor is not restrained from collection efforts. For example, Margaret is a homeowner in Jacksonville, Florida and is six months behind on her mortgage. As a rule, credit counseling agencies only work with credit card companies and have little or no training with dealing with mortgage companies.

After receiving foreclosure papers, Margaret goes to see her attorney to file for bankruptcy and is told that she must first seek credit counseling before filing for bankruptcy protection. Meanwhile, the foreclosure proceeds on schedule and a sale date is set 120 days later. However, Margaret still has not completed her 180 day requirement. What will happen to Margaret’s home? That’s right! The home will be sold and she cannot stop the sale by filing bankruptcy.

This is the most sweeping shift in debt collection in the past 50 years. Margaret’s only hope will be to work out a repayment plan or a loan restructure with her mortgage company. This is a process called loss mitigation and is explained in great detail to consumers in our new book, How to Save Your Home, ISBN#09753754-0-7, $19.95, SYH University, LLC, 2005 which is sold at Amazon.com.

Loss Mitigation works because lenders lose an average of $28,000 to $50,000 per foreclosure nationwide. It is a myth that the lender wants your home and makes a profit off of foreclosure. A lender has to pay attorney fees, court and collection costs, maintain fire insurance, hire a real estate professional, repair structural and other damage to the home, and pay property taxes. The homeowner can work out an agreement with the lender in over 90% of cases. Our company has provided housing counseling service to thousands of homeowners and loss mitigation absolutely works.

In conclusion, it is up to the consumer to educate and prepare themselves for worse case scenarios. How to Save Your Home is an excellent training tool and will teach homeowners how to protect themselves under the new bankruptcy law. Most Americans do not have health or disability insurance and are vulnerable to job layoffs because of a stagnant economy. Who amongst us is immune to heart attacks, business failure, strokes, law suits, tax liens or other challenges that life sometimes presents. One pay check is literally what separates many families from home security and despair and the new bankruptcy law will severly punish those who slip behind on their mortgage payments.

Herbert Addison, JD, CHC is a Certified Housing Counselor and a member of the Virginia Association of Housing Counselors. Mr. Addison is co-author of the new book, How to Save Your Home, and has helped thousands of families to save their homes from foreclosure sales.

Policy holders generally seem unaware, or uncaring, that they are probably paying more than they need to for their car insurance. While most vehicle owners would tend to agree on the need to look for the cheapest possible car insurance - they would also see the need to ensure, where at all possible, that they receive the cover they are paying for and the service is at the correct level.

You should never pay for things you don’t need. And it’s just the same with Car Insurance. It’s a real waste of hard earned money to pay for items of cover that are just not needed.

For instance, lets say your car is old and when you get a quote for car insurance you find that the premium you have to pay is more than ten percent of your cars value. This is a good indicator that there is no reason to have comprehensive coverage in your car insurance. But why should that be so?

The answer is simple. Comprehensive coverage reimburses you in case of any damage to your car that is not a result of a collision with another car including, theft, flooding and fire. If your car is not of high value there is no reason to have this coverage. But what about car theft?

The best way to prevent theft is the old way - installing anti theft devices. These are significantly cheaper than comprehensive car insurance and will probably last longer than your car! As an added bonus, your insurance company will charge you a lesser premium because their statistics tell them these devices will help prevent theft.

But always remember that the insurance industry is constantly changing, like most others, so you must make sure you are updated on anything new that may affect your cover or your premium. With that in mind you should make a point of going online every few months and complete a car insurance quote.

You may be surprised at what you find. Compare prices and you’ll probably find it’s easy to get cheaper car insurance.

You must always make sure that the cover you are being quoted on is right for you. Always enter accurate information, but don’t be afraid to, for example, change from male main driver to female main driver, if that’s appropriate in your circumstances. If this can be done it could save a significant amount.

Raising deductibles from, say, $250 to $500 often results in a saving of ten percent.

This article outlines just a few of the strategies you could adopt which would make a difference to the cost of your car insurance.

