— by Victoria Ring
I am getting sick and tired of the bankruptcy software companies pushing virtual bankruptcy assistants around and trying to control them. Therefore, I am going to take a stand and write this article, hoping that it helps virtual bankruptcy assistants to realize the truth about two important issues.
Issue 1: The Threat to Take Electronic Filing Capabilities Away
The major bankruptcy software packages, including Best Case have rewritten their license agreement to no longer allow virtual bankruptcy assistants to use the One Touch filing option within their software. They believe that by doing this, the attorney is forced to purchase a license and the virtual bankruptcy assistant will not be able to file a bankruptcy petition unless the attorney has a registered license.
THE TRUTH: As a virtual bankruptcy assistant, you can still file a bankruptcy petition by logging into PACER instead of the feature inside the bankruptcy software. All you need is the ECF login information from the attorney you are working for. In fact, in many ways, filing through PACER is easier compared to using the One Touch method.
Issue 2: Forcing You to Purchase Additional Local Forms and Chapter 13 Plans
I cringe every time a virtual bankruptcy assistant calls me on the phone and said they paid $300 for a Chapter 13 Plan. It also angers me to know that the bankruptcy software developers are taking advantage of people and actually stealing money.
THE TRUTH: All local forms are available free from the bankruptcy court website as well as the 713Attorney.Com website. In addition, all the forms are form fillable. In other words, you simply open up the document and begin typing. When you are finished you save and file the form through PACER after you file the bankruptcy petition. Great news! You just saved $300 or even more.
Reference: http://www.713attorney.com/links/forms.html
The Truth of the Matter
Not one bankruptcy software program was developed by anyone who knows anything about bankruptcy. All of them were developed by programmers with no legal knowledge, which is why many of the software programs are filled with bogus features that do nothing for you or the bankruptcy court. But this is not my concern. My concern is that these software companies are actually convincing people that they must purchase bankruptcy forms (such as Chapter 13 Plans) from them, even though they are aware the same forms are available free from the government.
Plus, on top of that, many bankruptcy software companies are actually threatening virtual bankruptcy assistants with threats of taking away their ability to file a bankruptcy petition for their attorney. This threat just goes to show you that bankruptcy software developers have no knowledge of bankruptcy. I have been filing legal documents through PACER for years without using any special software program.
My next project is to develop a video where I am going to show you exactly how to file a bankruptcy petition through PACER. This way, if your bankruptcy software company tries to threaten you by taking away your ability to electronically file through their software program, you can simply file the petition through PACER and call it a day. Watch for an email to announce the video when I get it developed.
I urge you to pass this information on to anyone who files bankruptcy petitions. Let us work together to keep people informed of the truth so the stealing and threats will stop from the bankruptcy software companies who are only seeking to line their pockets with our hard earned money!!
