Beware of DIY or National Bankruptcy Offers on the Internet

Do it yourself bankruptcy companies sell your name and information to the highest bidder!

I have been noticing recently that there are a bunch of new names on the Internet offering  a lower cost or “cheap” bankruptcy filing alternative.  One company pitches that you can get a bankruptcy filed with 3 Easy Steps.  Oh, really?

Your name and contact information is being SOLD to bankruptcy lawyers that sign up with the “program”

This is exactly what is happening:  A person looking to find a local bankruptcy attorney searches the Internet for some ideas.  Typical Google, Bing or Yahoo searches commonly include:

• Bankruptcy Attorney Omaha
• Bankruptcy Attorney Council Bluffs
• Cheap Bankruptcy Attorney
• Can I file bankruptcy by myself
• Low cost bankruptcy
• Affordable bankruptcy attorney
• Bankruptcy options
• Types of bankruptcy
• Foreclosure and bankruptcy
• Omaha bankruptcy lawyer

The next thing you know, you see slick ads for bankruptcy assistance and offers of getting you in touch with their “network of licensed attorneys.”   They also offer to get you a “free evaluation” and indicate that there is no obligation to proceed.  While these statements may be technically true, what you are NOT told in an obvious manner (if at all) is that your name and contact information is being SOLD to a marketing firm who is then reselling your information to a local bankruptcy attorney for a price.

The reselling of bankruptcy leads is rampant nationwide and there are a few Omaha and Council Bluffs bankruptcy attorneys that purchase those leads.  Although there is nothing illegal about such marketing efforts, it just doesn’t smell right to me.  In my opinion, if you click on someone’s ad, it should just go directly to their website, not through a 3rd party that you need to pay money to.  In short, you should know up front who you are dealing with and contacting.

Selling leads is their business, not bankruptcy law

Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong or bad about marketing.  But to choose a professional, whether that be a surgeon or a bankruptcy lawyer, by means of  a 3rd party is scary and unpredictable.  In essence, you are providing sensitive and very personal information to a marketing company that doesn’t necessarily have your best interest in mind.  Rather, most bankruptcy marketing companies only require the very basic levels of expertise and licensing of the attorneys they choose.  Frankly, once you meet the lowest standards required to be a lawyer and are willing to pay for the leads, then you get their business.  This is sad.

Don’t hire a bankruptcy lawyer that hides behind a national bankruptcy marketing firm

If you need to file bankruptcy in Nebraska or Iowa, you owe it to yourself to find a bankruptcy lawyer and bankruptcy law firm that isn’t buying your name to get your business.  Those firms are likely paying at least $65 or more just to get your personal information before you even know who they are!  They may also be passing along the cost of getting your name to you directly.  Before submitting your financial information over the Internet, make sure that the person or company that you are sending this to is from the local Nebraska and Iowa area.