An article on the Channel 9 news website declared that greater than twenty-six thousand Coloradans have filed for bankruptcy in 2009. It has been estimated that bankruptcy filings in Colorado could reach twenty-nine thousand in 2009 whereas in 2008 slightly less than twenty-one thousand filed. The year with the greatest number of bankruptcy filings was 2005, just before the changes in the U.S. Bankruptcy Code occurred. Forty-three thousand Coloradans filed for bankruptcy in that year.
The article went on to say that there is a free clinic available that focuses on how to file Chapter 7 bankruptcy without a lawyer. The classes are held in room 154 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court Building on 19th Street. The free bankruptcy clinic is held by the Colorado Bar Association and the Denver Bar Association.
Many of the individuals who come to the classes intend to act as their own attorney while filing bankruptcy. Obviously, their belief is that this will save them money. Unfortunately, this is often not the case. The bankruptcy application package is typically about sixty-three pages long. If you make an error in filling out the paperwork, you will have paid the $299 filing fee for a Chapter 7 bankruptcy proceeding only to have your case dismissed. Then you will need to begin again. Also it is important to keep in mind that lawyers at the free class don’t discuss individual personal circumstances. Thus the idiosyncrasies of your particular case may not be thoroughly addressed, if at all.
If you live in Denver, Aurora, Arvada, Brighton, Broomfield, Commerce City, Englewood, Highlands Ranch, Lakewood, Lafayette, Littleton, Northglenn, Westminster, Wheat Ridge, or Golden, Colorado, please feel free to contact me with any questions.
Kevin D. Heupel, Colorado Bankruptcy attorney, 303-955-7570, COBankruptcyHelpEmail, free-consultation form.
