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 January 1, 2008:
| Individual Chapter 7: | $1500 plus filing fee of $299 |
| Joint Chapter 7: | $1500 plus filing fee of $299 |
| Individual Chapter 13: | $1000 down plus filing fee of $274. $500 to $2500 additional, which may be paid through the bankruptcy plan (see below). |
| Joint Chapter 13: | $1000 down, plus filing fee of $274. $500 to $2500 additional, which may be paid through the bankruptcy plan (see below). |
Our Chapter 13 fees depend on the complexity of your chapter 13 plan. However, once we review your individual situation at the Pre-Bankruptcy Screening (see below) and before we move forward with filing your petition, we will provide you with an exact quote.
Bankruptcy court litigation that is not anticipated at the time we file your petition is an additional fee, based on the hourly rate of $175 an hour. However, bankruptcy litigation is very rare.
Payment Plans:
The Bankruptcy code requires that fees owed to attorneys be paid in full before a Chapter 7 petition is filed. This is because once the petition is filed, the automatic stay kicks in and we are not permitted to "collect" from the debtor just like any other creditor is also not permitted to do. A Chapter 13 allows a portion of the attorney's fee to be paid through the plan, which is why we permit our clients to do so.
We charge as follows:
| Initial Half Hour Consult (in person or over the phone); each additional 1/2 hour is $75 | FREE |
|
Pre-Bankruptcy Screening (requires you to complete the on line bankruptcy questionnaire and bring all documents required in the checklist). At the pre-bankruptcy screening, we determine whether you qualify for a Chapter 7 or 13, pull your credit, review the information you gave us through the on line questionnaire and discuss any issues. If you choose not to file bankruptcy within six months of this initial meeting, we reserve the right to charge you a second fee of $250 if you later decide you want to file. This is because all of your paperwork will very likely need to be updated. If we are going to charge you this second consultation fee, the fee will be discussed with you in advance of your second meeting. |
$250.00. The fee INCLUDES the cost to pull your credit through our software, which provides the correct "bankruptcy" addresses for most creditors. |
| Nonrefundable deposit required for our office to begin paperwork | $500.00 |
| Balance due prior to filing petition, which is also nonrefundable | Exact amount due in a chapter 13 will be discussed at the pre-bankruptcy screening, but see the fee schedule above for more information. |
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.