Schedule a Consultation
Call Us Now!
Expertise Best Child Support Lawyers in Chicago 201710 Best 2016 Client Satisfaction American Institute of Family Law AttorneysAvvo Clients' Choice 2016 DivorceRising Stars Kevin P. O'Flaherty SuperLawyers.com10 Best Law Firms 2018 Client Satisfaction American Institute of Family Legal Counsel Attorneys Estate Planning Law40 under forty
No need to leave your home to receive legal consultations and services - Call or click to learn more about phone and video conferencing with our attorneys.

Top 3 Qualities to Look for in Your Attorney

Your attorney should not speak in legalese.

Finding an attorney who doesn't use complex legal jargon and is a “real person” can be difficult. You should be able to connect with your attorney on a personal level, and they should speak to you in plain language that you can understand.

Your attorney should be accessible.

You deserve a responsive legal team that communicates regularly and promptly returns your calls.  Although legal matters can take time, you should feel confident in the progress of your case.

Your attorney should be realistic about costs and outcomes.

You want a favorable outcome as efficiently as possible.  It is essential that your attorney set realistic expectations about 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.

  • We Give You Counsel From Experienced Attorneys, Not Info-Tapes!  Many bankruptcy lawyers meet their clients for the first time near the end of the bankruptcy case, at the first meeting of creditors.  Our friendly Lisle bankruptcy attorneys will develop a relationship with you from your initial consultation until long after your bankruptcy has concluded. We don't require you to rely on info-tapes or paralegals for your bankruptcy education, but will be your trusted advisors at every stage of the process. 
  • We Are Affordable!  We realize that when you are considering bankruptcy, you cannot afford to pay expensive attorney fees.  We are proud of our affordable fees that allow us to serve more clients who need help, and we invite the comparison to other attorneys.   ​​
  • We Have a Wide Network of Resources to Help Get You Back on Your Feet!  In the process of beginning your fresh start, you may require the services of other professionals like accountants, financial advisors, loan officers, and bankers.  Because we are "your community law firm," our roots in Lisle run deep.  We will tap into our network of local professionals to craft a comprehensive solution that can get you back on your feet. 

See why we are trusted

Kevin's firm handled setting up my will and trust recently. They took something that seemed intimidating and made it easy to understand. I've also referred a couple clients to Kevin - he's trustworthy, approachable and very fairly priced.

Christi M.

"I've used Kevin and his firm's services since 2011. He gave undivided attention to my cases, advised me on different options and..."

Marvin

"Kevin was extremely professional, responsive and knowledgeable when I came to him for help. I would definitely recommend O'Flaherty Law!"

Rachel B.

"...your articles on the changes to the child support law are very well-written and informative.”

Julianne

“It’s good to open the door of creative vision to offer a service that may motivate other attorneys to do the same. Keep up the good work.”

LuQman

"Great set of articles. I was divorced in 2014 with one child and would have certainly considered you had I seen these types of articles then."

DJ

Lisle Bankruptcy Attorneys

Contact Us

Please contact our friendly lawyers to Schedule a Consultation.
See below for our other locations. If our office locations are not convenient for you, we are happy to speak with you by phone.

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

O'Flaherty Law of Downers Grove

5002 Main St., Ste. 201

Downers Grove, IL 60515

(630) 324-6666
info@oflaherty-law.com
Google Business PageBing Page

Hours of Operation

Monday
9:00am - 6:00pm
Tuesday
9:00am - 6:00pm
Wednesday
9:00am - 6:00pm
Thursday
9:00am - 6:00pm
Friday
9:00am - 6:00pm
Saturday
Closed
Sunday
Closed

Why O'Flaherty Law of Downers Grove?

Why O'Flaherty Law of Downers Grove?

Why O'Flaherty Law of Downers Grove?

