How it works

Step 1: Contact us

You do this

In short: contact us by form or phone. This does not hire us.

Fill out our short contact form or call us. The form collects contact and delivery preferences, including whether you consent to electronic records and optional texts. Paper delivery is available without charge. Please do not include details about your debts or finances. Contacting us does not hire us or start document preparation. We do not monitor deadlines or provide emergency filing services.

Step 2: Read the required notices

We do this together

In short: we send the required notices and go over the California disclosures with you on a live call.

We promptly supply the required federal notices, including the section 342(b) notice, the section 527(a)(2) notice, the separate section 527(b) statement and the complete section 527(c) information packet with its supporting materials. We use consented electronic delivery or paper mail.

Before discussing your choices, our preparer reviews the required California disclosures with you during a live phone or video call. We then mail the separate Notice to Consumer and send the Selection Form at the same time. Read the notice, mark the response that accurately reflects what occurred, date and sign it, and send us a clear photo or scan of the signed page by email or through your portal. We send you a copy of the signed notice before we offer the agreement. These steps do not replace or delay the federal notices.

Step 3: Fill out the selection form

You do this

In short: you record your own choices on the selection form.

This short form records your own choices: which court you choose to file in, which chapter you choose, whether you are filing by yourself or with your spouse, which documents you want us to prepare, and how you choose to pay the court's filing fee.

We cannot make these choices for you. If you are not sure, choose Unsure and we will pause before the agreement until you decide. Choosing Unsure does not pause any court deadline.

Sending this form does not hire us or start any work on your documents.

Step 4: Sign the agreement

We do this together

In short: you sign the agreement and Form 119 Part 1, and may cancel within 24 hours.

After your preliminary selections and the signed Notice to Consumer, we supply the materials required for your chosen district and obtain the required signatures. We then send the written agreement identifying the accepted services, documents and fee. You also sign Form 119 Part 1 by hand and return a clear signed copy before any payment.

Each client receives a complete, fully executed agreement. You may cancel within 24 hours after we both have signed it. We do not begin preparation during that period.

Step 5: Pay our fee

You do this

In short: we ask for payment only after the notices, materials and signatures are complete.

We request payment only after the required notices, district materials and signatures, including your signed Form 119 Part 1, are complete and the executed agreement has been delivered to every client. Payment may be made during the cancellation period, but preparation does not begin until that period expires, full payment is received and the remaining preparation requirements are satisfied.

Tell us how you choose to pay the court's filing fee before we send the agreement. As a business policy, in every district, we do not accept cases where the client plans to pay the court filing fee in installments. Fee waiver requests (Chapter 7 only) are accepted in every district.

The bankruptcy court can review our fee and order it reduced or refunded. You may also have refund rights under federal and California law.

Step 6: Answer the questionnaires

You do this

In short: you answer the questionnaires yourself.

Once the agreement is signed, we send questionnaires for the documents listed in the agreement and accepted within our permitted services. You can save your answers and come back to them. The answers must come from you. We cannot tell you what to answer.

Step 7: We prepare your documents

We do this

In short: we prepare your documents from your answers, and you review every page.

We prepare your documents exactly from your answers and give you a copy of every document before you sign it. Please review every page carefully. As federal law requires, we sign each document we prepare as the bankruptcy petition preparer and include our identifying information.

Step 8: You sign and file

You do this

In short: you sign your documents and file them yourself.

You sign your own documents and file them with the court yourself. You pay the court filing fee directly to the court. We never receive or handle court filing fees.

Official information about the credit counseling and debtor education courses, and the official list of approved providers, is on the U.S. Trustee Program credit counseling and debtor education page (opens an outside website).

After you file, you attend the meeting of creditors and any court hearings yourself.