Just having professional legal help serves to diffuse the pressure and emotional stress of filing. Once the bankruptcy court serves notice to creditors, all debt collection tactics must cease by bankruptcy law. When a bankruptcy is filed the automatic stay is put into place and creditors are prohibited from writing, calling, text-messaging, emailing, or contacting debtors in any way. From the moment creditors receive notice, all communication and collection attempts between the debtor and creditor must cease. The Chapter 7 bankruptcy attorney communicates directly with the creditor, or their legal representative, and can enforce cessation of collection efforts through the courts. The debtor is then free to concentrate on working to get his life back on track being debt free.
Bankruptcy can be intimidating, and a debtor needs all the legal help possible to prepare and defend the legal right to file for bankruptcy. People think that at the meeting of the creditors they have to testify in front of a room full of angry creditors and think it is like going into a den of hungry lions with the debtor as the main course. This is not true, rarely do they creditors even show up to the meeting. A bankruptcy attorney can be a debtor's advocate and let them know what's going to happen in the courtroom, negotiating with creditors and legal representatives and pleading the debtor's case. While an attorney can be an invaluable asset, it is also an expense that many people going through a bankruptcy filing think they can't afford. When you consider the amount of debt you are wiping out the cost of a bankruptcy attorney will seem very minimal. The whole process will take about 4-6 months if all goes well. At the end of the process most debtors say they feel like weight of the world has been lifted off of them.