If you are thinking about bankruptcy, you might be nervous, scared, or embarrassed. All of those are perfectly natural feelings, but please know that I truly care about all my clients and there will be no judgment with me. I fully understand that people file bankruptcy for all sorts of reasons, from job loss, medical bills, and divorce, to name just a few. Sometimes it is because someone just isn't great with money - and that is OK too! :)

I will be sure to go over all of your options with you, including non-bankruptcy options. I will take my time to explain everything to you so you feel comfortable with any decision you make. I have been told on more than a few occasions that I make filing for bankruptcy fun. So try not to stress and give me a call. The consultation is free and I promise you that you will feel so much better after we talk.

My firm is small, and the lawyers I work with all take pride in being extremely responsive to our clients. You won't be leaving messages, waiting days for someone to get back to you. We know that having a legal issue can be very stressful and when you have a question, you want an answer quickly.

Background: Dawn was born in Queens, New York, and admitted to the Pennsylvania bar in 1996. She received her associate's degree in 1991 from Westchester Community College in Valhalla, NY, her Bachelor of Science degree in 1993 from Barry University in Miami, Florida, graduating summa cum laude, and her law degree in 1996 from the Dickinson School of Law in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

Dawn has practiced a wide variety of law since being admitted to the bar in 1996, including criminal defense, family law, and bankruptcy. Dawn currently concentrates her practice in the areas of consumer bankruptcy. Dawn has been invovled with the Middle District Bankruptcy Bar Association for many years, including serving on the board.

Bankruptcy: Dawn handles both Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcies, as well as assisting clients with negotiating with creditors when bankruptcy is not an option or not the option clients wish to pursue. Dawn assists clients with mortgage foreclosures, loan modifications, and the defense of lawsuits by credit card companies and other creditors. Dawn has been practicing bankruptcy law since she became an attorney in 1996.

Dawn is a regular speaker for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute and the Middle District Bankruptcy Bar Association, where she develops courses and teaches other lawyers about technology, bankruptcy, ethics, and criminal defense. Dawn is a former president of the Middle District Bankruptcy Bar Association and currently serves as a board member and co-chair of the Technology and Website Committee.

Dawn was awarded the York County Bar Foundation's Pro Bono Award several times throughout her career and is committed to assisting indigent clients whenever possible.

Dawn's hobbies include cycling, running, photography, quilting and sewing, and hanging out with her dog, Foxy.

Practice Areas

Bankruptcy and Debt 25%

I help clients figure out the best way to deal with overwhelming debt, whether that be by filing a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy, or by negotiating settlements with their creditors or litigating creditor lawsuits.

25%

Chapter 7 Bankruptcy 25%

25%

Debt Collection 25%

25%

Debt Settlement 25%

25%

Fees and Rates

Cost

Free Consultation

$0 first 30 minutes

Payment Methods

Cash
Check

Licenses

Licensed in Pennsylvania for 29 years

State: Pennsylvania

Acquired: 1996

Active

No misconduct found

See All Attorney Licenses See Less Attorney Licenses

Location

Fresh Start Law, PLLC

(717) 297-7556

Mobile

1701 W Market Street, York, PA, 17404

freshstartyork.com/

Message Get Directions

See All Locations See Less Locations

Gallery

Dawn Marie Cutaia's Reviews

Have you consulted or hired this attorney before?

Leave a review for your experience with this attorney.

Write a Review

Overall Rating
This is an aggregated review score of Avvo and Lawyers.com reviews.

4.9 /5.0

107 Client Reviews

Avvo

5.0

(97)

Lawyers.com

4.9

(10 )

See client reviews from Lawyers.com

Filter Avvo Reviews (97) Refine reviews to match your needs. Use the filters to quickly surface reviews that align with your case or priorities.

