Davenport Bankruptcy Attorneys at O'Flaherty Law

Top 3 Qualities to Look for in Your Attorney

Your attorney should not speak in legalese.

Finding an attorney that is a “real person” can be difficult. Many attorneys surround themselves almost exclusively with other attorneys and are accustomed to speaking in ivory tower legalese. You should be able to connect with your attorney on a personal level, and he or she should speak to you in plain language that you can understand. You will be working very closely with this person on issues that are very important to you. It is important that he or she be down-to-Earth and someone that you connect with.

Your attorney should be accessible.

The most common complaint that clients have of their attorneys is that the attorney is unreachable, does not communicate with them regularly, or does not promptly return your calls. Your attorney should reach out to you about your case regularly and respond within 24 hours to calls and e-mails. An open line of communication between you and your attorney is essential to building trust.

Your attorney should be realistic with you about costs and outcomes.

Your attorney’s goal should not be to win at all costs. Rather, it should be to achieve a favorable outcome for you as efficiently as possible. It is important that your attorney set realistic expectations at the outset as to the costs you should expect, concerns that the attorney has about the outcome of your case, and the length of time that you should expect your case to take.

‍Regardless of the nature your case, we have an experienced attorney who will focus on your individual needs. Our team of attorneys works closely together, bringing each of their different fields of experience to bear in order to optimize our client care.

We Give You Counsel From experienced Attorneys, Not Info-Tapes! Our Lincoln Park bankruptcy attorneys will work with you from beginning to end. We understand that you don't fit in a mold, don't rely on info-tapes and will be your trusted advocates. Our goal is to develop relationships with our clients that last long after your bankruptcy case has ended.

We Are Cost-Effective! We understand that considering bankruptcy means you are in a position where you're already surrounded by debt and financially strained. We are proud to offer affordable rates that allow our clients to have peace of mind while having their financial matters met.

We Have a Wide Network of Resources to Help! Once we assist you in getting a fresh new start, you may need help from other professionals. We are proud to offer a a large network of resources of bankers, loan officers, financial advisors and local professionals to creative a comprehensive solution that suits your needs.

Davenport Bankruptcy Attorneys

Contact Us

Please contact our friendly Davenport Bankruptcy Attorneys at our nearest location to schedule a consultation.

O'Flaherty Law of Davenport

201 W. 2nd St., Ste. 400A

Davenport, IA 52801

(563) 503-6910

davenport@oflaherty-law.com

Meet the Owner

I am personally committed to ensuring that each one of our clients receives the highest level of client service from our team. Our mission is to provide excellent legal work in a cost-effective manner while maintaining open lines of communication between our clients and their attorneys. Many of our clients are going through difficult times in their lives when they reach out to us. They should feel comfortable leaning on the experience and knowledge of our attorneys as their counselors and advocates. We are here to help!

- Attorney Kevin O'Flaherty, Owner

Davenport bankruptcy attorney, Kevin O'Flaherty, explains everything you need to know about the Chapter 7 Bankruptcy process.

Preparing For Bankruptcy

Our Davenport bankruptcy attorneys discuss the steps required to prepare your bankruptcy petition. Before filing, you are required to complete an online credit counseling course. These are usually relatively short and the expense is nominal.

Our Davenport Bankruptcy and debt resolution attorneys will work with you to help you provide us with information regarding your assets, liabilities, income and expenses. After a meeting with the creditors, your case will be heard in the appropriate court where your bankruptcy will then be discharged.

Read the full article by our Davenport bankruptcy attorneys regarding preparation for bankruptcy.

In this video, Davenport bankruptcy attorney Kevin O'Flaherty of O'Flaherty Law talks about some of the advantages of both chapter 7 and chapter 13 bankruptcy and how they can apply to your specific needs.

What Can You Keep After a Bankruptcy in Davenport?

Keeping your home or vehicle often depends on how much equity you have in each piece asset. For example, the equity in a property is determined by the most current resale value minus the principle balance of any loans secured by the property.

If you do file for the bankruptcy, the trustee will seek collection of your assets to fulfill your debts. The Bankruptcy Code and laws in Davenport states that a portion of equity in particular types of property can be exempt from collection. These exceptions on the property you decide to keep in order to avoid the trustee collecting them on your behalf. For example:

You are allowed to keep $2,400.00 of equity in your vehicles ($4,800.00 for a married couple filing jointly)
You are allowed to keep $15,000.00 of equity in your primary residence ($30,000.00 for a married couple filing jointly);
There is a $4,000.00 wildcard exemption that you can apply to any property of your choice ($8,000.00 for a married couple).

Read an article from our Davenport bankruptcy attorneys about keeping your property during Davenport bankruptcy proceedings.

We explain the Chapter 13 bankruptcy process, including: Credit Counseling, filing your bankruptcy petition and schedules, filing your Chapter 13 repayment plan, the confirmation hearing, and discharge of debt.

Lincoln Park Chapter 7 Bankruptcies: What Happens at the First Meeting of Creditors?

Once our Davenport bankruptcy attorneys file your bankruptcy petition, we accompany you to the “First Meeting of Creditors.” While this seems intimidating, it's misleading considering creditors rarely attend these meetings. This meeting is between you, your attorney and the bankruptcy trustee assigned to your case. The trustee asks you preliminary questions and may do the following:

Confirm your identity through a photo ID and social security card.
Swear you in and put you under oath.
Ask if you've reviewed your schedules before they were filed and ask you to confirm that they are true and correct.
Ask if you have reviewed required notices provided by your attorney regarding bankruptcy and your alternatives.

Once these questions are put on record and established, the trustee asks you questions regarding your schedules and finances. You can read a transcript of the bankruptcy trustee's usual questions here. Once the trustee enters a finding stating that you have no non-exempt assets for collection on your behalf they will recommend your debts be released. Once this happens, the case will close for a brief period. During this time creditors have the right to object to the discharge, which seems intimidating but rarely happens.Read more about the First Meeting of Creditors.

Davenport Bankruptcy Attorneys | Debt Resolution Lawyers, Davenport

Top 3 Qualities to Look for in Your Attorney

Your attorney should not speak in legalese.

Your attorney should be accessible.

Your attorney should be realistic with you about costs and outcomes.

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