Vestavia Bankruptcy Lawyers & Attorneys

If you’re in the Jefferson County area and seeking financial relief from overwhelming debt, our Vestavia Hills bankruptcy attorneys currently charge a flat fee to file most Chapter 7 bankruptcy cases in and around Jefferson County. Our seasoned Vestavia Hills bankruptcy lawyer can help counsel you through the bankruptcy process if you are losing your battle with an unsustainable amount of debt.

Our Vestavia Hills bankruptcy lawyer can take a quick, over-the-phone consultation, normally the same day you call. In case an in-person meeting is needed, we can also arrange for that in our Vestavia Hills office. You’ll typically receive a call back the same day to briefly go over your financial situation.  We’ll set up a follow-up, in-person meeting if it’s needed for any reason. Whether you need a bankruptcy attorney in Vestavia Hills or any other area in Jefferson County, we work on your case.

Should you choose to file, there is some specific documentation you will need to gather and fill out, depending on your specifics. Typically the paperwork required includes the last two years’ tax returns, your last 6 months of income information in the form of bank statements, pay stubs, and a questionnaire filled out providing us the information we need to properly analyze your situation.   Once our local Vestavia Hills bankruptcy lawyer has reviewed your situation, we can help you zero in on the right course of action, determining if bankruptcy is the right option. If it is, we can move forward with the filing.

Usually, you’ll be filing a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy.  A Chapter 13 bankruptcy involves a 3-5 year payment plan. This plan allows you to pay your creditors off over time to settle the debt in a more manageable way. This option sometimes allow you to keep a home or vehicle that you are behind on since you may be able to take the arrears and spread them out over the length of the plan and avoid foreclosure or repossession as long as you make the small payment.

The most common form of bankruptcy that people tend to think of is a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, which is usually much quicker and simpler than a Chapter 13. Whichever type you opt for, our Vestavia Hills bankruptcy lawyer can help advise you on the best type of bankruptcy for you and your family.

When you file a Chapter 7 bankruptcy,  it eliminates your unsecured debts in a very short amount of time. While this option doesn’t eliminate all debts since some specific types of debt are protected from discharge in a Chapter 7 such as child support, certain student loans, or certain tax debts.  There are sometimes options available for even these types of debts but you would need to speak with our Vestavia Hills bankruptcy lawyer for more information since it is a little more complex.

For our Vestavia Hills bankruptcy attorney to file your Chapter 7 bankruptcy you must qualify, and this is based on your household income. If your household income for the last six months prior to filing is less than a number on an IRS chart for a family of your size in your state, then you qualify. If it is above that number, then you have to take something called the means test, which we can run for you to see if you do or not. To make these determinations, our bankruptcy attorney will need your last six months income information such as pay stubs for you and your spouse if they live with you to get started.

If you qualify for Chapter 7 and we get it filed for you, then you will have to go to one hearing called a Meeting of the Creditors or 341 Hearing.  Creditors do not usually show up for this meeting and it is usually an opportunity for the Trustee in your case to ask a few questions under oath.  One of our Vestavia Hills bankruptcy lawyers will be there with you for this meeting, and it is usually held about a month after you file the case.

If you need a bankruptcy lawyer in Birmingham, Hoover, Hueytown, Homewood, Sumiton, Jasper, or Vestavia, then we will likely be filing your bankruptcy in the United States District Court, Northern District of Alabama, Southern Division. If you live in the City of Vestavia Hills or anywhere else in Jefferson County, then your bankruptcy hearing will be at the Federal Building in downtown Birmingham. No matter where you live in Jefferson County our bankruptcy attorneys in Vestavia Hills can help get you the debt relief you need.

The attorney fees charged by our Vestavia Hills bankruptcy lawyer is currently a flat fee for simple, no asset Chapter 7 bankruptcy cases. Most Chapter 7 filings are included in this, but there may be additional costs if there are complex legal issues like divorce, corporate or other such issues that entail much more time to handle or are likely to involve hearings. However, there is always a filing fee that the court charges as well. There are also a few other fees for an online course you have to do and to pull your credit report, but to find out the total amount to file with us please call our Vestavia bankruptcy attorney today.

Although a Chapter 7 bankruptcy can be beneficial to you in potentially discharging your unsecured debts, sometimes another type of bankruptcy called a Chapter 13 is preferable.  A Chapter 13 case is much less expensive to get filed, since most of the attorney fees get paid in the five year payment plan, so there are less cost up front.  When you call our bankruptcy lawyers in Vestavia Hills and set up a consultation, we will go over your situation and help you figure out the best option for you.

The Harris Firm regularly files bankruptcy cases in the Jefferson County area and are familiar with the local requirements in the U.S. Courts there.  Our Vestavia bankruptcy attorney is a member of the Central Alabama Better Business Bureau and the local Birmingham Bar Association.  If you need a bankruptcy attorney in Trussville or anywhere else in Jefferson County, then give our Vestavia Hills bankruptcy attorneys a call today for a quick consultation.