What am I going to be asked at a bankruptcy consultation? 32 Answers as of June 17, 2011

In California - you need to bring your drivers license and social security card. You should have already provided a copy of your tax return. The questions in a Chapter 7 usually are: did you read your petition before you filed? did you list all your assets and all your debts? have you paid back any family or friends within the past year? have you sold or transferred any property in the last 3 years? are you the beneficiary of anyone's will or trust?

A bankruptcy attorney needs to assess your financial condition to determine if you bankruptcy is appropriate for you and if so, what chapter of relief. You should bring paystubs, bills, a credit report, if you've pulled one recently, tax returns, social security card and maybe more, depending on the requirements of that particular attorney.

I usually ask clients to bring a recent credit report along with last 6 months pay info. That will give the attorney a good idea of where you stand.

Most attorneys will have you fill out an intake questionnaire. I usually try to e-mail mine in advance. We need to have an idea of what you own, what you owe and what your income and expenses are so we can properly advise you.

In general, I ask clients to bring the following documents to the consultation: tax returns for the past 2 years, pay stubs for the past 6 months, all bills and collection agency letters with a balance owed, any lawsuit documents and your checkbook register. Expect to be asked about every aspect of your finances: all your assets (right down to a list of your household furnishings), all your debts, details on both your income and expenses, and pretty much anything else that is relevant to your finances. I ask clients to do the best they can in getting this info together. If there's something they can't find, we can usually figure out a way to get the information.

I really like my own website for bankruptcy information.

Have a reasonable idea of your monthly income and expenses, what assets you have and their value, and what your debts are.

A competent and thorough bankruptcy attorney will tell you what you need to bring. If they don't, you should find a different attorney. Mostly it's going to be information on your income, expenses, assets and debts.

List of creditors, list of assets, monthly paycheck.

Call me for a free consult, and you will see. I maintain every client's dignity. It's free to talk.

Generally, you will need your income, debt, and asset information.

You will be asked about your debts, your income and your property. Bring documents that show what you owe, earn and a list of your property and its value.

You don't need to bring anything to a consultation. However, a list of assets and debts are usually helpful. Also, make a list of questions.

When you meet with an attorney for a bankruptcy consultation, the attorney will try to figure out what type of bankruptcy you qualify for and whether there are any red flags to filing bankruptcy. Having knowledge about your own situation including your debts and assets should be enough to satisfy any bankruptcy attorney. Feel free to bring any documents that you would like a bankruptcy attorney to review.

You will likely be asked to show your social security card. You will be asked if you understand what you are going, and the trustee can ask any other questions he or she wants. Also, any of your creditors can appear and ask anything they want. Most don't, but they can.

If you are in my area and are looking for an attorney, please contact me for a free consultation and I can tell you what you need to bring with. You will be asked about your debt, assets, and finances.

Whoever you consult should tell you what to bring. You should be asked about your income in the past six months, any increases in income you may expect, your debts, what they are (credit cards, medical bills, etc.), how long ago did you incur them, have you made any cash advances or balance transfers, how much credit card debt did you incur in the past 90 days, what assets you own, any property you have transferred in the past four years.

If you have a good lawyer, they will tell you what to bring. My clients are asked to complete a detailed worksheet from my website, and that worksheet also contains a list of other documents we may need including paystubs, tax returns and other documents.

If you were meeting with me, I would tell you to bring yourself, your questions, and any letters or bills your want to discuss. That is plenty to get going. Making the choice to call a bankruptcy attorney is hard enough. The attorney will guide you through the rest of the way.

An thorough financial profile interview, detailing income, assets and expenses will be conducted in order to gather enough information to properly advise you.

Basic, harmless questions. Income, assets, debt are the main questions.

How do I get started? You can complete a free online intake questionare and include any questions that you may have. What documents will I need? Here is what you will need to bring to the office: __$899 in cash or money order; __Credit Counseling Certificate (Required-you can get this online ); __Last six months pay stubs from work (including your spouse even if they are not filing;) __If you do not receive wage income, bring records of other income for the last six months (for ex. unemployment, rental income etc.); __Most recent state and federal tax returns; __W2's for the last two years; __Legal Description of your California/Nevada home if you own from your abstract or tax bill; __Proof of valuation of your California home such as tax or other appraisal if you have them (can also be accessed on www.Zillow.com); __Photo ID and Social Security Card or proof of social security number. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us.