Top 3 Qualities to Look for in Your Attorney

Cost-Effective

When we started our firm in the midst of the recession, we learned to survive in a lean environment and pass the savings on to our clients.  As the economy has improved, we have not changed our philosophy.  We are hungry to grow our client base, and so we have intentionally set our rates below what the market will bear.  Our mission is to make each client walk away feeling that they got more value than they paid for.  This is easier to do when we make our prices affordable.

Client-Focused

The secret to our success as a firm is incredibly simple: we build a personal relationship with each of our clients and treat them with the respect that they deserve.  We pride ourselves on our open lines of communication, frequent check-ins with our clients, and our accessibility.  We are here to help you in any way we can, often leveraging our network of resources to assist you with non-legal issues that you may be having.  We are your one-stop problem-solver and trusted adviser.  All attorneys say that they provide excellent client service, but, unlike other attorneys, we practice what we preach.  We make sure every client walks away happy . . . period.

Comprehensive

We are your community law firm.  Our business is built on long-term relationships with our clients.  Our clients have the luxury of building trust over time with one team of attorneys, rather than having to find a new attorney for each different type of matter that arises over the course of their lives.  No one attorney can be experienced at everything.  That is why we have worked hard to assemble a team of attorneys with extensive experience in different areas of experience.  Our attorneys work together closely to bring our collective experience to bear on any issue that may arise for our clients.

Great at What We Do

Since our business comes entirely from referrals and community involvement, our reputation for quality legal work is our greatest asset . . . and it is extremely important to us.  Each of our attorneys is truly experienced in his or her practice areas, with the highest personal standards of excellence.  We are proud of our reputation in the community, and we did not achieve it by accident.  Our reputation for excellence comes from hard work, continuing education, and an above-and-beyond approach to our clients’ cases.

Our Lisle Bankruptcy Attorneys provide excellent service in the following areas of law:

Our attorneys work as a team to provide comprehensive has experience in:

You Don't Have to Leave Your Home For Your Legal Consultation

In this video, attorney Kevin O'Flaherty describes ways you can receive legal services from the comfort of home.

Please contact our office to Schedule a Consultation.
See below for our other locations. If our office locations are not convenient for you, we are happy to speak with you by phone.

O'Flaherty Law of Downers Grove

5002 Main St., Ste. 201

Downers Grove, IL 60515

Email Icon
info@oflaherty-law.com
Google My Business IconBing Icon

What to Expect From a Consultation

The purpose of a consultation is to determine whether our firm is a good fit for your legal needs. Although we often discuss expected results and costs, our attorneys do not give legal advice unless and until you choose to retain us. Although most consultations are complimentary, some may carry a charge depending on the type of matter and meeting location.

Expertise Best Child Support Lawyers in Chicago 201710 Best 2016 Client Satisfaction American Institute of Family Law AttorneysAvvo Clients' Choice 2016 DivorceRising Stars Kevin P. O'Flaherty SuperLawyers.com10 Best Law Firms 2018 Client Satisfaction American Institute of Family Legal Counsel Attorneys Estate Planning Law40 under forty

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

Check Out Articles and Videos from our Lisle Bankruptcy Attorneys

Lisle bankruptcy attorney, Kevin O'Flaherty, explains the Chapter 7 bankruptcy process.

Lisle bankruptcy attorney, Kevin O'Flaherty, explains the Chapter 7 bankruptcy process.

Bankruptcy Options

When considering bankruptcy as an individual (as opposed to a corporation) you have three primary options: Debt Negotiation, Chapter 7 Bankruptcy and Chapter 13 Bankruptcy. Our Lisle Bankruptcy attorneys will assess your personal financial situation, educate you on your options, and help you determine which option is the best for you. 

Debt Negotiation

Hiring our Lisle bankruptcy attorneys to renegotiate your debt may be your best option if you have less than $15,000.00 in debt, or assets that you are afraid in losing in the bankruptcy (see our article about keeping property in bankruptcy).  A good attorney can often convince your creditors to significantly reduce the amount of your debt and/or allow you to execute a payment plan whereby you pay back your debt over time.  Typically, the longer the duration of the payment plan, the smaller the amount by which creditors will be willing to reduce your debt. 

