713Bankruptcy.Com's Blog

When drafting bankruptcy petitions, it is very important to document and report ALL allowable monthly expenses that the debtor has.

With some clients, this can mean the difference between filing a Chapter 7 bankruptcy (potentially discharging all debts) or a Chapter 13 bankruptcy (repaying some or all of debt over a 3-5 year period); and even in a Chapter 13, it could make a significant difference in the debtor’s monthly payment, allowing them a more realistic monthly payment, and giving them a much greater likelihood of successfully complete their Chapter 13 plan, (as it has been reported that roughly 80% of Chapter 13 filers do NOT complete their plan, allowing creditors to resume collection efforts).

This requires analytical thinking, and is the skill that separates the professionals in our industry from those that just “data entry” a bankruptcy petition.  Those of us that use our mind to think outside the box are the ones that become very successful VBA’s.

One example of this is a bankruptcy petition I drafted a while back for a client that had a $150 monthly payment for the hair piece he got from the hair club that he was a member of, due to balding.  This monthly payment was listed on Schedule J of the client’s bankruptcy petition, and was allowed by the bankruptcy court.

In another bankruptcy petition, we reported $250 per month in cigarette consumption.  Again, this was not disputed by the court.  With this debtor, we also reported a $450 per month contribution to help the debtor’s mother pay her mortgage.  The debtor had to provide a history of this to the trustee, but again, it was allowed.

Get creative, use your mind to SOLVE your client’s problem…help them get a fresh start, with their best foot forward.

We’re not trying to take advantage of the system, rather, we are trying to utilize everything available within the system to help the person(s) filing bankruptcy, and help our attorneys representing them to be their hero, while simultaneously saving the attorney time and money…THAT my friends, is the job of a VBA.

Wishing you health and prosperity.

Sincerely,

-Your Friends at 713 Training

Join our LinkedIn group:
www.linkedin.com/companies/713training.com-llc

Follow us on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/pages/713Trainingcom/112903945407672

Follow us on Twitter:
www.twitter.com/713Training

Support Autism Awareness, Donate Today:
www.713training.com/categories/Autism-Awareness

DISCLAIMER: We at 713 Training are not attorneys; any information provided by 713 Training should not be considered legal advice.  The information in this article, and any other materials provided by 713 Training, whether delivered verbally, written or via any other means, including electronic/digital delivery and storage, is for training purposes only, and is intended for individuals who work under the direction of a licensed attorney.

When you are drafting a bankruptcy petition for a couple who is separated and maintain their own separate households, there is a nearly complete duplication of all expenses, including things such as rent/mortgage, phone, water/sewer, trash, food, electric, gas, cable/satellite/internet, etc.

With this kind of duplication of expenses, how is this to be reported on the bankruptcy petition?  There’s only one Schedule J, right?

Some may be tempted to add both of the spouses’ expenses together and enter the combined amount into Schedule J of the petition, but this wouldn’t provide an accurate picture of the debtors’ expenses.

Instead, check your bankruptcy software for an option to report the spouse’s expenses separately.  In Best Case, you would go into Schedule J, and at the bottom of the first tab, an option will appear that reads: “Check here if a joint petition is filed and debtor’s spouse maintains a separate household or to itemize the separate expenses of a non-filing spouse”.  If you check the box next to this option to enable it, a button will appear at the lower right that is labeled “Spouse’s Schedule”.  Clicking this button will pop up a new window that provides you a place to provide all of the spouse’s  expenses, so that you can easily account for the duplication in expenses that this spouse has by maintaining a separate household.  When you’re done entering the spouse’s expenses, you just click the “Close to debtor’s schedule” button to return to your usual Schedule J window.

You may have noticed too, that this same option is also useful for “…itemizing the separate expenses of a non-filing spouse”…good information for you to know.