Star rating

5 stars 96

4 stars 0

3 stars 0

2 stars 1

1 star 0

Practice Areas

Bankruptcy & Debt (55) Chapter 7 Bankruptcy (6) Chapter 13 Bankruptcy (4) Lawsuits & Disputes (4) Debt Settlement (3) Business (2) Debt Collection (2) Foreclosure (2) Child Support (1) Contracts & Agreements (1)

What Clients Mention

Practice Area Knowledge (33) Recommendation (31) Professionalism (29) Case Results (28) Responsiveness (26) Communication Style (22) Compassion (20) Advocacy (19) Character & Conduct (13) General Knowledge (13) Trustworthiness (8) Cost of Services (5) Staff & Support (5) Punctuality (3) Payment Plans (1)

Showing 11 - 15 of 22 reviews | Communication Style

Posted by Jamie | February 10, 2020 | Hired Attorney | Bankruptcy & Debt

Compassionate & experienced!

Dawn Cutaia is an absolute gem to work with! My husband & I hired Dawn to work on our Bankruptcy case. She helped make an unfortunate situation into an exciting new chapter in our family’s lives! The experience & compassion is what had sold us! Before hiring Dawn we had consulted with a few different... attorneys who we had felt weren’t truly listening to our needs, but we didn’t give up. We came across Dawn Cutaia and didn’t look back, only forward! Its never easy making these types of decisions, but with Dawn she made us feel confident in our decision! She listened to our needs, understood our situation & for that we will forever be grateful to have had her with us through this journey. As much of a trying time it was, I would do it all over again with Dawn! The only thing we wish we would have done different- is doing it sooner! I recommend Dawn 100%!!

See Full Review Collapse Review

Dawn Cutaia

Replied last February 10, 2020

Jamie - you guys were so wonderful to represent - I had so much fun talking to you both and I am thrilled you had such a positive experience. Thank you for letting me help you :)

Posted by Alex | February 10, 2020 | Hired Attorney | Bankruptcy & Debt

A Beacon in a Financial Storm

Several years ago, my married life was in poor health and my financial life was also suffering. The two were intertwined. Unexpectedly, my spouse left the home, a significant amount of debt, and I myself was shell shocked when child support payments began. I was in financial hell and that's when I ...contacted Dawn's firm. Dawn provided objective legal advice and provided options so I could make the best decision for me. Dawn was there every step of the way throughout the bankruptcy process. I had many questions as new circumstances arose during the process. Dawn would answer my questions and helped improve the total outcome. I finally got through the entire process and Dawn was there for me at the finish line. My financial health is much improved and I am making wiser choices in my financial future. Many thanks to Dawn and her team.

See Full Review Collapse Review

Dawn Cutaia

Replied last February 10, 2020

Thank you so much for taking the time to write this review - and I am happy that you had such a positive experience. Divorce is one of the major reasons people have to file bankruptcy and that stress - on top of just the regular stress of filing bankruptcy - can be overwhelming. Thank you for trusting me to help you get through it. :)

Posted by anonymous | November 02, 2019 | Hired Attorney | Bankruptcy & Debt

Great person, great service

Dawn is amazing. She made what I thought would be a daunting and scary process smooth, simple to understand and do. She is kind, easygoing and can explain complex issues in language that is understandable by any lay person. I would highly recommend Dawn to anyone contemplating bankruptcy. She can an...swer your questions, assuage your concerns and make it all happen relatively painlessly. I hope that I never have to file bankruptcy again, but if I do, I will definitely be contacting Dawn.

See Full Review Collapse Review

Dawn Cutaia

Replied last November 02, 2019

Thank you so much for taking the time to write a review and for your kind words. I am so glad you are feeling better and the experience was easy for you :) - Dawn

Posted by Greg | July 01, 2019 | Hired Attorney | Bankruptcy & Debt

DAWN IS ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL!!!!

