713Bankruptcy.Com's Blog

QUESTION:

My attorney sent me a credit report to get debt information from. Many debts on the credit report show a $0.00 balance. Does this mean the debtors do not owe the debt?

ANSWER:

When a credit report shows a debt owed to a company with a $0.00 balance it could mean the debt is paid in full. However, it normally means that the company wrote off the debt or sold it to a collection agency and the debt still exists. For example, Company A transferred the file out of their computer system into the computer system of Company B. On the credit report, it may show Company A with a $0.00 balance and Company B with a $2,000 balance. However, there is only one debt but two companies are listed on the credit report.

Another common occurrence on credit reports is that the same debt is listed two, or even three, different times with various balances but all pertain to the same debt. For example, Company A shows a balance owed for a repossessed vehicle in the amount of $22,000. Company B was the collector on this account and shows a balance owed of $21,900 for this same debt. Then, to complicate matters even more, Company C was the bank who granted the original loan. They are also listed on the credit report for the same debt but this one is in the amount of $22,250. It would be impossible for any attorney, paralegal, bankruptcy assistant or VBA to know that these three debts were for only one debt. That is why it is not advisable for anyone (except the debtor) to dissect their own credit report for fair and accurate debt information.

Suggestion: As a bankruptcy professional you should learn how to read the three different credit reports issued by Experian, TransUnion and Equifax. This way, you can train the debtor how to read them and dissect the information for their own reporting on the Client Intake Forms. One good way to learn how to read credit reports is to request your own. You will recognize your own debts and begin to understand how to instruct the debtor(s) to do the same.

QUESTION:

Can a debtor pay a bankruptcy attorney with a credit card?

ANSWER:

Absolutely not. Unless the credit card is a DEBIT card, using an unsecure credit card to pay bankruptcy attorney fees means that the debt will be included on Schedule F as an unsecure non-priority debt. In a Chapter 7 the debt could be dismissed and not paid. In this happened and the attorney had received the money from the credit card company for the fees, the attorney would be accepting money with the knowledge of a fraudulent transfer. This situation could cause catastrophic issues. Additionally, the debtor(s) would be making a new debt prior to filing bankruptcy. As you know, any new debts made on the day of (and ninety days prior) to filing bankruptcy must be indicated as well as explained within the bankruptcy petition.

QUESTION:

I am preparing a bankruptcy petition for a debtor who has not filed his 2008 income taxes. He was granted an extension from the government until October 2009. Should he wait to file bankruptcy until after he files his taxes?

ANSWER:

You or I cannot make the determination when a debtor can file bankruptcy. Only an attorney can make this decision. However, in cases I have worked on, if a debtor was granted an extension by the government to file his taxes in October, he should have no problem filing bankruptcy before then. If the debtor believes he will owe taxes (which is normally the case for people who file extensions for more time), these estimated taxes needs to be listed on Schedule E of the bankruptcy petition. In the Consideration Section you may want to type in something like: 2008 Income Taxes, Extension Granted for filing until October 2009.

QUESTION:

Hello. My name is Tim Patenaude and I am very interested in becoming a VBA. My wife and I have been searching for an at-home position for quite awhile and we seem to keep running into more and more home business scams than you can shake a stick at. Your web site is very informative and seems to be legit. After reviewing your site and searching for scams within your training, I am happy to report, you are clean. So with that in mind, I do have a few questions regarding the training and what the future holds for all VBAs. You can either contact me by phone or if you would like, just e-mail me. One of my questions is do I need to buy two training manuals for my wife and I or can we study together off the same training products and pay separate for the test? Hope to hear from you soon.

ANSWER:

Thank you very much for researching our company and finding out that we have a clean record. Although we never claim to please everyone 100% of the time, we do whatever we can to run a company focused on customer satisfaction rather than profits. This is why we have been confused with a training school on several occasions.

To answer your question regarding the training materials; Yes, you and your wife may share the same materials for training together since you reside in the same household. Thank you for asking. This shows me that you are an honest person which is a necessary trait for success in the legal field.