Sincerely,

-The 713 Training Team
Join our LinkedIn group:
www.linkedin.com/companies/713training.com-llc

Follow us on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/pages/713Trainingcom/112903945407672

Follow us on Twitter:
www.twitter.com/713Training

Support Autism Awareness, Donate Today:
www.713training.com/categories/Autism-Awareness
DISCLAIMER: We at 713 Training are not attorneys; any information provided by 713 Training should not be considered legal advice.  The information in this article, and any other materials provided by 713 Training, whether delivered verbally, written or via any other means, including electronic/digital delivery and storage, is for training purposes only, and is intended for individuals who work under the direction of a licensed attorney.

Below are some recent bankruptcy questions and answers:

Q.
I am an out of work paralegal in Birmingham, AL, and have bankruptcy knowledge.  I will obtain “virtual bankruptcy assistant” training next week.  If I might ask, how are things working out doing this? Thank you for your time!

A.
To give you a feel for how in demand the VBA service is, one of our students had 5 attorneys contact him in the last few days, and one of them is looking to outsource about 40 bankruptcy petitions per month, which will produce about $14,000 of monthly income…from just ONE attorney.  One of the other attorneys also just sent two Chapter 7 petitions to draft.

Q.
With the experience you have, can you please tell me how to determine what fee to charge the attorney…can you give some kind of guideline?

A.
The fee that VBA’s charge is a personal decision.  Many new VBA’s charge $300 for 7’s and $400 for 13’s, if that’s helpful.

Q.
Here in the Southern district of Florida they are starting to use retail value to determine vehicle exemption exemptions.  I don’t really know what retail value means? Do I use the price that the dealer sells the vehicle for or the price a private individual will sell it to another private party for?

A.
You should ask the attorney whether he/she wants you to use the dealer or private-party retail value.  If you want to be proactive, you can call the trustee’s office on behalf of your attorney to obtain this information.

Q.
After the drafting of the petition is done, do you recommend a copy be saved for the attorney (somewhere down the road he/she may need a copy).  I read in the study materials that a copy could be saved to the attorney CD & sent annually)…is that okay?

A.
It’s between you and the attorney as to how and what to back up, based on what the attorney would like you to do, as it is his/her information you are working on, and he/she is ultimately responsible for it.  Backing up data and sending a CD to the attorney could be a valuable service to some attorneys though.

Q.
What type of back up system do you recommend (to protect against computer theft & viruses)

A.
The most cost effective way to backup data is to a USB hard drive that you can keep elsewhere when your backups are complete.

Most computers run built-in firewall software to prevent unauthorized access.

Regarding viruses.  Most computers come with antivirus protection, but there are good free tools such as AVG, or industry standard tools such as Symantec Antivirus and Mcafee.  Please note that we do not endorse any particular antivirus product.

Q.
What type of accounting system does a VBA need?

A.
Because a VBA business is very simple to run, an accounting “system” isn’t really necessary.

A VBA business has VERY few expenses (e.g., web hosting, cell phone, internet access), which can easily be tracked in a spreadsheet, or something similar.

It can be handy to have a checkbook balancing software product to help you keep track of your business (and personal) checking account, but that is purely personal preference, and is definitely optional.

Q.
How do I handle mobile homes in a bankruptcy petition?

Example:  Debtor has a mobile home on wheels that she is still paying on, but owes more than the last appraised value which was done over 5 years ago.

First of all, how do you describe the property?  Could it be:  Mobile Home:  1995 Fleetwood 16×80 single wide, 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, on wheels without skirting parked in St. Paul, Va.  (it is not in her possession, but parked in a relatives yard in their possession but she is on deed and makes the payments).

Could that be correct?  And since it does still have wheels it would be categorized #25: Automobiles, Trucks, Trailers, and Other Vehicles?  Not real property, right?  Also, how do you come up with a value on this without paying a fee?  Is there a web site that gives value like a vehicle?   I tried Kelley Blue book and NADA with no success.  I googled for a site but found no source that did not want a fee.

Or do I just take the last value she got years back since it is viewed as a vehicle with registration and no deed?

A.
As you pointed out, whether or not a mobile home still has wheels on it, can help you determine whether to list it on Schedule A as real property (e.g., no wheels), or on Schedule B as personal property.  A better indicator though, would be whether or not the mobile home is sitting on a permanent foundation or not.  If it is on a foundation, it’s likely to be considered real property; whereas if it is not on a foundation, it’s likely to be considered personal property.

