In Georgia, many families and small business owners have made an important New Year’s Resolution – to get financially fit in 2015. If you are carrying a significant debt burden and your income is not keeping pace with your bills, one way to get financially fit may be to file for bankruptcy.
Filing for bankruptcy is a very serious endeavor. While there are numerous positive outcomes from filing for bankruptcy, doing so is rarely a simple process and may not be the best solution for everyone (depending on their own financial circumstances). Because of these reasons, it is always highly recommended that Georgians who are interested in filing for bankruptcy consult with an experienced attorney who can help them determine their eligibility for bankruptcy, examine and understand their responsibilities during the process, and ensure that their rights and privacy are protected.
Unfortunately, not all bankruptcy attorneys are created equal. Many Georgians have contacted our office for help because their attorney is not returning their phone calls or emails, and therefore they not only have no idea what is going on with their case, but they also don’t know if the attorney is meeting all of the bankruptcy court requirements.
At the Law Office of Michael West, we firmly believe that no matter how busy your attorney is, he or she should always make the time to respond to your questions as soon as possible. Read on for more information on what to do if you feel as though your bankruptcy attorney is ignoring you.
Why Won’t My Bankruptcy Attorney Talk to Me?
It is important to bear in mind that there may be a valid reason why your attorney has not contacted you, such as an honest misunderstanding or a personal or professional emergency that required your attorney’s immediate and protracted attention. For example, many law office workers, including attorneys, take vacations during the holidays and the summer months. If your attorney relies on an assistant or secretary to relay client messages, and this person is out of the office for a long period of time, your attorney may not even know that you have tried to contact him or her.
Or, it is possible that the attorney thinks that he or she has already answered your question in a previously sent email or during the course of another phone conversation. Also, it also may just be the case that your attorney simply didn’t know that you wanted him or her to call you back.
What Steps Can I Take to Get My Bankruptcy Attorney to Talk to Me?
It is pretty rare for an attorney to purposefully and blatantly ignore clients – but it can happen. If you feel that you have given your attorney ample time to contact you and you are still being ignored, you can take one or more of the following steps:
- Make a follow-up call and send a follow-up email
In your phone message and your email, you can point out to your attorney that this is the third, fourth, or fifth time you have tried to contact him or her and specifically state that you need him or her to contact you back ASAP.
- Make a trip to your attorney’s office
If you live close enough to your attorney’s office that making a trip to see him or her would not be burdensome, go ahead and do so. While many attorneys are frequently out of the office because of court appearances, making a trip to the office will show the attorney (or in the attorney’s absence, his or her staff) that it is very important that you speak with him or her.
- Get a new attorney
Getting a new attorney may be the best option for you if your current attorney continues to ignore your requests for contact. Replacing your bankruptcy attorney should not adversely affect your bankruptcy case, but if you are interested in doing so you should begin the process ASAP to make sure nothing slips through the cracks during the transition period.
To learn more about hiring an experienced and knowledgeable bankruptcy attorney, contact our office today. We look forward to speaking with you!