Do I have to take a Bankrupcy Certification Course before I contact a lawyer?

You probably should take no courses required for bankruptcy, until you have reviewed your financial situation, with an experienced bankruptcy attorney.

Many attorneys offer an initial conference at no charge.

General legal advice is offered for educational purposes only. A consultation with a qualified attorney is required to determine specific legal advice as to your situation and applicable law. We are a debt relief agency and we help people file for relief under the bankruptcy laws.

the courses are time sensitive so you want to make sure that take them in a timely manner that coresponds to your filing.

In accordance with the Avvo community guidelines, this communication does not constitute "legal advice", nor does it form an attorney-client relationship. You should seek counsel in your geographic area regarding any specific questions.

Good for you for trying to work with a credit counselor before considering bankruptcy. As explained here http://www.freundlaw.com/debtrelief/debt-relief-options/ there are other options you should consider before making a final decision regarding bankruptcy. Please call my office in Eau Claire if you want to schedule a debt relief consultation to determine your best option in light of your personal circumstances.

I would recommend against paying this tuition or starting these courses until you have first secured a bankruptcy attorney and he or she recommends that you commence the mandatory pre-bankruptcy counseling process. Bankruptcy case processing is so complex these days (with total filing packets averaging 50-100 pages) that it can take longer to complete the filing process than the counseling certificates last. (I believe that they expire after six months. If they expire before you can get your case filed or paid for, you will end up needing to pay for the course a second time and retaking the course. This unfortunate scenario is all too common for clients who take the course before we want them to, requiring them to waste money which they do not really have. Please remember that my answer question here does not make me your lawyer and I will not be taking any action on your case. However, you are welcome to contact me at my Racine, WI offer during business hours at 262-633-3090 or email me at [email protected] if you have further questions. See me on the web at www.jayknixonlaw.com