Todd Russell Wagner

I consulted with Todd about a chapter 13 bankruptcy. I had recently acquired very large unexpected medical bills. There were also some older credit card debts from a failed business. Todd discussed several options with me and made it sound like he would be able to help me with this bankruptcy. I got ...in touch with his office a few days later and paid a small retainer. Todd told me that if creditors started contacting me I should direct them to him. I reached out to his office right after this about a lawsuit I had recently been served with. I communicated with one of his paralegals about the lawsuit. She asked me to send her a copy of the paperwork from the court. She said she would contact the plaintiff who was suing me. After about a week I contacted her to see what she had been able to accomplish. She told me I would need to go to the pretrial conference and set a date for a hearing as far out as possible. I then talked to Todd, he had several questions. He told me he would get something in place prior to the court date so I wouldn’t have to worry about a judgment against me. I set my hearing date for as far out as I could, about three months. I contacted Todd’s paralegal to let her know the date. I asked how soon we would be able to do something to get this lawsuit off my back. She told me there was nothing they could do to help me with the lawsuit. She said I would need to go to court and either defend myself against the suit, or make arrangements to pay the debt. I told her the whole reason I initiated the bankruptcy was to avoid dealing with issues like this from creditors. I have no defense or ability to pay. My husband had just been diagnosed with complete kidney failure, thus the medical bills. I was trying to avoid the additional stress of creditors pursuing me. From my conversation with Todd and his paralegal, I was under the impression that they would be able to help keep the creditors off my back as we went through the bankruptcy process. Apparently that impression, and everything they told me, was false. Todd emailed me and told me that I was wrong to assume they could help, and that they wouldn’t be able to file a bankruptcy for me for a year. He essentially dropped me as a client. Because of the assurances I received from Todd and his paralegal I scheduled my court date out much further than I needed to, giving me twice as much time to stress about a case I can’t win or pay. More creditors are now breathing down my neck, and my stress level has become toxic. I feel completely taken advantage of. This is not at all an appropriate way to treat someone who is already stressed out about the prospect of bankruptcy. I’ve talked to other attorneys who give me a blank look and express a lack of understanding about the situation with Todd, they all tell me they would be able to do something to help me avoid the situation I am currently facing. Unfortunately I have no money to pay anyone right now, and I don’t know if I can trust any attorney after the nightmare with Todd. Do not hire him, don’t even schedule a consultation. This is not a person you can trust, and bankruptcy is stressful enough without being misled and taken advantage of by someone you are paying to help you.