Need to understand bankruptcy?  Just Google it.

No issue is too important or complicated that we doubt we can understand it by reading on the ‘net.

The computer has replaced the library as our first response to an unknown.

Even my 85 year old mother, a computer novice, reacts to an information vacuum by heading to Google.

Bankruptcy information may be available online, but will you bet your discharge on it?

Consider the source of bankruptcy information

Not everyone who write on the web knows what they are talking about.

You need no license to hold yourself out on the web as an expert.

Remember the famous cartoon:  on the Internet, no one knows you’re a dog?

On one bankruptcy forum, a 15 year old boy who learned all he “knew” about law from television was voted one of the most trusted sources.

Which facts are important

A second problem with internet message boards is that the question posed contains only the facts, or the view of the facts, that the poster thinks are important.

So often, things that the layman overlooks are the issues that drive the legal result. That is why the give and take of an interview with a lawyer is essential to pin down the applicable law for this set of facts.

The joke among lawyers that the answer to almost every legal question is “it depends”.  It depends on the facts, the judge, the timing.

It is essential for those researching their bankruptcy options on the internet to see  their online research as background for a meeting with a lawyer.

Become familiar with the terminology and the concepts.

Find lawyer with smarts & communication skills

Shop carefully for a bankruptcy lawyer.  Check out this true story of a man paying the price for  shopping for a bankruptcy lawyer on price alone.

Create a list of questions to discuss with a bankruptcy lawyer.

Don’t reshuffle your assets or your debts before you meet with a lawyer.

The saddest question I hear from clients comes after  the story about what they’ve done to pay down debt or take something out of their name:

Was that OK?

Too often, what they’ve done created problems that didn’t exist before?

Don’t rely on what you read on the internet.  Except, of course, this call to skepticism!

It’s OK.  Check me out.  I’m Cathy Moran., and I approved this message.

Image courtesy of Pixabay and Hebi65