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QUESTION:

I am a mortgage broker and often have clients who need to file bankruptcy. Could I provide that service to them or does it have to be done through an attorney? I have an extensive background in all kinds of financial services. Thank you for your time.

Suheil

ANSWER:

No, the law was changed in 2005 to prevent non-attorney preparers from having the ability and power to harm consumers by helping them file bankruptcy without an attorney. Consumers are best protected by hiring an attorney. Some of the best attorneys in the United States can be found at http://www.nacba.org

You may be able to make money by working with two or three bankruptcy attorneys and referring cases to them. Simply provide a list of several bankruptcy attorneys to your clients as well as providing the client information to the attorneys for their follow-up. You would sell this list weekly to attorneys for their marketing purposes. Keep in mind though that you cannot refer clients to ONE attorney. You must refer them to TWO OR MORE so they have the ability to make their own choice. However, the more attorneys you have on your list the more client contact lists you can provide to them on a weekly basis.

Another option would be to learn the skill of preparing Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 petitions and provide this as a service to attorneys nationwide. These are the skills that I teach through http://www.713training.com

Victoria Ring

QUESTION:

I was going through Schedule Bs list of categories and #17 raised a question. It reads: Alimony, Maintenance, Support and Property settlement.

If my client receives (monthly basis) Alimony from her ex-spouse does it have to go into Schedule B, category #17, along with listing it as income in Schedule I, under Alimony payments?

Armida

ANSWER:

No. Only child support that is previously owed to the debtor is listed on Schedule B. If the debtor is not owed back child support that is or is not uncollectable, the income is NOT listed on Schedule B. Instead it is simply listed on Schedule I as normal monthly income. Also be sure to include the average income from child support that was received over the 6 month period on the Means Test also.

Victoria Ring

QUESTION:

Do you know of a web site where I could find the value of a manufactured home? I have searched high and low and most want you to pay a fee.

Armida

ANSWER:

You can try several things:

** Do a Google search for the make and model of the mobile home: i.e., 1987 Breezewood which may lead you to an advertisement where someone is selling this type of mobile home; or do a search on EBay or other auction website. However, unless you can locate an exact match this method will probably be questioned by the trustee.

** Try a search on http://www.zillow.com

** Try http://www.nadaguides.com. Depending on the age of the manufactured home, the market value may still be available on NADA.

If all else fails, your attorney may order the debtors to obtain an appraisal so that an accurate market value can be obtained for the bankruptcy petition; however, that is an issue your attorney will need to address. Your job is to do your best to find a market value for the manufactured home and print out the web page you find it on for verification that the attorney takes to the 341 Meeting. But you need to also inform your attorney that you could not obtain an accurate market value online and he or she may wish to order an appraisal.

Victoria Ring

QUESTION:

In regard to emailing an attorney a draft of a bankruptcy petition, would I simply email the petition as I did to you last night, or is there a procedure that you have covered in your training materials and I am having difficulty locating same? I would greatly appreciate your input on the correct method to forward a petition along for review whether it is for you or for an attorney.

Gerry

ANSWER:

You email attorneys a PDF version of the bankruptcy petition for review. In Best Case, you open up the case, double click on the printer icon to the RIGHT and highlight all the documents, select PRINT and PRINT TO PDF. Finally, you send the PDF file as an attachment to the attorney.

However, if you have an attorney who prefers to tweak his or her own petitions after you have finished with them, you may want to take time to learn the bankruptcy software your attorney uses. Most bankruptcy software programs are similar. Some people prefer one over the other as far as their functionality, but the final result of the documents the software produces remains the same. A bankruptcy petition is a standard government form just like a 1040 Tax Form or other government form.

The only problem with this is that attorneys often tweak their petitions and forget to provide the bankruptcy assistant with an update to the case file. Or, the attorney sends a copy to the bankruptcy assistant and the bankruptcy assistant forgets to delete the old file and install the new one before filing the bankruptcy petition.