The description you gave is likely to be acceptable to both the attorney and trustee; the attorney should tell you if he/she would like any changes made to the description after his/her review.

Regarding where to obtain a value on a mobile home, NADA (www.NADAGuides.com), provides these in the “Manufactured Homes” section of their website.  If the particular model you are looking for doesn’t seem to be there, you can get creative and look for similar models for sale on Craigslist, ebay, or even as you did, search via Google or another search engine.  If you come up empty, ask your attorney what he/she would like you to do.
Best wishes.

Sincerely,

-The 713 Training Team

Join our LinkedIn group:
www.linkedin.com/companies/713training.com-llc

Follow us on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/pages/713Trainingcom/112903945407672

Follow us on Twitter:
www.twitter.com/713Training

Support Autism Awareness, Donate Today:
www.713training.com/categories/Autism-Awareness

DISCLAIMER: We at 713 Training are not attorneys; any information provided by 713 Training should not be considered legal advice.  The information in this article, and any other materials provided by 713 Training, whether delivered verbally, written or via any other means, including electronic/digital delivery and storage, is for training purposes only, and is intended for individuals who work under the direction of a licensed attorney.

Question:
I have a debtor who has several wage garnishments filed and some are already being deducted from his paycheck.  My question is do I list these on Sch. F as well as entering info on Stmt Affairs (suits filed)?  One is from the Calif.  State Tax Board so is this still on Sch. E?

Answer:
The originating creditor of all debts should be listed on the appropriate schedule, whether there is a garnishment or not, and regardless of where the creditor is (California or otherwise).

So in your example, the State Tax debt should be listed on Schedule E, along with all other unsecured priority debts.

Any law suit that results in a garnishment (as well as those that don’t) should be listed on the Statement of Financial Affairs, with an appropriate description (e.g., consumer debt, debt collection, etc.).

Question:
If the monthly budget reported on the client intake forms from debtor show that she has charitable giving where there is no monies left over for this to balance schedule I and J, can we not have it included on the petition or is this the attorney’s decision?

If I understand the materials from 713 training correctly, if the basic needs expenses are over the limits allowed by National Standards, then I can adjust these somewhat to balance the schedules?  Is that correct?

If on schedule D she has a lien on a chair, can I have her surrender the property if there is no money left over, again to balance schedules I & J?

Actually, if there is no income left over to pay for some of these unnecessary debts can I have these surrendered instead of retained as debtor stated on intake forms?  I understand that in all of these cases I can send a note to the attorney but can I make these adjustments to balance the schedules?

If this same debtor is receiving monthly monies from relatives to meet monthly expenses, I cannot include this as income correct?  Since it is not actually income but if she has debts that are not necessary for living such as the chair, or mobile home (that she pays on but family lives in it and that relative does not pay rental income), charitable giving, etc. can these debts be surrendered?

Answer:
When drafting petitions, do so using the information exactly as reported by the client, and point out areas of concern to the attorney on the attorney cover page you keep as you draft the petition.

The items inquired about are legal decisions that only the attorney can make, which a VBA should not make, but should coordinate with the attorney on any changes that he/she would like you to make.

Question:
I am working through your training course in preparation for the certification test which I plan to take soon after the seminar this month.  I will be working in California’s Central District and the question on the top of my list is how will working in a community property state change the way I’ll be completing the various schedules?

Answer:
From the petition drafting perspective, there isn’t much difference between drafting a petition for a community property state and a non-community property state.  You would mark the property listed on the Schedules of the petition as being community property, and list any former spouses for the last 8 years on the Statement of Financial Affairs, but that’s really about it.

Question:
How do I do a civil records search and/or a criminal records search without paying fees to have it pulled?  Can you help me with this?

Answer:
Many jurisdictions have civil/criminal information in PACER, which is a good place to start, but you’ll have some PACER fees to access the information.  Some jurisdictions however, don’t offer this information though, and you would need to find a source for this data, which may charge access fees for the information.  It is up to you as the VBA to determine whether or not to pay these fees or not.  Typically the VBA covers their own PACER fees, and attorneys cover other database access fees.