Tony Smith (A W Smith) has been a full time Internet Marketer for a number of years and a freelance author for the past 18 months. Any time not on the computer is usually spent trying to improve his golf game. If you found this article interesting you can see other articles by Tony at http://www.anyonecould.com

If you’re worried about car insurance because of a bad driving record, there may be some things you can do to save money. Here are some tips.

Consider raising your deductibles. While you work to improve your driving record, which takes time, you can ask for a higher deductible on your comprehensive and collision coverage to get a lower premium.

Do you really need all of those features? The more features your policy has the more it will probably cost. Right now’s a good time to consider getting rid of rental car reimbursement and towing coverage.

Consider a less expensive car. If you drive a less expensive car, you may want to carry only collision coverage and not comprehensive coverage to lower your insurance costs.

Improve your credit score. Believe it or not, insurance companies often use credit scores to help determine risk. The higher the risk you are to them, the more they will charge. One way to help lower your risk is to improve your credit score.

Comparison shop. You’d be surprised at how car insurance costs can vary between companies. Do some comparison shopping by getting at least three different quotes. Make sure you are comparing the same coverages and features between quotes or your comparison won’t be accurate. Be truthful about your driving record. Car insurance companies spend a lot of effort to combat insurance fraud and can find out if you’ve lied. This will only make things harder for you because they will probably cancel your policy. What’s more, this may make it harder for you to get insurance from another company.

Scott Lunt is a freelance writer with over 15 years experience writing insurance-related articles. You can compare car insurance quotes and find more tips on saving on car, home, life, health and long-term care insurance at LowerYourInsurance.com. The site also includes a handy worksheet to help you when shopping for car insurance.

Today, America’s middle class seems to be more in debt than ever before. This could be because of the difficult job scenario, ever-increasing medical costs, or even the growing divorces that result in high alimony or child support. Increasingly, many are finding it difficult to repay their loans. Personal bankruptcy laws are legal provisions that help individuals pay off their debts, allowing individuals who show honesty to have a fresh start.

There are two ways to be declared bankrupt - either a person could willingly declare bankruptcy, or creditors could take legal proceedings to have the person declared bankrupt. It is much better to for an individual to voluntarily declare bankruptcy. Once you have legally filed the documents, your creditors must stop harassing you for payments. However, do remember that this does not affect a loan on a car or mortgages on homes. In either case, the bankruptcy courts appoint an attorney as a trustee to oversee the payments. They are known as the “trustee in bankruptcy” or the “TIB.”

Once bankruptcy is declared, debtors can pay off what they owe by splitting up their “non-exempt” resources and assets. After these have been distributed, individuals can be released of most of their financial responsibilities. This happens even if all the debts have not been paid. As long as the bankruptcy proceedings are pending, debtors are protected from extra-bankruptcy actions, legally a “stay” is declared.

There are two types of personal bankruptcy laws: Chapter 7 bankruptcy law, also called the Liquidation or Straight Bankruptcy, and Chapter 13 or Wage Earner Bankruptcy.

Some property owned by the debtor is sold to repay debts under the Chapter 7 bankruptcy laws. The proceedings of the property sold would be used to pay off credit card bills, though it cannot be used to pay off child support, student loans, car loans, housing mortgages, and other taxes. Under this law, most paybacks are made ninety days after filing for bankruptcy.

Sometimes it could happen that the debtors own no property and so they lose nothing. To find a way out of this, the “Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005” was established. This amendment made it difficult for people to apply for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Under this law a “means test” is taken to check if the individual or family earns enough to support themselves and earn an “excess” to pay back their debts.

If the individual has the income and resources to pay back, he or she would have to file for bankruptcy under the Chapter 13 Personal Bankruptcy law. This way, the debtor can keep all his or her property, but regular payments would have to be made to a trustee who distributes it among the creditors. Under this law, child support and alimony payments became first priority when excess income is divided. This payback time under the Chapter 13 laws could be for three to five years. When debtors apply for this, they must give their current tax return statements. It is mandatory to undergo a federally approved credit counseling program before filing.

