Stephen Jeffrey Berlinsky

If you're trying to get out of bankruptcy, look elsewhere. BUYER BEWARE! He will not start filing your bankruptcy until he's paid in full. He wasted 3 hours of our time before convincing us to retain him. We told him we were low on funds and couldn't retain him, but he told us we could pay him instal...lments or wait until we get our tax refund to pay the fees. He promised to file our petition to the bankruptcy court without any money down. We told him we were about to be evicted because we couldn't afford the rent. He advised us not to pay our landlord because he would file the bankruptcy. He asked us for only $73.00 to run our credit file when we could have got it for $29.95. We filled out the paperwork as instructed. A couple weeks later, we brought in the completed paperwork and paid another $200.00 before meeting with him to start filing. Then he swallowed his words and decided not to file until we paid him ALL his fees. It costs only $306.00 to pay the Court fees. Meanwhile, we labored for hours getting all the information for him only to be further delayed. Now we're about to be evicted and have no way to claim bankruptcy. So, don't waste your time and money you don't have. The purpose of filing bankruptcy is to GET OUT of debt, not get further in it. He wanted $1,700 up front, as if St. Anthony will drop a load of cash on my lap. If I had it, I would not need to file bankruptcy. Duh?? I rightfully asked him for a refund, but he refused. We called to ask for our personal records back, but they kept hanging up. I stopped by to pick up our papers, but was told to leave. I found another lawyer who already filed for just $84.00 and didn't want full payment. He charges a lot less, never asked us to fill out paperwork, and didn't take up a lot of our time. Free advice-- read the entire contract and fine print no matter how long it takes. Ask lots of questions and demand ALL verbal agreements and exceptions be put in writing. If (s)he refuses, get up and leave. Once you sign, you're on the hook. Don't be a victim of "bait-and-switch" and "sweet talk" schemes. Anyone who tells you to pay up front is there for their best interests, not yours. Find someone who will work for you before getting paid. The lawyer will eventually get paid as long as you sign a contract. Thank you for reading my post and good luck.