To prevent problems like this from occurring, the bankruptcy assistant will provide the attorney with a PDF version. If the attorney wants to make changes on the bankruptcy petition, he or she can mark the changes with a black* felt-tip pen on the actual petition page. The attorney will fax, scan or email the pages with changes on them back to the bankruptcy assistant and the changes can be made on the master bankruptcy petition. This method will ensure that only one master bankruptcy petition copy exists, which eliminates problem versions.

* Why a black felt-tip pen instead of any other color? Because when a scan is made from a mark made by a black felt-tip pen, it will scan properly. Other colors will fade during the scanning or copying process.

Victoria Ring

QUESTION:

I recently became a member of the NAVBA and I am in the process of completing the VBA Certification Exam. Could you please tell me if Victoria is still offering VBA Positions?

Tom

ANSWER:

Yes, we will continue accepting applicants for many years to come because bankruptcy is an ongoing process and we will always need good people to help us. However, it seems that only a few actually pass the exam because they do not study the materials before taking it. I hope you achieve higher scores so we can work together. But even if you do not receive a high score, you will still have the skills to work for attorneys in your area or even nationwide simply by studying the materials. Obtaining skills does not limit you to solely working for us alone.

To purchase training materials, visit:
http://www.713training.com/shop

QUESTION:

Thank you for the information regarding the software company. I wanted to write you today because I ran into the same problem but listed below is how I managed to work around the problem.

I had to deal with the same thing but in my case my attorney refused to give Best Case $1.00 on principal. He uses Best Case but manually has his people file the paperwork at the court house.

When I came on board I could not understand that they were doing it the old fashion way and I also could not believe that the Central District of California was allowing them to do so. I thought it was mandatory to ECF but I was wrong at least in my area.

To make a long story short; I had to find a way around Best Case in order for me to work with this attorney because he refuses to give them $1.00. So with his permission I learned or logged onto the courts website and learned how to ECF on their website. Here is what I was able to figure out; I create or enter the petition as usual using Best Case. Once the file is completed, I prepare it for ECF filing. Best Case puts my petition in the proper format to send to the courts including the matrix in a text form. I then go directly to the courts website and open a “new bankruptcy” and pull all the information they are asking from the petition. When I get to the area where you are asked to down load your petition, I go to my C drive and under Best Case I click on ECF filing; my petition is there for me to paste or load into the courts website. I always open and make sure that it is the correct petition before I send it and so far it has worked and my attorney is fine with me working this way. I have now submitted 3 petitions on his behalf this way and so far so good.

I also have developed a relationship with the help desk and call when I need to. They are sometimes helpful and some days they are not nice but I do the best I can with them.

Victoria, my way of thinking is [survival] because my income has dramatically dropped (I got laid off last Dec) and I have to find a way to make some money. Although my attorney is quite frugal and I don’t believe that I am getting paid right, I have learned so much from having access to this office and his paralegal. I see it as a give and take relationship. I hope for more work as soon I build my knowledge and confidence.

Thanks for being so a great influence in my work.

Armida

ANSWER:

I am very proud of you for finding ways to work around your problem. This take a creative mind, which it appears you have plenty of. Keep in touch. You have a great career ahead of you in bankruptcy.

Victoria Ring

QUESTION:

I am a Virtual Bankruptcy Assistant and have purchased several of your training books and materials. I would like to ask a question. Is there a way around purchasing plans from Best Case for every state you work in? I work for three different attorneys in three different states. In most cases I only prepared the petition, but now they are requesting that I amend plans and efile petitions, which I have no problem doing. But purchasing plans at $150.00 each (I think) is expensive and each plan will increase my yearly maintenance up to $75. That means, if I pay for the plans today, I will have to pay $450.00 today and $600.00 a year to maintain my account with Best Case. Please assist. I await your response before doing anything.