Before filing, you visit websites like ks.essortment.com/personalbankrup_ryip.htm and creditadvice-usa.com for more details. Before anyone declares personal bankruptcy, do be aware of the laws and hire a competent attorney. This will ensure that you will have a fair representation that will help in paying back debts in a favorable manner.

Personal Bankruptcy provides detailed information on Personal Bankruptcy, Bankruptcy Personal Loans, Filing Personal Bankruptcy, Personal Bankruptcy Advice and more. Personal Bankruptcy is affiliated with Bankrupt Houses.

As a Canadian bankruptcy trustee with a head office in Kitchener, Ontario, I know from experience that virtually no-one ever expects to file for personal bankruptcy. However, if you realize that personal bankruptcy is the only practical option for dealing with your debts, here are some tips to turbo charge the personal bankruptcy process so that you can finish the process efficiently, and get back on track as quickly as possible once you are discharged from bankruptcy.

First, use the bankruptcy as a fresh start. Learn as much as you can about budgeting and personal money management so that you never repeat your past mistakes. Analyze how you got into financial trouble in the first place, so that you minimize your chances of ever having financial problems again.

Second, start saving money. Whether you have filed a personal bankruptcy or consumer proposal in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, or you filed a chapter 7 or chapter 13 bankruptcy in the United States, you will not have any unsecured credit like credit cards or bank loans. At some point in the future you will want to buy a car, purchase a house, or perhaps help a child or grandchild pay for college or university. How can you borrow again with a bankruptcy on your credit report? You can recover from bankruptcy if you tart a savings plan now. Don’t wait until the bankruptcy is over. Start saving a small amount immediately. Even it if it’s only $15 or $20 each week, start the savings habit now; it’s great practice for the future.< .

Next, put your savings in a high interest savings account. As you earn interest your your money grows, which will give you even more incentive to keep saving money.Use your savings to start an emergency fund. Since you can't borrow when an emergency arises, make sure you have some money available (perhaps up to three months worth of expenses) in case you have emergency expenses.

Fourth, review with your trustee all of your duties during the bankruptcy process. By completing all of your duties on time you increase the chances that your bankruptcy will end promptly.While you are bankrupt, keep a budget each month.

If you follow all of these steps, you will turbo charge the bankruptcy process, finishing on time and getting back on track financially.

J. Douglas Hoyes is a chartered accountant, licensed trustee in bankruptcy, and co-founder of Hoyes, Michalos & Associates Inc., one of Ontario, Canada’s largest personal insolvency firms helping people understand bankruptcy, and all of their bankruptcy alternatives. Visit http://www.bankruptcy-kitchener.com for information about personal bankruptcy in Kitchener and choosing a bankruptcy trustee

While bankruptcy seems like an easy way out for some people there are a lot of things to consider before you file bankruptcy. The process is not always the same and it depends on who is actually filing. If a person or an individual files bankruptcy the process is completely different than if a business files for bankruptcy. For example, a business cannot even file for Chapter 13 bankruptcy. Instead the business must file a Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

A sole proprietorship must file Chapter 11 also. However, if an individual who owns a sole proprietorship files bankruptcy, they may file under Chapter 13. They would then take on the business related debts which they are personally (and legally) responsible for.

In order to file bankruptcy under Chapter 13, the individual must have a steady earnings or else they will not qualify. A steady income is income that will always occur at regular intervals (daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually). Your normal salary or hourly wage can fund a Chapter 13 bankruptcy. To get a good idea of what type of steady income qualifies, here are some examples: commissions from sales, disability, unemployment, worker’s compensation, self employment, child support, and real estate.

The individual who will file bankruptcy needs to be able to support themselves on this steady income. This has to cover your daily needs and anything that is necessary to survive. The individual must also have some money left over each month. This money is used to pay off the remaining debts they have. This is a lengthy process that can go on for a few years. The amount that must be paid each month is different for each bankruptcy case. The total amount of debt the individual is in will play a large role.

