How much will this cost?
We certainly understand your concerns about how much it costs to file bankruptcy. Unfortunately, due to the many changes in the bankruptcy law that occurred in 2005, the cost of filing for bankruptcy has increased. We try hard to keep our fees reasonable and we provide unparalleled customer service. Attorney Cutaia offers weekend and evening appointments, and provides all of her clients with her personal cell phone number and email address.
Fee Schedule as of November 28, 2011:
| Individual Chapter 7: | $1525 plus filing fee of $306 |
| Joint Chapter 7: | $1525 plus filing fee of $306 |
| Individual Chapter 13: | $1000 down plus filing fee of $281. $3000 additional, which may be paid through the bankruptcy plan (see below). |
| Joint Chapter 13: | $1000 down, plus filing fee of $281. $3000 additional, which may be paid through the bankruptcy plan (see below). |
Bankruptcy court litigation that is not part of the standard bankruptcy case is an additional fee, based on the hourly rate of $185 an hour. However, bankruptcy litigation is rare and if there is a chance of it happening we can usually tell even before your bankruptcy is filed. Complex Chapter 7 cases may require additional fees up front, but this will be discussed with you in greater detail during your first appointment. Before you are charged any additional fees we will disucss those fees with you in greater detail and review your options.
Payment Plans:
We do require attorneys fees be paid in full before a Chapter 7 petition is filed. However, the bankruptcy code allows a portion of the attorney's fee to be paid through the Chapter 13 Plan. Therefore, we generally permit our Chapter 13 clients to pay only 25% of the fee up front and the balance can be paid through the Plan.
We generally charge as follows:
| Initial PHONE Consult | FREE |
| Pre-Bankruptcy Screening (requires you to complete bankruptcy questionnaire) and bring in all required documents. During this meeting we determine whether you qualify for a Chapter 7 or 13 and discuss all of your options | $250.00 |
| Balance due prior to filing petition, which is non-refundable | see fee schedule above to determine balance |
Please note that there is also a fee for the bankruptcy counseling you must obtain, which is paid directly to the counseling agency. Dawn Cutaia does not receive any of the funds paid to the counseling agency.
We encourage our clients to obtain a FREE credit report prior to attending the Pre-Bankruptcy Screening appointment. Please note that you do NOT need your FICO score and therefore should NOT pay to receive it.