Question:
In regards to condo/townhouse association fees, what differentiates it from going on schedule I or Schedule G?

Answer:
Schedule I is where the debtor’s income is listed, and Schedule G would be where any leases/contracts would be listed, (cell phone, apartment, car, etc.). The condo/townhouse fees should go on Schedule J, with the debtor’s other monthly expenses

Question:
If the client has no recent appraisal and they do not have any idea of their home value, can sites such as Reply.com be used to input an estimated property value with the information referenced on the attorney sheet and a print out of the information obtained?

Answer:
This is a question you would have to ask the attorney on the case, as to what he/she wants to use
Question:

If the client is moving into an apartment and surrendering their property (not making monthly mortgage payments) then an estimated rental amount can be placed on Schedule I?

Answer:
Yes, you will want to make certain to include housing in the debtor’s budget.  You will need to ask the debtor’s what they expect to pay in monthly rent, use this figure, and make a note for the attorney that you did this, so that he/she has an opportunity to provide guidance

Question:
I completed a petition for a married couple and did not include husband income in Schedule I (but I did include it in the Means test).  It came back to me that I must include husband income in Means Test and Schedule I.  It seems to change depending on trustee or attorney.  What has been your experience?

Answer:
In our experience, the trustee has always wanted to see the non-filing spouse’s income on the petition. The exception has been when the non-filing spouse lives in a separate household.

Question:
Is there a guide line on how much percentage should be paid back to unsecured non-priority creditors?

Answer:
The debtor will typically need to payback as much to unsecured creditors as they can, but it can be as little as 2%-5%; it depends on the situation, jurisdiction, and of course, the trustee.

Wishing you a prosperous week.

Sincerely,

-The 713 Training Team
Join our LinkedIn group:
www.linkedin.com/companies/713training.com-llc

Follow us on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/pages/713Trainingcom/112903945407672

Follow us on Twitter:
www.twitter.com/713Training

DISCLAIMER: We at 713 Training are not attorneys; any information provided by 713 Training should not be considered legal advice.  The information in this article, and any other materials provided by 713 Training, whether delivered verbally, written or via any other means, including electronic/digital delivery and storage, is for training purposes only, and is intended for individuals who work under the direction of a licensed attorney.

Friday and Saturday of last week we were in Salt Lake City, UT, hosting the Bankruptcy and Chapter 13 training seminar.

Attorneys and VBA’s in attendance literally came from coast to coast, including many places in between, to spend time with us in the class.

Our presenters were bankruptcy attorney Heath Isaacs, certified paralegal Ann Marie Bright, and 713 Training president Clay Holland.

The topics covered was all new information that we have never presented before, and so much information was given that attendees learned everything from which office scanner we recommend, to how to handle complicated Chapter 13’s, including lien avoidance and lien stripping, using pleadings and affidavits, marketing, and so much more.

Attendees also learned how to get their own weekly one-hour radio show for FREE.  This marketing technique will help attorneys and VBA’s to establish themselves as THE local bankruptcy expert, and not only create an unbelievable stream of business, but we also taught attendees several other ways to make money from their radio show (one technique alone can produce more than all the others combined).

Attendees also received several free gifts, which were given on a USB flash drive at the end of the “how to run a paperless office” segment of the training.

If you missed the seminar, we are talking about the next one, which will likely be in the last half of July, so keep your calendar open, and keep an eye out for the announcement.

I had intended to send this message out earlier, but my wife went into labor at 1:00am the Monday following the seminar, and gave birth to our second son just over 8 hours later, so it has been a busy and tiring, but very exciting week.  Mom and baby came home yesterday, and I can’t tell you how nice it is to have everyone at home.

Wishing you a prosperous week.

Sincerely,

-Clay Holland

Join our LinkedIn group:
www.linkedin.com/companies/713training.com-llc

Follow us on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/pages/713Trainingcom/112903945407672

Follow us on Twitter:
www.twitter.com/713Training
DISCLAIMER: We at 713 Training are not attorneys; any information provided by 713 Training should not be considered legal advice.  The information in this article, and any other materials provided by 713 Training, whether delivered verbally, written or via any other means, including electronic/digital delivery and storage, is for training purposes only, and is intended for individuals who work under the direction of a licensed attorney.

