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Find The Best Bankruptcy Information Online

By Cathy Moran

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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 legal 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

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Filed Under: You & your lawyer Tagged With: bankruptcy information, bankruptcy research

About Cathy Moran

I'm a veteran bankruptcy lawyer and consumer advocate in California's Silicon Valley. I write, teach, and speak in the hopes of expanding understanding of how bankruptcy can make life better in a family's future.

Bankruptcy Basics

About The Soapbox

You’ve arrived at the Bankruptcy Soapbox, a resource of bankruptcy information and consumer law.

Soapbox is a companion site to Bankruptcy in Brief, where I try to be largely explanatory and even handed (Note I said “try”).

Here, I allow myself to tell stories and express strong opinions. We dig deeper into how to consider bankruptcy and navigate a bankruptcy case.

Moran Law Group
Bankruptcy specialists for individuals and small businesses in the San Francisco Bay Area

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Those considering filing a Chapter 13 bankruptcy worry about "what happens to my bank account?" Will the trustee take all the money? How do I pay my living expenses after I file? The short answer is: nothing changes. The account remains yours and available for all the expenses of day to day living. Because, … Read more

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