Chapter 7 Bankruptcy

Chapter 7 bankruptcy is a great option if you have more than $15,000.00 in debt, you do not have assets in excess of the amounts that are exempt from collection in bankruptcy, and you are not making an excessively high income.  In a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, your dischargable debt (basically everything but student loans and tax debt) will be wiped out, and you can usually keep your house and cars.  

Chapter 13 Bankruptcy

Chapter 13 bankruptcy is appropriate for individuals who are not qualified for a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy due to their income level or who have assets in excess of the exemption amounts that they would be in jeopardy of losing in a Chapter 7 bankruptcy.  Unlike a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, your debts are not wiped out in a Chapter 13 bankruptcy.  Rather a plan is approved by your creditors and the court to pay off the majority of the debt over the course of 3 to 5 years.  Chapter 13 bankruptcy is a tool to buy you time to pay your creditors. 

In this Learn About Law podcast & videoblog, Lisle Bankruptcy & Debt Resolution 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.

If I File For Bankruptcy, Can I Keep My House and Cars?

Most people who file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy are able to discharge their debts while keeping their house and their cars.  Whether you are able to do so depends on how much equity you have in the property in question. When you file for bankruptcy an attorney, called a bankruptcy trustee, is appointed to review your case and assess whether you have assets that can be collected for the benefit of your creditors. However, certain amounts of particular types of assets are exempt from collection by the trustee.  The following are the most important exemptions

  • $15,000.00 of equity in your primary residence ($30,000.00 for a married couple filing jointly); 
  • $2,400.00 of equity in your vehicles ($4,800.00 for a married couple filing jointly)
  • A $4,000.00 exemption can be applied to any property of your choice ($8,000.00 for a married couple). 

If your equity in your house or vehicle is below these exemption amounts, you will be able to keep the assets after filing for bankruptcy.  Even if you have slightly more equity than these exemption amounts, you will still likely be able to keep the asset.  When deciding whether to collect an asset, the trustee must account for the costs associated with the transaction (like realtor fees and closing costs) as well as the trustee's own fees for his or her efforts in collecting the assets.  If, when these costs are taken from the non-exempt value of the asset, there would not be much value left over to pay creditors, the trustee is unlikely to pursue the asset. 

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

The First Meeting Of Creditors

Shortly after our Lisle bankruptcy lawyers file you bankruptcy petition, we will appear with you at a meeting called the "First Meeting of Creditors."  This name is misleading, as creditors almost never attend these meetings.  

‍The First Meeting of Creditors is a brief meeting between the bankruptcy trustee (a lawyer appointed by the court to oversee your bankruptcy case), your attorney and yourself.  The trustee will review your schedules and ask you a series of questions regarding your assets, liability, income and expenses.  The meetings typically take about 10 minutes and are very low pressure.  

The trustee will begin by asking a series of preliminary questions:

  • The trustee will confirm your identity with a photo ID and your social security card.  
  • The trustee will swear you in and put you under oath. 
  • The trustee will ask if you reviewed your schedules before they were filed and ask you to confirm that the schedules are true and correct.  
  • Finally, the trustee will ask if you have reviewed certain required notices provided to you by your attorney regarding the bankruptcy process and the alternatives to bankruptcy. 

‍Once the record has been established, the trustee will ask a series of questions about your finances and your schedules.  You can read a transcript of the bankruptcy trustee's usual questions here. 

Usually, the meeting goes very smoothly.  If all goes well, the trustee will enter a finding that you have no non-exempt assets available for collection on behalf of your creditors and recommending that your debts be discharged. 

After this finding, your case will be closed after a brief period during which creditors can object to the discharge (which they almost never do).  

Read more about the First Meeting of Creditors.

Further Reading from our Lisle Bankruptcy Attorneys