In the arena of bankruptcy law, time often turns out to be a client’s greatest foe. Hurricanes of foreclosure action, oppressive wage garnishments, car reposes, and seizures of assets all require the immediate attention of an attorney. In these chaotic moments, filing an emergency bankruptcy petition (known as a “skeleton filing”) is almost always the only means to stop the clock so that the client may preserve the value and condition of their assets through the automatic stay provision of the bankruptcy code.
But haste can beget errors, omissions, or late submissions that create issues like dismissals, sanctions, and worse, loss of client trust. This is where GSB LPO Services becomes an invaluable resource for law firms, providing an attorney with the ability to accurately and expediently draft an emergency bankruptcy petition while maintaining compliance with all necessary procedural safeguards.
Understanding Emergency Bankruptcy Petition Drafting
A bankruptcy petition in an emergency will generally only include a limited set of documents needed to commence the case:
- The Voluntary Petition (Form 101)
- A list of all of the creditors and their addresses
- A certificate of credit counselling or a motion for waiver
- A basic disclosure of income and property
Then, the full schedules, Statement of Financial Affairs, and means testing must be filed within 14 days or the case will be dismissed.
Without careful strategy and thoughtful drafting, the emergency filing could risk the client’s protection and expose the law firm to liability.
Challenges Law Firms Face with Emergency Filings
Dealing with an emergency Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 filing in-house can often lead to the following pitfalls:
- Time Pressure: Attorneys may only have a few hours to prepare, to check, and file necessary documents.
- Incomplete Information: Clients hardly ever come in with all of the proper documents.
- Software Limitations: If a firm does not have adequate bankruptcy case management tools, it may become almost impossible to generate forms with enough time.
- Human Errors: When paralegals are pressed for time, they may make mistakes and fail to check the necessary fields in their haste, creating compliance issues.
- Staffing Shortfalls: Particularly in the after hours, and high-volume situations, a law firm may not have personnel available to deal with the emergency workload.
GSB LPO Services: Your Partner for Emergency Bankruptcy Petition Drafting
Here at GSB LPO Services, we offer dedicated emergency filing teams that assist law firms when rapid bankruptcy filings are needed. Here’s how we do it with speed, accuracy, and dependability:
- Rapid Intake and Prioritization: Once an emergency request is received, the Firm initiates an accelerated intake process whereby all necessary debtor information is obtained through our questionnaires:
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- Checklist of essential documents
- Verification of credit counseling assistance
- Immediate triage for urgent cases
Result: We can prepare skeleton filings often with 4–6 hours of receiving complete client information.
- Use of Advanced Bankruptcy Software: GSB LPO Services utilizes cutting-edge bankruptcy case management tools to increase drafting efficiency and provide 100 percent accuracy.
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- BestCase for auto-population of schedules and forms
- JubileePro for live petition preparation and e-filing capability
- Cincompass for drafting Chapter 13 plans and compliance with district-specific requirements
- Clio for managing integrated client data
As a result, we provide a faster turnaround with fewer manual errors with no additional changes required for e-filing.
- Experienced Emergency Bankruptcy Paralegals: Our specialized paralegal teams are:
- Trained in a wide range of both Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 emergencies.
- Familiar with local court rules and local filing requirements.
- Trained in using local court procedures to prepare initial petitions, creditor matrices and emergency motions.
We can respond to district-specific idiosyncrasies, such as courts that require unconventional abbreviated income schedules for emergency filings or the use of special local forms for emergency filings.
Substantial Result: You have confidence that your emergency filings comply with all federal and local requirements.
- 24/7 Support and After-Hours Availability: Emergencies don’t have office hours, and we don’t either.
- GSB LPO Services works literally 24/7, never stopping for the weekend or holidays.
- Once you assign work to a paralegal, it immediately gets into the queue and is worked on right away, irrespective of the time zone.
The end result is you can service your clients’ emergency needs whenever they arise – even at midnight on a Sunday.
The GSB LPO Difference: From Emergency Filing to Complete Petition
GSB LPO is not a service that simply drafts the initial skeleton petition; we provide full-cycle support to our clients:
- Drafting and filing the skeleton petition
- Drafting Schedules A-J, Statement of Financial Affairs, and Means Test all within 14 days
- Drafting and filing a Chapter 13 repayment plan, if one is needed
- Preparing and filing amendments, if required, after filing
With GSB LPO you don’t have to worry about petitions or financial forms and you can put your time into client counselling, attending court hearings, or spending time in strategy sessions because we do the “technical” work that takes up a lot of time using a full cycle approach.
Benefits of Partnering with GSB LPO Services for Emergency Bankruptcy Drafting
Faster Relief for Clients: Right now, filing provides an immediate halt to creditor actions, which offers clients peace of mind.
Reduced Risk for Law Firms: By using accurate and compliant filings, law firms have less exposure to malpractice risks and the risk of dismissals.
Cost Efficiency: Pay for only what you need; you don’t have to pay for after-hours staff.
Increased Bandwidth: Attorneys can manage more case work while not exhausting their internal teams.
Conclusion: Protect Your Clients When They Need You Most
When in an emergency bankruptcy, speed while not sacrificing quality is of the utmost importance.
GSB LPO Services is ready to assist law firms in these high-pressure circumstances and in doing so, we will be efficient, professional, and dependable 24/7.
Ready to Scale Your Bankruptcy Practice the Smart Way?
Contact GSB LPO Services today and let us show you how to revolutionize your bankruptcy practice with an optimal combination of technology and expertise.
Email Us: [email protected]
Visit: www.gsblposervices.com
Schedule a Free Consultation: Let’s design a custom bankruptcy case management solution
that fits your firm’s needs and budget.