Before you start
US individual bankruptcy consultation preparation. This is not a petition, a chapter recommendation, an exemption calculation or a determination that a debt can be discharged.
1. Confirm the purpose and urgent dates
Tell the office whether you want an initial consultation or representation, and ask what any appointment payment covers. Provide urgent notices through its verified private channel. Booking a consultation does not file a case or create bankruptcy protection. Ask promptly who can assess a pending hearing, garnishment or property sale. Keep the actual notice dates visible; this worksheet does not calculate legal deadlines.
2. Prepare a complete financial picture
Gather current creditor statements, income records, tax returns, household expenses and documents for property, bank balances and retirement interests. Include secured debts, support obligations, taxes, student loans, joint accounts and debts to relatives. Ask which period of records the professional requires. Describe disputed debts as disputed rather than leaving them out. Record missing documents without guessing their values; keep identifying details outside this page.
3. Put legal questions next to the facts
Prepare questions about chapter options, debts that might remain, property at risk, exemptions, co-borrowers and effects on future finances. Disclose prior filings, recent payments or transfers and expected income changes so the lawyer can assess them. Do not move assets or change creditor payments just to fit an online example. U.S. Courts explains that qualified legal advice matters and that court staff cannot advise you which chapter to choose.
4. Ask for a written scope before hiring
Request total estimated professional charges, court and counseling costs, what services are included and what could cost extra. Ask who handles creditor issues, hearings and follow-up, and what happens if no case is filed. Mandatory prefiling counseling and later debtor education are separate from an initial attorney consultation; ask how requirements apply to you. Use the U.S. Courts legal-help links if cost is a barrier, and confirm local eligibility and availability.
Fictional example: check the documents
A fictional intake folder lists $18,000 card debt, $7,000 remaining car debt and $3,000 medical debt: $28,000 in listed balances. It separately records a vehicle valued at $9,000, a $4,000 retirement interest and $600 cash. These property figures are not subtracted from the debt list.
The reader asks how the car security, retirement interest and any missing tax debt change the advice. The $28,000 total does not select Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 and does not predict discharge. The lawyer first needs the documents, ownership facts and applicable rules.
Before you finish
- Consultation fee and service description
- Urgent notices with actual dates
- Income, expenses, tax and debt records
- Property ownership and valuation references
- Prior filings, transfers and written legal questions
My preparation notes
All notes are optional. Use labels such as Debt A and Document B. Keep identifying records, account numbers and tax IDs outside this page.
Entries are optional and stay in this page's memory. This worksheet does not send or save them. Use generic account labels and document labels. Do not enter account numbers, Social Security numbers, PINs, access codes, passwords, names or addresses, and do not upload documents. Downloading or printing creates a copy you control.
Take the complete folder to the professional and confirm the next authorized step in writing.
Put up to four documents or actions in order
Record a short fact, such as requested a quote, sent a question, or received written terms. Dates and document labels are optional. Use generic labels; keep actual documents and identifying details outside this tool.
This is a factual log. Dated events sort from oldest to newest. Events on the same date keep their entry order because times are unknown. Undated events appear separately, in entry order. A document reference is your own label, not proof that a record was verified.
Enter actual dates as YYYY-MM-DD. If a date is unknown, leave it blank; do not invent one. Dates are calendar dates, with no time zone or time-of-day comparison. This record does not calculate a legal deadline or schedule reminders.
Questions you may have
Will the consultation stop collection?
No. An appointment is not a filed bankruptcy case. Ask about urgent legal steps and the limits of any protection that might apply after an actual filing.
Can a document preparer choose a chapter for me?
U.S. Courts distinguishes non-attorney petition preparers from lawyers. Preparers may enter information on forms but cannot provide legal advice.