Filing Bankruptcy Without Legal Help Can Cause Mishaps

The last thing you want to do is mess up while filing for bankruptcy. Always use a trained bankruptcy lawyer.

If you want to make sure the bankruptcy process goes smoothly, and that you do not somehow accidentally get discharged because you made a mistake that could cause you to be charged with fraud, use an experienced Iowa bankruptcy lawyer. It is worth it as the lawyer will help you get through the filing without any glitches. After the bankruptcy, you will get to have a fresh start with your finances.

If you think you can do it on your own, or have someone else do it for you, you should know that there are nine prohibited activities according to section 152 of the U.S. Attorney’s Manual. Those prohibited activities are:
– Concealing property the debtor owns
– Making false accounts or oaths
– Making false declarations, verifications, statements and certifications is under the penalty of perjury
– Making false claims against the debtor’s estate
– Fraudulently receiving property from a debtor
– Extortion and bribery
– Concealing or transferring property
– Destroying or hiding documents detailing the affairs or property of the debtor
– Withholding documents from bankruptcy case administrators

In other words, you might want to think twice about trying to file bankruptcy on your own unless you have an in-depth grasp of all the rules, regulations and pitfalls of attempting to do it yourself. If you make a mistake and get charged with fraud, it does not all end with your simple, yet heartfelt plea that you messed up by accident.

Maybe you did, but when you have at least three different government departments and who knows who else on your case, the innocent mistake often ends up looking like planned fraud. Often the Department of Justice, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court system and the IRS jump into cases where they think there has been fraud. You really do not want the IRS investigating you. To put it bluntly, there is a whole lot at stake for you when you choose to file for bankruptcy, so ensure you do it the legal and above-board way by using an Iowa bankruptcy lawyer.

Filing your bankruptcy through the system and with legal counsel will prevent the probability of being prosecuted for bankruptcy fraud. If you think filing for bankruptcy is difficult, being prosecuted for bankruptcy fraud is 10 times your worst nightmare. Bankruptcy is tough enough for people without living in fear that they messed up when filing and that the government may come after them. By using an experienced Iowa bankruptcy lawyer, you will know you are on the right side of the law.

If you still think it is worth trying to file on your own and bend the rules, you might want to read some case studies about people who chose to try and fleece the bankruptcy system and got caught. You can read those current, 2011 cases at: http://www.irs.gov/compliance/enforcement/article/0,,id=228083,00.html

Kevin Ahrenholz is an Iowa bankruptcy lawyer and Iowa bankruptcy attorney. To contact him, visit https://www.iowachapter7.com or call 1.877.888.1766.