Here at 713 Training, we are often asked “Which bankruptcy software should I buy?”

Our answer is always “None…you don’t need to buy bankruptcy software”.

For starters, some of the bankruptcy software companies only sell their software to attorneys, requiring the attorney to be the one that pays for the software.  Their license allows them to have an assistant draft their petitions though, so all that you have to do is download the demo version of the software the attorney is using, enter their license number, have the software download any updates that may be available, and you’re good to go.

There are bankruptcy software companies that do sell their software to VBA’s, but because they still require the attorney to have their own license, it’s like throwing your money away.  Instead you can work for the attorney using his/her license when working virtually, just like you would if you were working in the attorney’s office, to draft the bankruptcy petitions.

Lastly, even if you did buy bankruptcy software, how can you be certain you bought the same program that your next attorney is using?  Instead, as a VBA, you should save your money, not buy bankruptcy software, and use whatever bankruptcy software your attorney clients are licensed for.

As you go through our training, we want you to focus on how we teach you how to enter information into the forms and schedules of the bankruptcy petition and not get hung up on the bankruptcy software, as they all do the same basic function, which is to complete the forms and schedules of the bankruptcy petition.

We are hosting the 713 Training Bankruptcy and Marketing Mastery AND Chapter 13’s Made Easy Seminar on Friday and Saturday of next week, and look forward to seeing many of you there.

Wishing you a prosperous and productive week.

Sincerely,

Clay Holland
Join our LinkedIn group:
www.linkedin.com/companies/713training.com-llc

Follow us on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/pages/713Trainingcom/112903945407672

Follow us on Twitter:
www.twitter.com/713Training
DISCLAIMER: We at 713 Training are not attorneys; any information provided by 713 Training should not be considered legal advice.  The information in this article, and any other materials provided by 713 Training, whether delivered verbally, written or via any other means, including electronic/digital delivery and storage, is for training purposes only, and is intended for individuals who work under the direction of a licensed attorney.

[[firstname]],

It’s the right time to be in the bankruptcy business, and here is just one more example why…gasoline that costs $5 per gallon.

While we’re not currently paying $5 per gallon for gasoline, if you haven’t noticed, gasoline prices are on the rise, and industry experts (including a former Shell Oil executive), and financial experts all agree that it won’t be long until we are.  The only thing they don’t agree on is when, with estimates ranging from 3-10 months.

So what does this have to do with bankruptcy?

Think back to July 2008, when gasoline prices surpassed $4.00 per gallon.  We began seeing mass gasoline theft via driving off without paying, drilling and draining of gasoline tanks from cars parked in people’s driveways, etc.

Why did this happen?

This happened because people became desperate.  Most of us live on a very tight budget, and can’t afford an increase in any particular area of that budget…especially when it’s something you can’t do without…something that allows your car to run, so that you can get to work.

Our economy is extremely fragile right now; many people are out of work, others have taken pay cuts or reduced hours, so that they can keep their job, and are financially stretched to their limits.

When budgets get pushed to the maximum, options become fewer, and I for one, am expecting that when the gasoline prices reach $5 per gallon, that it will “fuel” bankruptcy, meaning that we’ll start to see a bigger wave of bankruptcy filings than we’re already seeing.

This is where you and I come in.  There is a HUGE need for highly skilled bankruptcy assistants, and the demand is only growing.

For those of you already trained, be glad that you are.  For those of you who have been considering this business, THE TIME IS NOW!  Jump in with both feet, and start paddling.  We’ll help you…that’s what we do.

If you need help figuring out where to start, go to our Getting Started page at:

www.713training.com/categories/Getting-Started

We can also help give you recommendations based on your budget and goals, and can be reached by email or phone at:

info@713training.com
1-800-535-9984

Our upcoming seminar in Salt Lake City, UT can also be the fuel that you need to start your bankruptcy business, or take it to the next level.

www.713training.com/products/Bankruptcy-and-Marketing-Mastery-AND-Chapter-13%27s-Made-Easy-Seminar-%252d-Save-%24100!!!.html

Wishing you the best.

