The Difference between Bankruptcy Attorneys and Document Preparation Services

Bankruptcy document preparation services provide non-lawyer personnel to prepare bankruptcy documents. These services charge a fee that is limited to $200 in Phoenix, Arizona, and they are not allowed to accept the bankruptcy filing fee.

There is no governing body to oversee these services, as the Bar Association oversees lawyers, and therefore no way to identify the competent services from the fly-by-night companies. There is real concern that these services may provide inadequate work with no recourse available to remedy a problem. Document preparation services are not supposed to give advice about how to complete your papers, as the court considers them unqualified.

A qualified bankruptcy attorney is often available for near the same cost as a document preparation service, and you have the peace of mind of knowing that a trained legal representative is looking out for your best interests. There are a large number of details in a bankruptcy filing, and many of these details vary with an individual’s situation. Whether Chapter 7 or Chapter 13, filing for bankruptcy should be handled by an experienced bankruptcy lawyer.

If you truly cannot afford a bankruptcy lawfirm, contact a legal aid organization in AZ for further advice on how to proceed. The cost of a document preparation service will not seem like a bargain if the bankruptcy process is not completed correctly.