None of us live in a bubble. In our day to day existence, we interact with friends, coworkers and family members who influence our decisions and our actions.
When we are unsure, we look for advice and not surprisingly, people are more than willing to give it.
Usually this is a good thing. I know in my life, if it were not for my wife, I would be making terrible decisions on a daily basis.
Occasionally, self-proclaimed experts will give advice or offer assistance that will be detrimental. I see this all the time in my practice with my clients.
The decision to (or not to) file bankruptcy, which could be a life changing one, should not be made based on the advice of an ill informed family member, friend or coworker.
Speak to a Professional
The decision to file bankruptcy is not an easy one. I always say that the individuals I meet with have a lot of courage to even make it into my office. I give them a ton of credit.
Through the eyes of my clients, I am able to see the misinformation that is perpetrated about the bankruptcy process. This misinformation spreads like wildfire from the mainstream media to financial advisors to acquaintances and finally trickles down to you, the struggling debtor.
I speak to people everyday who have heard “this” or “that” about bankruptcy and make a decision based on “this” or “that.” Don’t do this!
The dangers of filing bankruptcy without an attorney are well documented. The dangers of not filing bankruptcy without first speaking to an attorney are stories that go untold.
Before you make a decision to file or not to file bankruptcy, speak to an experienced bankruptcy attorney.
The consultation is free, but the information gleaned from that meeting is priceless.
Image courtesy of _sarchi (Flickr).