When you need heart surgery, you don’t call a plumber any more than you would call a surgeon to fix a leaky pipe.
That’s why it is risky to try to attempt an important, life-altering event, like filing bankruptcy, on your own. And it’s even worse to think you can do it for others.
Take the case of Robert Naugles in Wisconsin. Naugles filed for bankruptcy in 2011 and figured since he managed to do it, he would try to start a business as a bankruptcy preparer. Naugles is not an attorney, as you might have guessed by now.
The business plan hasn’t worked out well for Naugles, as he has been cited for contempt, fined $1,000.00 by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court and has been ordered to repay a number of clients. Naugles is facing possible criminal charges.
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Pamela Pepper ruled that Naugles overcharged clients, made key errors on their paperwork, and offered legal advice without a license to practice law.
Federal law mandates that bankruptcy preparers do nothing more than fill out bankruptcy forms using the information that has been provided by the clients. Preparers are prohibited from dispensing legal advice.
“It’s a very dangerous profession to be in if you are not a lawyer,” Judge Pepper said.
The simple adage, “you get what you pay for” certainly applies when filing a bankruptcy case. Considering what is at stake when filing a bankruptcy petition, it is very risky to attempt to navigate through the complicated filing process on your own, and a bankruptcy preparer is nothing more than a paid clerk who is hired to type in your information and file it.
Your financial matters are too important to take chances or to cut corners. You have enough stress in your life because of mounting bills and creditors calls, so let the attorneys at Steidl and Steinberg help you restore your financial situation. You can trust Steidl and Steinberg to get it right. Give us a call at 800-360-9392 for a free consultation.
We don’t fix leaky pipes or heart valves, but we do fix your financial world.