Sincerely,

Clay Holland
President, 713Training.com
Join our LinkedIn group:
www.linkedin.com/companies/713training.com-llc

Follow us on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/pages/713Trainingcom/112903945407672

Follow us on Twitter:
www.twitter.com/713Training

DISCLAIMER: We at 713 Training are not attorneys; any information provided by 713 Training should not be considered legal advice.  The information in this article, and any other materials provided by 713 Training, whether delivered verbally, written or via any other means, including electronic/digital delivery and storage, is for training purposes only, and is intended for individuals who work under the direction of a licensed attorney.

We wanted to let you know that there is still time to register for the upcoming bankruptcy training seminar, on March 18^th and 19^th, in Salt Lake City.

www.713training.com/categories/Seminars/?sort=priceasc

Topics for Day 1 (March 18)
Bankruptcy and Marketing Mastery

1.       Avoiding the “Gotchas” and Getting a Bankruptcy Case to Discharge (Chapter 7 AND 13)

* Understand the “Deadly” Timelines/Deadlines

* How to Handle Cash Advances

2.       Avoiding Bankruptcy Landmines and How to Keep a Case from Being Stopped Dead in its Tracks

* How to Handle Divorces / Divorce Decrees

* How to Handle Court Ordered Child Support and Alimony

* Understand Cross Collateralization

3.       Utilizing Pre-Bankruptcy Planning to Avoid Post Filing Headaches

* How to Determine When a Debt is or isn’t Dischargeable

* How to Handle

Income Tax Refunds

Property Settlements

Cash

* Moving Assets Prior to Filing

* Insider Tips and Tricks to Bank Accounts

4.       Building Post-Bankruptcy Credit for Debtors (TIP: It starts BEFORE filing bankruptcy!)

* How to Help Debtors Have Credit Available AFTER Bankruptcy

* How to Handle Purchase Money Security Interest Creditors

* How to Handle Non-Purchase Money Security Interest Creditors

5.       Marketing

* Marketing for Bankruptcies and Petitions

* How to get a FREE weekly radio show, establish yourself as the local “Expert”, and get
your phone ringing off the hook

FREE GIFT WITH ATTENDANCE – A $39.95 VALUE

* Timelines/Deadlines Spreadsheet

During class, attendees will be shown how to use this Timelines/Deadlines spreadsheet to manage their bankruptcy cases, which will help you to be able to quickly and easily manage your bankruptcy cases, and know exactly when and what is due, so that nothing will “slip through the cracks”, that could put the bankruptcy case in danger of dismissal, etc.

Topics for Day 2 (March 19)
Chapter 13’s Made Easy Bankruptcy Seminar

1.     Stop Turning Away Chapter 13 Bankruptcies

* Why NOT to Be Afraid of Chapter 13’s

* Learn Each Step From Consultation to Confirmation

* How to Research a Jurisdiction’s Chapter 13 Process

* How to Calculate a Chapter 13 Plan Payment like a Pro

* Secrets to Getting a Chapter 13 Plan Confirmed

* Walk-through of case studies from three different jurisdictions (including California)

2.     Chapter 13 Mortgage / Lien Stripping Made Easy

* Learn How to Strip 2nd and 3rd Mortgages

* How to Do the Necessary Jurisdiction Specific Mortgage / Lien Stripping Research

* Drafting the Necessary Motions

* How to Strip Liens Off Of Collateral

How Chapter 13 Lien Stripping Differs from Chapter 7 Lien Stripping

Household Goods

3.     Resolve Trustee Objections with Pleadings and Affidavits

* Pleadings and How to Use Them

* Affidavits and How to Use Them

4.     Chapter 13 Tips and Tricks

* How to Help Debtors Keep a Third Car

* How to Help Debtors Keep Extra Real Estate

* How to Handle Cases with Non-Filing Spouses

* How to Handle Vehicles in a Chapter 13 Plan

* Creative and Progressive Chapter 13 Plan Payments

* More!

