Chapter 7 and 13 Bankruptcy Blog

One of the main problems I have encountered with outsourcing work was that many virtual contractors were not reliable and the quality of their work was poor or incomplete.  This is not to say that all virtual contractors produce poor quality work and are unreliable, but a large majority do.

Therefore, it is important for any new law firm or business to make sure they put management procedures in place to check the work of virtual contractors to ensure the quality is perfect. And even if the virtual contractor produces professional quality work, the procedures they utilize may not comply with your law firm or business goals.  In the same manner that you raise your children differently compared to other parents, you need to monitor your law firm or business very carefully to make sure the virtual contractor is working in a manner than helps you to achieve the type of business goals you are building.

If you are having trouble locating virtual contractors who will do an excellent job and be reliable enough for you to grow your law firm or business; but will also work to help you achieve your law firm or business goals, I hope you will consider the two companies below for your next project:

Kelly Thrasher More Clients NOW! http://moreclients.net/ Kelly@moreclients.net Phone: 317-370-5032

Victoria Ring Chapter713Training.Com http://www.chapter713training.com victoriaring1958@gmail.com Phone: 719-375-1504

From petition preparation, motion and pleading work and Chapter 13 plans to marketing, web design and time management training; these virtual contractors are your one-stop shop for building and maintaining a successful law firm or business in the competitive world today.

Note: Kelly and Victoria will be holding a Chapter 13 Training Seminar in Indianapolis, Indiana later in the summer so you can meet them in person. Look for this announcement to arrive or be posted within the next few days.

How to Set Your Email Notification Settings in Your Linked In Groups from Victoria Ring on Vimeo.

If the video does not automatically appear in the area above, click here: http://www.vimeo.com/24032536

A short video to show you how to easily unsubscribe from group posts and messages sent from your LinkedIn account.

DO YOU ENJOY MY VIDEOS?

If you enjoy my short videos specifically designed for Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy attorneys, you can subscribe to my Vimeo channel at: http://www.vimeo.com/victoriaring or my YouTube channel at: http://www.youtube.com/user/msvictoriaring

— by Victoria Ring

I first hooked up to the internet (bulletin board service) back in 1992. Back then there were no websites you could visit or photographs and visuals you could view. Instead, a BBS (bulletin board service) was similar to what we now refer to as chatting.

I was not impressed with the internet at this stage of its development. I also did not enjoy paying $100 for an internet service provider to come out to my home and install a modem on my computer which made a bunch of noise. So, I had the service discontinued and did not hook back up to the internet until it became visual (circa 1997.)

Back then, software was not as sophisticated as it is today. At that time, web programmers and designers used keywords in the META-tags to enable people to locate the website. Unfortunately, it did not take long for fraudulent minds to trick the META-tags into accessing web pages that had nothing to do with the search words. Naturally, this made it impossible for people to locate information on the internet, which made it impossible for the internet to grow and be utilized by the public.

One of the methods used by fraudulent people was to use common words in their META-tags, such as free, news, love, etc. When a person typed in a common word like these, they would be taken to the fraudulent website, find it had nothing to do with what they were searching for, click the [back] button and move to another site.

How was this beneficial to the fraudulent website owner? He or she could care less if the person viewed the information on their website or not. They simply wanted to get a recorded click so this would add to their unique visitor statistics. Then, the company would sell ad space (like banners) based upon the number of visitors they received.

I remember one company that sold banner space at the top of their web page for $2,500 per month. They also published their website statistics, which verified they received 1 million unique visitors per month to the website. Of course they never revealed how these visitors were obtained. Unfortunately, the only one who received benefit from this arrangement was the web site owner, not the advertiser.

Of course this is just one common example of how META-tags were used for fraudulent purposes in the past. And this is why the search engines had to develop advanced software programs to minimize the fraud and keep the internet a useful tool for society.  Unfortunately, there are still web design companies out there who still promote the concept of META-tags; but that is only old-school news, especially for major search engines like Google, Yahoo and MSN.

