Believe me, I get it. By the time you come into my office, you are likely months behind on credit card bills, getting threatening phone calls from you mortgage lender regarding last month’s missing payment, and your car is currently hiding in the garage from the repo man.

So, it is of no surprise to me that when I explain my fee breakdown your jaw drops. However, take a few deep breathes and let me give you some ideas how to come up with that money.

Consider using your checking/savings account to pay your attorneys fees. Remember that the Arizona exemption for such free cash is $150 bucks. That means any more present in your accounts at the time of filing will be taken by the trustee. So, paying your attorneys fees is a great way to spend down those accounts.

Another option is to have a 3^rd party contribute to the fees. If they are able and willing, this may be the time to call mom or grandma and ask for a loan.

What about your tax refund? Remember that your tax refund is not exempt and any refund owned to you at the time of filing will be taken by the trustee as part of the bankruptcy estate. So, consider postponing filing until after you have received your tax refund, and apply the funds receives towards your attorneys fees.

You may be tempted to use your credit cards in one last hay-day prior to filing for chapter 7 bankruptcy protection. However, no bankruptcy attorney worth their weight in salt will allow you to pay their fees via credit card. What you can do, however, is simply stop paying your credit cards.

You are going to include these debts in your bankruptcy petition, correct? That means you have come to the conclusion that you cannot pay these debts off, correct? Then why are you still sending your creditor payment every month? If you stop paying your credit cards every month, you will have accumulated attorney’s fees in no time.

Another option I offer clients, though it may not be offered by all attorneys, is to work out a payment plan. Once we have determined both your eligibility and desire to file bankruptcy, and my ability to take your case, I will often offer you a retainer as low as $100 bucks. Then, you can make payments to me until your fees are paid in full. At that time I will file your petition.

The benefit of this plan to you is that once you have retained me as your attorney, the calls from the creditors will stop (and if for some reason a creditor doesn’t abide by this rule, believe it that they will hear from me).

I realize that attorney’s fees are expensive, and all I can say in our defense is that we work hard and have a boatload of student loans to pay back. However, in most cases I have seen you will lose more by filing bankruptcy without a qualified attorney than by simply paying our fees. You get what you pay for.

If you have no assets, no income and are applying for a basic chapter 7 then I will more than likely offer the name of a good intro to bankruptcy book, because you are likely able to prepare the petition yourself.

However when you are at risk of losing valuable assets, like you home or automobiles, please don’t just cross your fingers and hope. Neither document preparers and court clerks nor the recent copy of “Bankruptcies for Dummies” are qualified to offer you the legal guidance required to protect these assets.