Annette M. Harris

ANSWER:

Annette, for you and many other people who emailed me the same question, I researched and put together an excellent reference tool for you. Simply go to the link below and download all the additional forms you need FREE OF CHARGE:

http://www.713attorney.com/links/forms.html

Victoria Ring

TESTIMONIAL

Last week I received my first case from Attorney Borgia. He is such a sweetheart! He said that he had 8 or 9 almost complete pay and he feels they should be ready by the end of the month.

A new lawyer in Fort Lauderdale sent me a chapter 13 last week and I just finished the plan today. I played your video last night until 2am. It finally has clicked.

Thank you once again for your knowledge and kindness. I also agree, attorneys don’t understand the redemption concept, its up and downs.

Mary Sosa

TESTIMONIAL

Thank you very much for the book! I am working my way through it now and am very grateful for it! The first attorney who contacted me after our mailout asked if I could do Chapter 13′s, too, so I think they may get a lot of 13′s here due to the higher incomes at places like Intel and Motorola. Some friends we know who are considering bankruptcy didn’t qualify for Chapter 7, so they have to file Chapter 13 if they decide to file.

Lynn Goodrich

TESTIMONIAL

I would like to thank Victoria for her diligence, wisdom and willingness to share this valuable information with those that have a desire to enhance their bankruptcy skills and knowledge. I cannot begin to tell you how it has blessed me tremendously. I have been a legal secretary/legal assistant and recent paralegal graduate for over 20 years and never have I run across such detailed and practical material.

Shirley Bobbitt

TESTIMONIAL

Dear Victoria,

Thank you for what is again a wonderful piece of advice. I have only been receiving your communications for a short time now, but rest assured that I find your wisdom to be of infinite value, and I think about it a lot as I am working on getting started in my bankruptcy practice with absolutely no capital. The first thing I read that you wrote was about emphasizing the value you can provide to your customers. Let us hope that your kind actions and help will inspire this lady and many others if not today, then tomorrow.

You know, I have been talking to some people I know about your story and your fantastic business…legal assistants I know and some attorneys. I think it is a wonderful way to go for both. I do realize that Bankruptcy law has long had some sort of distaste about it. When I recently underwent ECF training at the courthouse in Tampa, I picked up a court brochure which said that during the Middle Ages, debtors were put to death or imprisoned, and this practice continued as the New World was colonized. So, it seems that the stigma goes back a very long way. Maybe this subconscious stigma had something to do with why the woman stayed at bay. It is so hard to explain human behavior sometimes.

I understand some of her answers to your questions, such as regarding the worry of how to handle a lot of business if she is not prepared mentally or set up business wise to do so in an efficient manner. Maybe she is afraid that she is inept at electronic transactions and is finding her way to admit it and do something about it. Maybe she is afraid or does not want to work so many hours. I am sure that you had a much bigger impact on her than you think you did. Regardless if you did or did not, I want to tell you how much I admire you for taking that time and effort to provide your assistance and wisdom. You certainly assisted me on various levels, and I trust that you helped many others too.

I think your business story is wonderful, your advice is priceless, and that you are a wonderful, caring person. Whomever I can direct to you, I will. I also want to thank you for the Florida attorney contact that you gave. I do plan to contact her and introduce myself. Your offer of personally showing people to the gorgeous sites around your area in connection with the upcoming training session was truly a beautiful gesture. Finally, thank you for writing this message and sharing such important information with all of us. You are awesome, and I wish you the most wonderful success and happiness in your new home in Colorado Springs!

Warm regards,

Colleen ORourke, Esq.

REPLY FROM VICTORIA RING

Attorney ORourke –

It humbles me to read your email and I sincerely appreciate your vote of confidence in me. I will continue doing my best and hope you keep in touch.