Please visit the author’s website for more information on how to File Bankruptcy and other financial topics.

On October 17, 2005 President Bush’s sweeping bankruptcy reform law goes into effect forever changing the rules of debt collection in this natiion. Consumer advocates and the public appear to be completely unaware of the total and complete victory of the creditors under the new legislation. This article opens the door to the Trogan Horse so that consumers can prepare themselves for the worse.

The most important aspect of the bankruptcy code was the “automatic stay” provision. This allowed consumers to file for bankruptcy at anytime during the creditor’s collection process putting an immediate stop to all contact and collection activities from the creditor. The new law requires that a debtor receive credit counseling from an approved non-profit credit counseling agency for 180 days prior to filing Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy.

While this may sound benevolent, a much closer look at the practical effect of this provision reveals the crafty peeling of the debtor’s rights. The 180 day requirement is to provide the credit counseling agency the opportunity to work out payment plans with creditors. However, during this same period of time the creditor is not restrained from collection efforts. For example, Margaret is a homeowner in Jacksonville, Florida and is six months behind on her mortgage. As a rule, credit counseling agencies only work with credit card companies and have little or no training with dealing with mortgage companies.

After receiving foreclosure papers, Margaret goes to see her attorney to file for bankruptcy and is told that she must first seek credit counseling before filing for bankruptcy protection. Meanwhile, the foreclosure proceeds on schedule and a sale date is set 120 days later. However, Margaret still has not completed her 180 day requirement. What will happen to Margaret’s home? That’s right! The home will be sold and she cannot stop the sale by filing bankruptcy.

This is the most sweeping shift in debt collection in the past 50 years. Margaret’s only hope will be to work out a repayment plan or a loan restructure with her mortgage company. This is a process called loss mitigation and is explained in great detail to consumers in our new book, How to Save Your Home, ISBN#09753754-0-7, $19.95, SYH University, LLC, 2005 which is sold at Amazon.com.

Loss Mitigation works because lenders lose an average of $28,000 to $50,000 per foreclosure nationwide. It is a myth that the lender wants your home and makes a profit off of foreclosure. A lender has to pay attorney fees, court and collection costs, maintain fire insurance, hire a real estate professional, repair structural and other damage to the home, and pay property taxes. The homeowner can work out an agreement with the lender in over 90% of cases. Our company has provided housing counseling service to thousands of homeowners and loss mitigation absolutely works.

In conclusion, it is up to the consumer to educate and prepare themselves for worse case scenarios. How to Save Your Home is an excellent training tool and will teach homeowners how to protect themselves under the new bankruptcy law. Most Americans do not have health or disability insurance and are vulnerable to job layoffs because of a stagnant economy. Who amongst us is immune to heart attacks, business failure, strokes, law suits, tax liens or other challenges that life sometimes presents. One pay check is literally what separates many families from home security and despair and the new bankruptcy law will severly punish those who slip behind on their mortgage payments.

Herbert Addison, JD, CHC is a Certified Housing Counselor and a member of the Virginia Association of Housing Counselors. Mr. Addison is co-author of the new book, How to Save Your Home, and has helped thousands of families to save their homes from foreclosure sales.

If you think that being bankrupt is the worst thing that could happen to you than think again! Yes you are right…Worst is yet to come, but of course you can control and eliminate that worst scenario by simply making correct decisions! Hiring a wrong attorney for filing your bankruptcy tip can be like a nightmare coming true!

So it is better that before hiring you do some research and make sure that you find an attorney who could really show you way attorney who could really show you way out from the bankrupcy mess!

Facts about selecting the Attorneys:

As most of the attorneys are usually overworked, they aren’t able to give ear to full details of your case. You may feel that your attorney isn’t pursuing your case the way you want him to pursue and ultimately you will feel irritated.

