How do I choose a bankruptcy attorney in California?

Verify the license in the State Bar of California's public records, then ask practice-fit questions: which bankruptcy court division the attorney files in and how often, which chapter fits your facts and why, and exactly what the quoted fee covers. Federal law requires a written contract within five business days (11 U.S.C. § 528).

Bankruptcy is federal practice, so the useful signals are local and procedural: which division of the bankruptcy court the attorney regularly files in, familiarity with its panel trustees and judges, and current consumer volume. Federal law adds structure to the hiring itself — attorneys serving consumer debtors are debt relief agencies under the Code, owing written disclosures about services and alternatives (11 U.S.C. § 527) and an executed written contract, with fees and services spelled out, within five business days of first rendering services (11 U.S.C. § 528). Substantive questions worth asking: which chapter fits your income, assets, and goals, and why; how California's two exemption schemes would apply to your property; what the quoted fee covers and what triggers additional charges; and what the road from petition to discharge looks like in your case. Expect a document-heavy intake — a chapter suggested before anyone reviews income, assets, debts, and recent transactions is a guess, and the means-test arithmetic should come before any commitment.

Authority: 11 U.S.C. § 528