Did you know that in most states a dermatologist can take a course for a couple of weeks, and then do a nose job? Just because they can does not mean they should. Would you subject yourself to reconstructive plastic surgery by other than a board-certified, experienced plastic surgeon? Probably not.
Yet every day, people in financial trouble hunt for the cheapest bankruptcy lawyer. They do not review the lawyer’s experience or spend time researching credentials. Any lawyer can hang out a shingle and call themselves a bankruptcy lawyer, and many do. But the world of bankruptcy is filled with landmines and broken trails that can send you plummeting into horrible ravines. Bankruptcy performed by the cheapest lawyer can leave you worse than before you filed. A bad bankruptcy can permanently and irrevocably damage your credit. I post stories of these disasters here on my blog. Search Bankruptcy Butcher if you want to see some of the horror stories.
So how do you know if one bankruptcy lawyer is different from another? Simple. See if the lawyer you are considering is Board Certified by the only national organization that certifies bankruptcy lawyers: The American Board of Certification. To become board certified, a bankruptcy lawyer must show proof of extensive experience in bankruptcy law for at least five years, have taken at least 60 hours of continuing education in the last three years, provide recommendations from peers and judges, and then pass comprehensive exams.
Will it cost you more to use a board-certified bankruptcy lawyer? Probably. Will you lower your risks and increase the probability you get what you paid for? Most certainly.
Find board-certified bankruptcy lawyers at abiworld.org.
