Finding an attorney who 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.
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.
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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, the 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 of 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.
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.
"I've used Kevin and his firm's services since 2011. He gave undivided attention to my cases, advised me on different options and..."
"Kevin was extremely professional, responsive and knowledgeable when I came to him for help. I would definitely recommend O'Flaherty Law!"
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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.
Schedule a ConsultationLearn More About The Firm6785 Weaver Rd., Unit 2B
Rockford, IL 61114
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!
Our Winnebago County bankruptcy attorneys will help you understand how to better navigate the bankruptcy process in this companion article.
Before filing, you are required to complete an online credit counseling course. These are usually relatively short and inexpensive. Our Winnebago County bankruptcy and debt resolution attorneys will then work with you to help you 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.
Our Winnebago County debt resolution law team wants you to better understand how to hold on to your most precious assets (car, home, etc.) during bankruptcy.
If your vehicle or home is held as collateral, you will most likely have the option to sign a reaffirmation agreement. This reaffirms the loan without discharging it in the bankruptcy process. The debt secured by your vehicle or home will not be taken out in the bankruptcy and you will be able to keep your most valuable assets when you are done if this is the case. If you do file for the bankruptcy, the trustee will seek collection of your assets to fulfill your debts. The Bankruptcy Code 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:
Once our Winnebago County 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:
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 from our Winnebago County bankruptcy attorneys.