FREE GIFTS WITH ATTENDANCE – A $97.00 VALUE

* Affidavits

* Pleadings

* Lien Stripping Motions

During class, attendees will be shown how to use these affidavits, pleadings and motions, and will be given samples to take home and use as a template to increase the value and their services to their clients

THIS IS A HANDS-ON SEMINAR

In a hands-on training seminar, the focus is on YOU.  There is a great deal of audience participation and various bankruptcy issues and scenarios.  This accelerates learning and promotes better retention of the information.

Sincerely,

-The 713 Training Team

My wife and I have recently found out that our son is autistic.  We’ve known since his birth that he is different from other kids; it just took a while to figure out what his situation might be, and to find the appropriate professional to assist us with a diagnosis.

It’s a great thing to “know” what we’re dealing with, so that we can now move forward, and have already started working with various organizations that provide services to both our son and to us as his parents, so that we can help him reach his full potential.  I have full confidence that with proper treatment, and blessings from our Father in Heaven, that he will eventually be just fine, and become a fully capable person.

When I told a friend of the diagnosis, she said “Oh! I’m sorry!”, and while I knew what she meant, and appreciated the empathy, I thought , “You know what?  I’m not sorry!”.  I thought this way, because God made our son this way for a reason.  Whatever the reason, he is EXACTLY what my wife and I need, and for the same unknown reason, WE are EXACTLY what he needs.  I love my son more than words can explain, and I wouldn’t trade him for anyone else…I love him just the way he is.

This process that my wife worked through with our son, to get to where we are and to have a map of where to go from here, has clearly reiterated in my mind, “Why we do what we do”, which includes all facets of our lives, including our work that provides for our families…we do it for our families…for our loved ones.

I would be ungrateful if I didn’t express my gratitude to my Father in Heaven for richly blessing me with the opportunity and ability to provide for my family, and to do so in a way that helps others, including helping others have this same ability.

I look forward to visiting face-to-face with many of you in the upcoming 713Training.com bankruptcy training seminar on March 18-19, in Salt Lake City, and hope than many more of you register to join us.

For more information on this upcoming seminar, please visit www.713Training.com:

Link to Seminar Info: www.713training.com/products/Bankruptcy-and-Marketing-Mastery-AND-Chapter-13%27s-Made-Easy-Seminar-%252d-Save-%24100!!!.html

Wishing you the best in all areas of your life.

Sincerely,

Clay Holland
President, 713Training.com
Join our LinkedIn group:
www.linkedin.com/companies/713training.com-llc

Follow us on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/pages/713Trainingcom/112903945407672

Follow us on Twitter:
www.twitter.com/713Training
DISCLAIMER: We at 713 Training are not attorneys; any information provided by 713 Training should not be considered legal advice.  The information in this article, and any other materials provided by 713 Training, whether delivered verbally, written or via any other means, including electronic/digital delivery and storage, is for training purposes only, and is intended for individuals who work under the direction of a licensed attorney.

Here at 713Training, we are routinely asked “What should I charge for my VBA services”, or even worse, we are called AFTER the person has agreed to offer their in-demand skills for less than they are worth.

If you are an attorney, read on, as this applies to you too.

Whether you are an attorney, or a bankruptcy assistant, my answer always is, that you need to understand the value of the service that you are providing, carefully and accurately decide what your time is worth, and STICK TO IT!  Draw a line in the sand, and NEVER, EVER cross it.

I even take calls from new VBA’s who ask “Do you know of an experienced VBA or attorney who would let me work for them for free, to get some experience.”  When I hear this question, I want to shout…NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

Take a step back, and think through where this line of thinking takes you.  Whether you are an attorney ore a VBA, you have a highly in-demand skill that helps people to change the direction of their lives in a way that no other tool can.  You are a professional in your field, and you want to discount it, or give it away?

By doing so, what happens, is that you devalue the service. If it makes you feel any better though, I made the same mistake too.  If I can though, I’d like to help you take a shortcut, so that you don’t have to learn the hard way, like I did.

When I first started my VBA business, I was very nervous and excited when the first attorney called me to inquire about my services.  Unfortunately, I hadn’t drawn my line in the sand, and let myself be talked into taking a lower fee for my services than I knew that they were worth.