Many of the attorneys aren’t qualified enough to lead your bankruptcy case. So such attorneys don’t fulfill your expectations. Certificates are important indicators to judge whether the attorney is qualified enough or not.

Asking from friends won’t take you to any good lawyer, unless your friend has gone through filing for bankruptcy but it may be useful to take advice from legal professionals.

You can even go to a bankruptcy court and observe the attorneys there. Maybe during your observation, you will find some attorneys who are good enough for you. Once you find the attorney, you can satisfy yourself completely by asking him the right questions. A short conversation can tell you a lot about the attorney you have chosen. You can ask him about his expertise and his working and consultation hours. After conversation, you can evaluate the attorney to see if that attorney is really right for you or not!

Once you select the attorney, you must discuss with him what type of bankruptcy should you file? There are eight different types for filing bankruptcy. You attorney can best point out which type suits you for filing chapter 7 bankruptcy.

Secondly, you need to ask him how you can delcare bankruptcy. You have to file for your bankruptcy in the state where you are living. The Attorney can prepare the necessary paperwork that would be needed to present to the courts.

Thirdly, you must know the fees that are involved in the filing for bankruptcy. The total fees will comprise of the attorney’s fees plus the court fees that you need to submit to file for your bankruptcy.

Fourth, you must know where you should file your bankruptcy claim. You need to consult your attorney on how to get there and what documentation is required. Finally you must know the after effects of filing for bankruptcy. As soon as you file for bankruptcy, creditors will receive notification from the courts and will not be allowed to contact debtor for payments. A hearing in court will be set. The case will proceed depending on type of bankruptcy filed.

Remember that this is your fight, so you have to be really involved in it and follow the case. You just cannot leave everything on the attorney!

Budgeting

You need to plan ahead, make a budget with all your income and expenses and consider what monthly installments you will be able to afford and are willing to pay. According to this information you’ll be able to select which payment schedule best suits your needs when you get loan quotes from each of the lenders.

Pull your credit Report

You need to pull your credit report before applying for a loan. Request a free copy of your credit report to the credit agencies. Credit Agencies are required by law to provide you a credit report once a year. Check that everything is in order and that no unnecessary accounts remain open.

Budgeting is essential. If you think that your income or expenses may be modified and you’ll end up not being able to repay the loan, then consider buying a cheaper car or requesting a longer repayment schedule. Falling behind your payments or defaulting not only risks repossession but it also can lead you to bad credit or even bankruptcy.

If you notice any mistake, contact the agencies immediately to have it rectified. Do not postpone this suggestion as it can greatly improve your credit score. You wouldn’t believe how many loan rejections have been the results of credit agencies mistakes.

Apply with a lender dealing with car loans

There are many lenders out there, but it is best to apply with those who specialize in car loans as they’ll be able to get you a better deal since they are used to dealing with a car loan process and are accustomed to providing loans for people with bad credit, no credit and bankruptcy.

Since car loans can be secured by using the car as collateral, it is possible for those with less than perfect credit to apply for a car loan. There are lenders specialized in bad credit auto loans, some of them require down payments but there are others that are willing to finance 100% of the car value.

Online car loan lenders are better since you won’t have to move nor do paperwork till the loan is approved. And since they have fewer costs, they usually charge less interest. There are some sites that gather different car loan lenders and provide access to all of them so you don’t need to go searching around the net. Contact each lender and request loan quotes, evaluate your options and then decide. Always remember: Only fools rush in.

Refinancing

Once your credit has improved, you should consider refinancing. You’ll be able to save thousands of dollars by reducing the amount paid on interests or you may be able to extend your repayment program so you won’t have to make sacrifices in order to pay for your car.

Mary Wise, a professional consultant with twenty years in the financial field, helps people in the process of securing personal loans, mortgage, refinance or consolidation loans and preventing consumers from falling into the hands of fraudulent lenders.

You can visit her site and get aid for Car Loans regardless of your credit. If the link doesn’t work, just copy badcreditloanservices.com and paste it in your browser’s address bar.