SINCE 2009 MAJOR SEARCH ENGINES RARELY USE KEYWORDS FOR INDEXING

The new technology that major search engines use today is to scan the content of the web page and index the actual text, not just the keywords in the META-Tags.

For example, lets say that I used the following keywords in my META-tags: legal, bankruptcy, chapter 7, chapter 13, etc. However, the text appearing on my actual web page was a photo with a name of: photo101.jpg.  I also had an ENTER button; but nothing else was on the web page.

When the major search engines sent out its spidering software (an automated program that visits and categorizes web pages) the software would determine that the META-tags did not match the content of the web page itself. This causes the web page to be dropped and not indexed at all; resulting in poor or non-existent search engine optimization.

Of course this is just one example of the huge changes going on inside the internet today. Most people do not have the time or knowledge to follow the trends of the internet world. They are only interested in getting a web site on the internet and to be visited by visitors.

WEB TIPS FOR LAW FIRMS

The best advantage that law firms have in providing a web site on the internet is that they do not need to spend very much time marketing. For a law firm, their clients are only in their local area; they are not nationwide.  Therefore, attorneys can utilize their websites also as a time saving device.

With the proper web design and content, a web site can provide an attorney with:

- Time saved answering questions over and over again. Just send the client to the website to get their answers.

- Time saved in client intake interviews since clients can visit the website, download PDF forms to complete and bring to the office at the time of their appointment.

- Time saved in pre-qualifying clients. For example, if someone is unemployed and just filed a Chapter 7, they may be ineligible to file a Chapter 13. The interactive form on your website would allow visitors to send this information to you for evaluation instead of spending time making the appointment, filling out forms and meeting with the client; just to find out this has all been a waste of time for you as well as the client.

- Clients have the ability to virtually visit the law firm and view videos of the attorney and staff before deciding to make an appointment.  Videos sell services for law firms by developing trust and familiarity before hiring.

- Plus many more.

A SOLUTION FOR LAW FIRMS

Colorado Bankruptcy Training has recently added a unique web design service for attorneys. The major difference between this service and others is that after development of your web site, you will watch an online video that will teach you how to maintain your own website and save a great deal of money.

This is done so that you can login to your administration panel, add pages, update information and correct errors. There is no need to pay a designer to do this for you when the process is simple, quick and only takes seconds.

To find out more about this service which is available for as low as $375, visit: http://www.coloradobankruptcytraining.com/legal_webdesign.html

— by Victoria Ring

An attorney in Florida called me today to discuss his clients case. An appraisal had been done eight months ago by a real estate agent for $175,000. However, the debtors only owed $161,000 to the first mortgage company and $12,000 to the second for a total of $173,000. The attorney originally filed a Motion to Strip the second lien so that the debtors could afford to keep their home in a Chapter 13.

However, this decision created a major problem: The home was NOT underwater. In other words, the debtors actually had equity in their home since the appraisal came in at $175,000 and the debtors only owed a total of $173,000.

This fact alone made the home ineligible for a cramdown or strip. These are normally only successfully proposed and confirmed if there is NO EQUITY. In fact, the true value of the home (which needs to be less than what is owed) is the basis of the argument for the debtor attorney. Without that basis, the mortgage company will always file a Motion for Relief from Stay.

The Florida attorney was considering allowing the case to be dismissed and refile as a Chapter 7. Unfortunately, this solution would have caused the debtors to lose their home due to the fact that they were several months behind in their second mortgage.

The Solution

Since the amount owed cannot be changed, the answer is to review the amount of the appraisal.  We found there were two things wrong with it:

1.  Age of the Appraisal

The appraisal was already 8 months old. With the real estate market changing almost on a daily basis, it would be wise to get a new appraisal and present this as the actual market value of the home, especially if the amount came in lower than $175,000.

2.  The Type of Appraisal

Just like you list the yard sale or pawn shop value on a bankruptcy petition for personal property; there are two different types of appraisals for real property.

The first type of appraisal is a real estate appraisal, which is the most common. Because attorneys do not normally educate their debtors about the two different types, most debtors will call the real estate agent in their area. They never tell them they are filing bankruptcy so the appraiser determines a value as if the clients were reselling their property. This price almost always includes a six-percent padding for the commission of the real estate agent. Therefore, a standard real estate appraisal is often higher than the true market value.