Without realizing it, I had not only just devalued my service, I was about to learn that clients (whether they be an attorney client of a VBA, or a debtor client of an attorney) that can’t afford to pay you what you are worth, are much more effort to work with than it is worth.  They are extremely high maintenance, very demanding, and no matter what, still feel like they are paying you too much.

What this mistake of agreeing to be paid less than you are worth boils down to, is a lack of self-confidence, and the only way I know of to overcome it, is to decide that you’ll never take less than you’re worth again, and as I said before…STICK TO IT!

After the experience with the first attorney, when the next attorney called me, I was much better prepared.  I had drawn my line in the sand, and was committed to sticking to it.  When this second attorney told me he had three bankruptcy petitions that he had emergency filed and needed help with, and I gave him my fees, he told me that he had only charged his clients $200 more than my fee.  In other words, I would make more on the cases than he would.

While I had empathy for his situation, (and I realized he was making the same mistake I had, and wasn’t charging enough for his services), I also knew that there was no need to make his problem my problem…why should I take less than I am worth, just because he did?  So I stuck to my guns, and didn’t budge on my fees.  He agreed to have me do the petitions for him, and I helped him save the cases from being discharged due to document deficiency.

The attorney and I had a lot in common, and became quick friends, and within a couple of weeks while having lunch (he was a local attorney), I explained what I had learned about drawing the line in the sand.  I could see the light come on, but it was a bit dim.

So what happened?

Within a short order, this attorney decided to test my theory, and started edging his fees for bankruptcy representation higher.  Lo and behold, IT WORKED!  This gave him the confidence to continue moving his fees upward, until over a couple of months, he had increased his fees to be nearly three times what they were when we first met, even though there are STILL several attorneys in the area that are charging what he used to charge.

If you’re thinking, “He’s ripping people off!”  WRONG!  If that were true, he would not be getting any new clients, much less several referrals from happy clients.  Instead, he decided to take a leap of faith into having some confidence, and finally realized the true value of his service.

Does this attorney get every prospective client that calls his office hire him?  No.  Do I get every attorney that calls me to send bankruptcy petition work?  No.   But neither of us needs to, nor do we want to.  We have decided to be in control of our business, work with those that we choose to, and get paid what we’re worth, because we know that there are more than enough clients out there that understand the value of our service, and it’s our confidence in ourselves that makes it so.

How can you boost your confidence?

I can’t think of a better way to boost your confidence, than to feel like you have mastered the art of bankruptcy.  This is what 713Training.com is all about.

We are holding a LIVE two-day training seminar in Salt Lake City on March 18-19.  If you have to change your existing plans to be there, I strongly recommend it.  Industry leaders will be on hand to give you the skills that build confidence, and you will have an opportunity network with like minded VBA’s and attorneys.  The information being presented is ALL NEW INFORMATION.  We expect that all attendees will go home full of confidence, and ready to stop being their own worst enemy.

If for some reason, you can’t arrange your schedule to attend, we have several self-study options available on our website at www.713Training.com, that allows you train on your own terms and schedule.

We also recommend that you look into becoming a member of the National Association of Virtual Bankruptcy Assistants (www.NAVBA.org).

It’s true that skilled Virtual Bankruptcy Assistants earn up to $100 per hour (I also know experienced VBA’s that are earning twice that amount)  It’s also true that attorneys are earning $2,000 – $3,000, or more per case.  You CAN run a successful VBA business or law firm, AND  get paid what your services are worth.

Sincerely,

Clay Holland
President, 713Training.com
Join our LinkedIn group:
www.linkedin.com/companies/713training.com-llc

Follow us on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/pages/713Trainingcom/112903945407672

Follow us on Twitter:
www.twitter.com/713Training
DISCLAIMER: We at 713 Training are not attorneys; any information provided by 713 Training should not be considered legal advice.  The information in this article, and any other materials provided by 713 Training, whether delivered verbally, written or via any other means, including electronic/digital delivery and storage, is for training purposes only, and is intended for individuals who work under the direction of a licensed attorney.