I'm a small business owner in central Pa. I was in a place, that I just could NOT imagine that I would ever be in financially. I got myself into a bind. After struggling what do to and what not to do for some time, I made the call to Dawn. Now, I have to tell everyone...that I'm what I call a "basket... case client" lol. My nerves were shot....I was a complete mess. Not knowing what to do, where to start, what to say, how to say it. And on the other end of my phone line.....was the calmest, coolest most collected, confident, well spoken put you at ease gal I have EVER met! That was/is Dawn. She put me at ease right away. She talked to me like I was a person, like I mattered, and made me feel like I wasn't alone. And I was NOT alone with Dawn. She answered EVERY question I had. She answered every one of my "OMG WHAT THE HECK AM I GOING TO DO"! Texts. I'm the kind of person that needs reassurance. That I'm on the right path, that I'm doing this the right way. She gave that to me and MORE! And I NEEDED THAT! VERY, VERY MUCH! As a small business owner, I struggled with the decisions I made. How did I get to this place? Am I the only one in the world that has dropped the ball like this? Can I rebuild my company? Can I get another shot at trying? Guys and gals reading this.....DAWN GAVE ME THE CONFIDENCE TO DO THIS! And CONTINUE TO DO THIS! I have a clean slate! And I'm gonna give it my all to build this again! Dawn was and IS a HUGE PART OF THAT. I'm not the most well spoken, or articulate person writing this review. I know that. But let me tell you....DAWN IS FREAKING AWESOME!!! I absolutely ADORE this woman! You want someone who shoots straight from the hip....cuts through the crap....Tells you what's up....guides you, and TALKS TO YOU LIKE A PERSON.....THIS RIGHT HERE IS THE LADY YOU TALK TO! I'm VERY fortunate to have made this call, and found Dawn. I'm telling you I was in tears over the decision to file. This was a TOUGH decision for me. I just had a hard time admitting to myself I needed help. I'm a guy....what do you expect... :) If you're considering calling an attorney...If your nerves are COMPLETELY SHOT.....CALL DAWN. Talk to her.....let her talk to you. She's the real deal. She's as real as real can get. I actually miss blowing up her phone with 20 questions while she's trying to relax....lol... Thanks for reading....:)

See Full Review Collapse Review

Dawn Cutaia

Replied last July 01, 2019

Greg - you are awesome :) I am so glad everything worked out for you and you can text me any time you want LOL.

Posted by Jlb | January 29, 2019 | Hired Attorney | Bankruptcy & Debt

Mrs.

Dawn is a phenomenal attorney, both professional and friendly. Let me just say I was a little reluctant because much of the business is handled online and you’ll probably never meet her face to face. In the end, I found this method of business to be more convenient. She is easy to talk to and takes h...er time to explain everything. I never felt rushed or like she had something better to do. She returns emails and other correspondences in a timely manner. For my case, she seemed to always be available, as if she never sleeps. With such a stressful financial situation, sleep was not at the top of my list. If I emailed in the middle of the night she would sometimes respond before I woke for work. I found her to be thorough and precise. Her years of experience allowed her to foresee questions the courts may pose and answer them before asked. She was extremely patient and calm which helped make the difficult decision and process bareable. When I struggled emotionally about the reality of my financial situation, she never judged me and calmly reassured me that I was not bad or abnormal for having financial challenges. If you are faced with the need to file bankruptcy I highly recommend her. She will guide you every step of the way preparing you for what’s to come so you can make informed decisions.

See Full Review Collapse Review

Dawn Cutaia

Replied last January 29, 2019

Thank you so much for your kind words. It was truly a pleasure to represent you- you always responded to MY emails just as fast :) The online meeting works really well for many people since we are all so busy these days. Thank you again for taking the time to write a review and if there is anything I can ever help you with in the future just let me know! Dawn

See All Client Reviews

1 2 3 4 5

« First ‹ Prev 1 2 3 4 5 Next › Last »

Dawn Marie Cutaia's Lawyer Endorsements

Received

Given

Endorse Dawn