1. EXPERIENCE. Choose an experienced attorney who understands the law and the finer aspects of bankruptcy procedure. Find an attorney who specializes exclusively in the field of bankruptcy.  Attorneys who spread themselves among several areas of law are unable to stay on top of the latest case law and changes. Some attorneys obtain experience at the expense of their clients. Make sure you choose a seasoned bankruptcy attorney who understands the local rules, the Trustees' preferences, the local judge's rulings, and how to work with the local creditor attorneys.  Our law practice is exclusively dedicated to handling Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy cases.  We have filed over 6,000 cases from simple to complex.  The partners, Richard Simonson & Christain Olson, have over 32 years combined bankruptcy law experience.  You don't just hire an attorney, OUR ENTIRE OFFICE  OF COMPETENT INDIVIDUALS  IS DEDICATED TO YOUR SUCCESS..

2. REPUTATION. Choose an attorney with a record of success who has earned the respect of his colleagues, the bankruptcy trustees and the Judges. Since the work done by your bankruptcy attorney will have an impact on your financial life for years, it pays to choose an attorney with a record of successful bankruptcy filings.  Our office has nearly a 100% success in filing bankruptcy cases that receive a Discharge of Debts when the debtor completed their plans and followed the court's requirements.  We encourage you to contact the local bankruptcy trustees who review the cases to ask about our reputation. 

3. REASONABLE FEES. Choose an attorney whose fees are fair. This is not the time to bargain shop, nor should you believe that most expensive is the best.  Use your common sense.  Your bankruptcy attorney should work with you to establish a fair fee and provide you with a flexible payment plan.  With good exemption planning, careful analysis of any transfer issues, and expert advice on how to handle different kinds of debts both before and after filing, good bankruptcy legal advice from experienced attorneys can save you a significant amount of money.  We are very honest and up-front about our legal fees.  We are not going to advertise a teaser price and then hit you over the head with the real amount.  We have put our legal fees right here on our site.  Do other attorneys?  Why don't they?  Please remember that each case has unique facts and complications which may add or lessen the cost.  Our legal fees are fair and can accurately be determined during a free consultation. (See LEGAL FEES Link in the title bar)

4. LAW FIRM SIZE. Choose an attorney whose firm has at least (2) partners.  It is difficult to speak with an attorney who is always "in court", "in a meeting", or "on a telephone call".  You will hate the frustration you feel.   A sole practitioner may not be available in a moment of crisis. You do not want to be at the mercy of a single attorney's schedule.  There are (2) bankruptcy partners in our office.  We make every effort to always have one attorney available in the office while the other partner is in court.  We can meet with appointments the same day you call.  We also educate and train our office staff to answer common bankruptcy questions when you need a quick answer.  We also provide our personal emails to respond to your inquiries.  OUR CLIENTS ARE AS IMPORTANT TO US AS FAMILY.

5. ATTORNEY-CLIENT RELATIONSHIP. The foundation of effective legal representation is an attorney-client relationship built on trust and respect. It is important that you feel comfortable with the attorney you choose,  Your attorney will guide you through a very difficult period in your life. However, do not be blinded by former allegiances. The general practice lawyer down the street might be a great person, might have worked with you in the past, and might quote you a really good price, but that doesn't make him or her the best choice.  You must meet your potential attorney and their staff in person.  Telephone calls will not tell you whether they practice out of their living room or have a competent office to handle your bankruptcy.  Come see us.  You will be glad you did.

6. FREE CONSULTATION. An attorney who places his clients needs first will provide a free consultation. If an attorney insists on a consultation fee, for bankruptcy legal advice, look for another attorney.  We offer FREE IN-OFFICE CONSULTATIONS.  We wish we could personally speak to every telephone caller to answer their questions.  But then who would have time to go to court.  When we are available we will take the call.  That is our promise.

7. LOCATION OF OFFICE. Proximity to your home is only one consideration when choosing a bankruptcy attorney. In today's electronic age, paperwork can be handled via mail, fax or E-mail. It's far more important that you choose an experienced, qualified attorney, than to choose an attorney because his office is down the street.  Our office is very centrally located in Ft Lauderdale, 1 mile West of I-95 on Commercial Blvd in the Spectrum Building.  We can image and email any documents, and we receive electronic faxes.  We have clients from Vero Beach to Key West.

9. CREDIT REBUILDING.  The attorney you choose should have the resources to help you dispute credit report errors. Your attorney ought to provide you with the tools necessary to execute your plan to rebuild your financial life.  We provide our clients with a credit report that provides the current credit score, and predicts their credit score 12-months post bankruptcy.  In addition, we can provide you with a post-bankruptcy credit report that shows remaining inaccurate information and provides an easy way to dispute these inaccuracies with the bureaus.  WE WANT YOU TO GET BACK IN FINANCIAL SHAPE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.