As we know, the bankruptcy court can only liquidate real and personal property for the market value, not the real estate or replacement value. In fact, the court normally gets less than the market value, which is then turned over to the creditors for distribution and the debtors lose the asset.

The second type of appraisal is often called a DRIVE BY appraisal. These types of appraisals are often less expensive because the appraiser normally never enters the home. When an appraiser knows the appraisal is for a bankruptcy filing, he or she will compare the comps in the neighborhood a determine a more true market value without all the commission money padding.

Attorneys Should Team with Area Appraisers

One of the most useful tools a bankruptcy attorney can have is to know several good appraisers in their area.  These appraisers should know the difference between a standard real estate appraisal and a market value appraisal. Then, attorneys can provide their clients with a list of these appraisers to obtain a true market value of their home plus save their clients some money compared to a full real estate appraisal.

The Moral of the Story

Although you cannot rely 100-percent on Zillow, the attorney and I were able to determine that the home listed for $162,000. This tells us that the $175,000 appraisal done 8 months ago is probably incorrect. The Florida attorney obtained a new appraisal and hopefully will be able to get the Chapter 13 Plan confirmed so that the debtors can stay in their home.

Notice how one simple adjustment changed the lives of the debtors. It is often the little things that matter the most; so I hope this article helps to save the homes of many debtors by attorneys advising their clients to obtain the correct type of appraisal for a bankruptcy filing.

Resources

Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 Online School http://mybankruptcyschool.com

Testimonials From Students http://mybankruptcyschool.com/testimonials

Assistance With Marketing and Other Training http://www.victoria-ring.com

Contact the Author: Victoria Ring Phone: 719-375-1504 Email: victoriaring1958@gmail.com

If the video does not automatically appear in the area above, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39Knm0X6TTs

MyBankruptcySchool.Com is the first online school developed for bankruptcy attorneys, paralegals and legal professionals to teach Chapter 7 and 13 bankruptcy petition preparation skills. This video walks you through the benefits provided to students who enroll in the online courses.

DO YOU ENJOY MY VIDEOS?

If you enjoy my short videos specifically designed for Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy attorneys, you can subscribe to my YouTube channel at: http://www.youtube.com/user/MsVictoriaRing Click on SUBSCRIBE at the top of page

If the video does not automatically appear in the area above, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZKjSRJuIQU

MyBankruptcySchool.Com is the first online school developed for bankruptcy attorneys, paralegals and legal professionals to teach Chapter 7 and 13 bankruptcy petition preparation skills.   This video walks you through the benefits provided to students who enroll in the online courses.

DO YOU ENJOY MY VIDEOS?

If you enjoy my short videos specifically designed for Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy attorneys, you can subscribe to my YouTube channel at: http://www.youtube.com/user/MsVictoriaRing Click on SUBSCRIBE at the top of page

If you have been following previous emails, Michael Misenheimer and I had to cancel the June seminars in California because no one registered for them.  We both were shocked and wanted to find out why no one was interested in attending.  The training we offered was beyond any other training offered within the industry and the popularity of previous seminars told us that we were doing everything right.  So, what was the problem?

After emailing and talking with about 15 different California bankruptcy attorneys, we were told that the Central District is so busy that attorneys do not have time to attend a seminar right now.

Our first reaction was: What can we do to help?

IDEA FOR TELEPHONE TRAINING

The first idea came from Art Hausmann, a seasoned bankruptcy attorney that attended the Los Angeles Chapter 13 seminar back in August 2009.  Art hired me to provide training to his paralegal, as the paralegal needed it.  In other words, when his paralegal is working on a bankruptcy case, if she has a question she calls or sends me an email.  I either reply to her email or call her in order to help solve the problem.  In addition to solving the issue, I also take the time to train her skills in the process.  Art’s paralegal and I will begin our training starting tomorrow (Monday.)

