Getting Ready To File Bankruptcy

My clients often ask me what they need to do to get ready for filing. The following advice is not intended to be comprehensive but is merely a guideline. It is best to seek the advice of a licensed attorney prior to filing for Bankruptcy. 

What is needed prior to filing:

1. The last tax returns (federal and state) that you filed.
2. Paystubs for the 6 months prior to the filing of your case. Remember if it takes a while to get your case filed for any reason, keep your future paystubs in order to give them to your attorney. 
3. A certificate of credit counseling through an approved agency. For a list of approved counselors, you may go to www.moeb.uscourts.gov. Once you get the site, click on Bankruptcy Reform Information the 8th item down on the list on the left side of the page you will see near the top a place to click to find the approved credit counselors for the Eastern District of Missouri. However, if you want to do the classes for free, I use moneysharp.org, and I pay for the classes. 
4. Our questionnaire will help clients get the other information together for filing. To fill this out you will probably need the following:
5. Prior bankruptcy case number(s) and date of filing, if you filed before.
6. Bank account information, such as account numbers, and have an idea of how much is in each account. 
7. Information about investments, such as stocks, savings bonds, and the like.
8. Year, make and model of cars and mobile homes.--(We can look up the value.)
9. Gross income for the two prior years, as well as year to date income. If you are self-employed, be prepared to show on paper your gross receipts and expenses for each of the prior 6 months.