If you are considering filing bankruptcy, we strongly encourage you to obtain the services of an attorney who specializes in bankruptcy laws. For information about hiring an attorney, contact your state or local bar association. Many law schools have legal clinics that offer free legal services or classes. To educate yourself in what filing bankruptcy entails, we present the following information:

• Information for Filers Not Represented by an Attorney

• Information on the United States Bankruptcy Courts

• Filing for Bankruptcy Without an Attorney

• Bankruptcy Basics

• Approved Credit Counseling Agencies -

  With limited exeptions, Section 109(h) of the Bankruptcy Code requires that all individual debtors receive credit counseling from an approved provider within 180 days before the bankruptcy filing. Cases filed without having first obtained such credit counseling may be subject to dismissal.

If you cannot afford to pay an attorney, you may qualify for free legal services ("pro bono"). The "Bankruptcy Pro Bono Resource Locator" can help you find the most convenient provider of bankruptcy pro bono services.