In the meantime, I talked with Michael about this problem.  He agreed that we should offer other attorneys the same service.  For a fee of $100 per hour, Michael or I will be available by telephone and email to answer your questions.  In fact, we will not even charge a retainer fee to get started. If you try out our service and you do not immediately see results, you owe nothing.  The training can be provided for you or any member of your legal staff.  How much better could this offer be? You have nothing to lose.

Obviously, Michael and I are only two people.  We can only provide our training services to a limited number of attorneys and we are doing this in order to assist the law firms who are in crisis mode at this time.  Please contact us (see contact information at end of this email) to discuss this training option if you are interested.

LAW OFFICE MANAGEMENT ASSISTANCE

Working in law firms, Michael and I are also aware that some law firms do not necessarily need help with petitions, but are severely disorganized due to the huge increase in the workload.

These are precisely the types of problems that Michael and I are experienced in handling because we have worked in a variety of law firms throughout our career.  Please contact us (see contact information at end of this email) so we can analyze your situation, offer a few suggestions and see what we can do to help you improve your law firm efficiency.

CHAPTER 13 PETITION ASSISTANCE

As you may already know, Chapter 13 filings are increasing because the creditors are fighting harder against Chapter 7 filings.  This has created a nitch for paralegals like Michael and me to work with attorneys in improving their Chapter 13 petitions and Plans.  We provide a wide range of services up through the confirmation stage.   And, if you are located in Colorado Springs, Colorado or Atlanta, Georgia, we can even accompany you to court if you need us.  To discuss your Chapter 13 needs, please contact us (see contact information at end of this email.)

We are here to help in any way we can, especially during this time of mortgage crisis and upside down loans.  Remember, we are both skilled in cram downs and strip downs of mortgage loans which can save your client thousands of dollars.

We hope to hear from you soon.  See contact information below.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Victoria Ring Phone: 719-465-2442 Email:  victoriaring@coloradobankruptcytraining.com

Michael Misenheimer Phone: 404-795-9013 Email: mmisenheimer@gmail.com

A quick lesson in the Means Test, Schedule J and the Chapter 13 Plan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoldzGDhV3I

I was talking with an attorney this morning and I asked him why he thought only 1 person has signed up to attend our upcoming Los Angeles bankruptcy training seminars for attorneys.

Attorney Joseph said that attorneys are bombarded with so much information about training seminars that they may not be aware our seminars are different.  Here is the link to the complete seminar outline: http://www.bankruptcyattorneyseminars.com/outline.html

Therefore, Michael Misenheimer and I are going to use the June seminars, scheduled to be held in Los Angeles, as a test.  It is a financial loss for us to invest the money into airfare, hotel and other overhead expenses if only 1 or 2 people attend the seminar.  Therefore, if we do not have a minimum of 10 people signed up to attend by June 4, we will refund the money of the 2 people who have registered and try another approach.

Perhaps it would be better to offer an online training school for attorneys.  They can login at any time of the day and receive training in Chapter 7s and Chapter 13s.  If this would be the best approach for training, I would love to develop the online school.  However, in the past, attorneys preferred us to train using onsite seminars and this is what I have been doing for the past 5 years.

TRAINING OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO YOU

OPTION 1

If you would prefer to be trained Chapter 7s and 13s in a seminar setting, please register before June 4.  There is no credit card payment required to register.  But I will need a minimum of 10 registered attendees before June 4 or we will cancel the seminar.

Direct link to Registration Form: http://www.bankruptcyattorneyseminars.com/bankruptcy_seminar_order_form.pdf

OPTION 2

Would you prefer onsite training at your office instead of attending a seminar?  Michael Misenheimer and I would be willing to come to your office and train you and your staff onsite while we are in the Los Angeles area.  Please call 719-465-2442 so we can find out the exact level of training you need.

OPTION 3

If you would prefer to obtain training in Chapter 7s and 13s through an online training school or training CDs, send an email to victoriaring1958@gmail.com

The goals of Michael and me are to provide attorneys with the training they need in the format that best suits their law firm operations.  Please do not hesitate to provide us with suggestions on how we can provide that to your law firm.  We are flexible because we are a small company.  We provide old-fashioned customer service to the attorneys we work with and we look forward to working with your law firm soon.

