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

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Location

Fresh Start Law, PLLC

(717) 297-7556

Mobile

1701 W Market Street, York, PA, 17404

freshstartyork.com/

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Dawn Marie Cutaia's Reviews

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Overall Rating
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4.9 /5.0

108 Client Reviews

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Practice Areas

Bankruptcy & Debt (56) 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 (32) 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 21 - 25 of 28 reviews | Case Results

Posted by anonymous | November 18, 2018 | Hired Attorney

A Lawyer and a Friend

You can only read so much about bankruptcy online before coming to the realization that you need professional help. Uninformed and scared, I had an initial consultation with another bankruptcy attorney before coming to Dawn's office. It's not that Dawn was my second choice, rather the complete resu...lt of my availability. I was uneasy after leaving the first appointment and was relieved that I already had a "second opinion" meeting scheduled. I was immediately at ease upon meeting Dawn. She understood my circumstances and guided me through a Chapter 7, complicated by a small business in my name. She has a complete knowledge of the law. She understands the process, and she knows the players involved too. Dawn's website is informative and easy to navigate. Dawn's communication skills are exceptional. Here ability to truly listen is even better. I could tell by the questions she was asking that she was already thinking ahead. I was obviously nervous and scared of bankruptcy, but Dawn took all of my anxiety away. Because of my complicated case, Dawn and I communicated quite a bit. Our conversations soon began with talk of dogs and hobbies and such before getting to the task at hand. And I knew I wasn't "on the clock" when it was friendly conversation and not strictly attorney-client. I feel that we got to know each other quite well during the process. I am now on the other side. The bankruptcy has been discharged. If I had to do it all over again, I would not have changed anything. I wouldn't want anyone else beside me, Dawn was prepared and professional. She navigated the process, she managed my emotions. I gained a valuable asset "in the rolodex", but I feel that I also gained a friend. Thank you Dawn!

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Dawn Cutaia

Replied last November 18, 2018

Thank you so much for these kinds words - and I do love talking about dogs :) LOL. So glad you are doing well. - Dawn

Posted by Dean | June 25, 2018 | Hired Attorney

Bankruptcy is not and end, it a NEW BEGINNING.

Where do I even start with this, we contacted Dawn after asking a lawyer friend of my wife's who he could recommend to us and he, without hesitation, said Dawn Cutaia. My wife contacted her and explained our situation with to us seemed complicated. We were working with our mortgage company for almo...st a year to do a modification and to make a very long story short, they put us in a no-win situation and did not care. We told Dawn the story and that our house was now in foreclosure and was up for sheriff sale. She took what we thought was a completely hopeless situation and made it into where we are today, on track financially and building a great credit profile. She made everything so easy and even more importantly, she made us feel like human beings, not scum of the earth for filing bankruptcy. She is one of the absolute best people my wife and I have ever met and I can tell you that because of her professionalism and caring attitude I would never hesitate to recommend her to anyone who finds themselves in financial hopelessness or someone who just needs some help to climb out of the hole they got themselves into. Thank you, Dawn, for everything you did for us and for being you.

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Dawn Cutaia

Replied last June 25, 2018

Thank you so much for your kind words and you are NOT "scum of the earth" for filing bankruptcy! I am so happy that you are feeling better about your situation :) Dawn

Posted by Jason | June 03, 2018 | Hired Attorney

I recommend Dawn to anyone in financial crisis

My wife and I contacted Dawn about our financial situation. We were struggling and couldn't pay all our bills. We thought bankruptcy would be a complecated thing to do, but after consulting with Dawn we trusted her and filed bankruptcy. She told us that if we did everything she told us to do, that we... could buy a house in 2 years. Well, my wife and I each have a new car and an awesome house we just bought 3 weeks ago. Almost exactly 2 years after filing bankruptcy. I'm writing this review because I want people who are considering bankruptcy to know that Dawn can help you out of a hole and get you a fresh start.

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Dawn Cutaia

Replied last June 03, 2018

Thank you so much for taking the time to write this review. I get this question so often - people think that bankruptcy will be impossible to bounce back from, but everyone deserves a fresh start and a chance to get their life in order and bankruptcy can really help people do that. I'm so happy for your new house - that's really exciting! :)

Posted by Nann | September 18, 2017 | Hired Attorney

Effective and very patient

One of my adult children needed to file bankruptcy. Dawn was very patient. She helped us review the situation and determine whether bankruptcy was appropriate or not and which type to file. She was available to answer questions through the entire process. Since she was not in town at the time of the ...hearing, she lined up Kara Gendron for the hearing. Dawn handed everything. It was completely stress free and went off without any problems. I highly recommend her.

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Posted by Bill | June 08, 2017 | Hired Attorney

Chapter 7

Dawn is a consummate professional not only did she help me get my financial situation straightened out in 2012 while representing me for my bankruptcy , some of the issues followed me to present day and she quickly ratified the situation while on vacation. That is definitely the lawyer I want repres...enting me.

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