I went to Yahoo.com Answers a couple of days ago, and ran into this question:
"Has anyone filed bankruptcy in AZ? Who was the best and cheapest attorney?"
Okay, I admit it; I couldn't resist. So I answered it:
"Has anyone filed bankruptcy in AZ? Who was the best and cheapest attorney?"
Okay, I admit it; I couldn't resist. So I answered it:
Finding a decent bankruptcy lawyer in Arizona is not as hard as it used to be. Fortunately, the Bankruptcy Bar in Arizona has many good lawyers. As far as finding the best qualified, first look at AVVO.com, a fairly new site that permits consumers to compare lawyers as though they were books on Amazon, comparing experience, credentials, client reviews, lawyer endorsements, and the AVVO.com rating, from 1 to 10. Also look at Findlaw.com, which is an oldie but a goodie, and is a useful lawyer directory. You can check with the State Bar of Arizona website, which lets you search for lawyers who are Certified as Specialists in Bankruptcy Law by the Arizona Board of Legal Specialization. And you can search on Google for an Arizona bankruptcy lawyer who has an AV rating (most lawyers don't have a rating; some have a CV and fewer have a BV rating; a very few have the coveted AV rating, which is a product of peer review) from Martindale.com.
As to the cheapest attorney, sadly, all good bankruptcy lawyers in Arizona are about as busy as they decide they want to be, because there's a depression going on. So you can certainly do price comparisons after you look at credentials. But almost without exception, if somebody has jumped backwards through flaming hoops to become Board Certified, Martindale AV rated, or is AVVO.com 10 rated, you'll pay a premium for them, because their service is of a more predictable quality than that of a less credentialed bankruptcy lawyer. If price is your first concern, AVVO.com also gives you an opportunity to compare and contrast the lawyers in Arizona who are NOT board certified in bankruptcy law, are NOT AVVO 10 rated, and are NOT Martindale av rated, but who practice bankruptcy law. You may find someone in that substantial group who is less expensive than somebody who has more credentials than a dog has fleas, but of course, you'll want to meet and consult with any lawyer before you hire him or her, to see if you can stand working with them, because a bankruptcy is pretty stressful, whether it's a Chapter 7, 13, or 11 (or 12, if you're a family farmer).
As to the cheapest attorney, sadly, all good bankruptcy lawyers in Arizona are about as busy as they decide they want to be, because there's a depression going on. So you can certainly do price comparisons after you look at credentials. But almost without exception, if somebody has jumped backwards through flaming hoops to become Board Certified, Martindale AV rated, or is AVVO.com 10 rated, you'll pay a premium for them, because their service is of a more predictable quality than that of a less credentialed bankruptcy lawyer. If price is your first concern, AVVO.com also gives you an opportunity to compare and contrast the lawyers in Arizona who are NOT board certified in bankruptcy law, are NOT AVVO 10 rated, and are NOT Martindale av rated, but who practice bankruptcy law. You may find someone in that substantial group who is less expensive than somebody who has more credentials than a dog has fleas, but of course, you'll want to meet and consult with any lawyer before you hire him or her, to see if you can stand working with them, because a bankruptcy is pretty stressful, whether it's a Chapter 7, 13, or 11 (or 12, if you're a family farmer).
Source(s):
AVVO.com, State Bar of Arizona website at http://www.azbar.org , Findlaw.com, Martindale.com, Google.com (where you can just type in the credentials you're looking for, as in "AVVO 10 av rated board certified bankruptcy lawyer phoenix" or any other combination of credentials that suits your fancy).
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