CONTACTS:

Victoria Ring – 719-465-2442 victoriaring1958@gmail.com http://www.coloradobankruptcytraining.com

Michael Misenheimer – 404-795-9013 mmisenheimer@gmail.com http://www.bankruptcy-paralegal.com

Most attorneys are already aware that there are very few training options available for bankruptcy attorneys pertaining to Chapter 7 and 13 bankruptcy petitions. In law school, the focus is mainly on Chapter 11s and business-related filings.  Not only is consumer law often overlooked in law school, but until recently, bankruptcy was not an area of law that carried much weight or prestige.

In the past, attorneys and their staff had no option except to be trained either on the job (through the trial and error method of making mistakes) or from experienced people who had the time to train them.  However, because of the record number of Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy petitions being filed today, bankruptcy is booming.  Therefore, the option of learning by trial and error or being taught by experienced people is an option not readily available to most law firms today. In addition, bankruptcy courts in every state spend a great deal of time finding and fixing errors caused by new and inexperienced attorneys and their personnel.  All of this combined will waste time and money which is why many courts are becoming more strict with their procedures.

But there is a very bad side to this issue also.  Some attorneys have actually been sanctioned and either paid high restitution fees or lost their license to practice law simply because the attorney and the staff were not properly trained and repeatedly filed inaccurate or fraudulent petitions.  Some of these attorneys became paralegals and continued to work inside law firms and others will get out of the profession altogether.

This problem needed fixed and it needed to be fixed fast!!

In a sincere effort to help address these problems, Victoria Ring (the developer of the virtual bankruptcy assistant industry) and Michael Misenheimer (a certified paralegal who is entering law school this Fall) have joined forces.  They have developed a dynamic training curriculum that has literally transformed business for bankruptcy attorneys nationwide.  Together, Victoria and Michael are able to provide bankruptcy attorneys with the skills they need to streamline their practice and increase profits for their law firms.

Keeping costs to a reasonable $275 per person, an attorney can easily afford to attend with their staff and everyone will gain from the knowledge that both Michael and Victoria teach.  Unlike typical seminars and workshops, Michael and Victoria take a different approach to training by making their seminars unique and unlike others you may have attended in the past.

For example:

1.  The information taught in the Bankruptcy Attorney Seminars is NOT taught in any other seminar, workshop or training program. This is because the materials have been personally compiled from many years of working in the field as well as advanced training from attorneys, judges and trustees.

2.  The Bankruptcy Attorney Seminars are causal, relaxed and interactive. In fact, attendees are encouraged to ask questions and participate in the ongoing discussion.  This type of atmosphere promotes a higher level of learning.

3.  Networking is one of the prime goals of the Bankruptcy Attorney Seminars.  In fact, in previous seminars, long-lasting business relationships have developed just from attending.  This is because the Bankruptcy Attorney Seminars place great emphasis on working together and feeding off the knowledge of everyone present. This results in an atmosphere that helps to promote maximum retention levels.

4.  All attendees receive a wealth of information in the form of handouts that they can use to take back to the law firm and immediately put to use.

Bankruptcy Attorney Seminar Overview

The Bankruptcy Attorney Seminars are structured to cover TWO days (Friday and Saturday.)  Attorneys and their staff may attend either day or both days and save $100.  A single day registration is only $275 per person with discounts when two or more are attending from the same law firm.

Day 1 of the Seminar (Friday)

* Bankruptcy petition preparation skills and tips to make your job faster * Demonstrations of how to propose mortgage cram downs and strip downs * Tips for improving your Chapter 13 Plan preparation skills * Techniques to help you reduce deficiency notices after the bankruptcy petition is filed * How to work better with creditors as well as how to better protect the debtor

Day 2 of the Seminar (Saturday)

* Client intake interview tips to help reveal information that could make or break a case * Procedural and operational techniques to maximize office efficiency * Methods for turning free consultations into paying clients * Easy to understand web page development suggestions * Marketing your law firm via the internet and social networking

To find out more about these seminars, visit http://www.bankruptcyattorneyseminars.com