Minnesota Bankruptcy Attorneys are not All the Same

Of course they’re not all the same. There are many characteristics that can be measured and compared when you’re looking for a Minnesota bankruptcy attorney. Education levels, experience, track record, diversity of services, all are different from firm to firm. To find the right attorney, make a checklist of the expectations and requirements that you are seeking in the person who you believe will be right for the job. Begin that list by writing about your own situation. Empathy with you and understanding of your position should be at or very near the top of your list.Once you have your own situation clearly defined on paper, you’ll have a framework for a first conversation with a new prospective attorney. Go through the list of local lawyers and look for the other criteria you’ve set up. Education and experience are big. You’ll want someone who knows the law and has practiced it for a number of years. Michael K. Hoverson has practiced law for over twenty-three years, graduated in the top twenty percent of his class, and has taught bankruptcy law at Hamline University in St. Paul.Since your short list most likely just got a lot shorter, you’ll now want to take a look at the track record of the firm you have selected. It all comes down to wins and losses, right? Bankruptcy isn’t like criminal proceedings where verdicts of guilty or not guilty are handed down, but you can lose in court. Your Minnesota bankruptcy lawyer should be able to tell you with confidence that, once all of the paperwork has been done correctly and creditors have been contacted, you will be awarded a favorable judgment.As far as diversity of services is concerned, find a bankruptcy attorney who can handle both personal and corporate bankruptcy filings, even if you don’t need both. A firm that specializes in bankruptcy will serve you better than a general practice attorney. You’ll also receive the empathy and understanding that we mentioned earlier. Only someone with experience can provide that for you. If you go to your family attorney or someone who has never filed or experienced bankruptcy before, the process will be much more unpleasant. Make sure you’re represented by someone who knows how you feel. That’s perhaps even more important than all the rest of the items on your checklist.