Victoria Ring

713 FAMILY OF WEBSITES:
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http://www.713attorney.com
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http://www.navba.org
http://www.servantofjesuschrist.com

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QUESTION:

Dear Victoria: We need help with our budget. We already have 2 laptops, 1 desktop, a fax machine, a business plan and a marketing plan. What would you suggest as the best use of our funds ($5,000)? Our biggest expense seems to be the software license fee of $995/per computer ($3,000). I spoke with Mike at Best Case today and was educated on single user vs. multi user license agreements. Because each partner is going to be at a different location we would have to have a WAN (wide? area network) in order to take advantage of any multi-user discount or “simultaneous” access. That leaves $2,000 for everything else. Also, he made it sound as if only attorneys can purchase Best Case. I didn’t ask him outright to clarify, I consulted my partners and we thought we’d check with you. We know your Bankruptcy Workbook says not to purchase Best Case until you after you are adequately trained, are confident completing petitions and have begun marketing your services. We just assumed we could buy Best Case ourselves. Would you clarify that for us?

We would like to form an LLC because there are three of us. We budgeted $875 for this which includes our state filing fee and administration to be completed by Legal Zoom. We are tempted to try and cut the budget in half and do it ourselves (Office Depot) but wanted to hear your advice on do-it-yourself kits? We would be equal members in the organization. Real estate and kids are our primary assets.

We are each preparing to sit for the AVBA exam sometime in August and do 3 hours blocks of online training. We have also budgeted for your petition review service once we began drafting them. Do you still review 7 and 13 petitions for $50 each? Our marketing cost(s) are limited to our website, press releases, email, telesales and postage for limited direct response mailings.

An alternate temporary solution is to have our CEO (she discovered you many years ago and introduced you to us) form a sole proprietorship and 1099 myself and Michelle. Our goal would then be to work that way until such a time that we could afford to form LLC. We want to be taken seriously as a business by our attorney clients and we want to work together as a team in some way.

Thank you for taking the time to read this email. We are looking forward to hearing your words of wisdom.

Warmest Regards, Monica

ANSWER:

Monica; I am so happy that you emailed me with your healthy list of questions. The questions you are asking are the same questions many others ask. So, I hope you don’t mind, but I am answering your email in a public broadcast to help other virtual bankruptcy assistants.

I will answer each one of your questions one at a time:

1. The current cost for a Chapter 7 single user license for Best Case software is only $795.00. You do not need to purchase the Chapter 13 license at this time. Why? Because 75% of all the bankruptcy petitions you prepare will be a Chapter 7. If and when you do encounter a Chapter 13, you can purchase the additional module from Best Case at that time. And since you will be paid more money to prepare a Chapter 13, you will have the funds from your business to meet that expense.

The additional $125.00 license should be purchased for each additional person working under the same company name. For example, a virtual assistant I hired back in 2007 to help me prepare bankruptcy petitions only paid $125.00 to be added on to my license since we worked together. The virtual assistant was at a different location and still qualified to work under my license by Best Case.

Therefore, I believe you would only be required to pay the initial $795.00 for the Chapter 7 license and $125.00 per each additional person.

2. The reason Best Case may have made you “feel like” only attorneys could purchase the software is because they don’t like selling their software to non-attorneys who work directly for the general public. You can clear this up by informing Best Case that your company works for a variety of different attorneys on a virtual basis. Also, feel free to educate Best Case employees about the virtual bankruptcy assistant field. Once they understand that you work solely under the direction of licensed bankruptcy attorneys and do not commit unauthorized practice of law, they should no longer make you “feel” uncomfortable in selling you their software.

3. As far as an LLC, you are consulting with websites that are utilized by consumers. As a business owner, you should stay away from consumer-based websites and consumer-based companies. Simply file your own LLC with your state courthouse. The cost is only a few dollars. I downloaded the form from my Secretary of State’s office, filled it out, sent a check and I had my LLC within a few weeks. Next, I applied for my EIN number from the government website and it only cost a few dollars.

Never waste your money paying consumer-based companies like Legal Zoom to perform tasks that you can do yourself.

Besides, why do you want to form a LLC anyway? An LLC is excellent if you are afraid you will be sued, the party wins the case and a lien is filed on your home. But what are the chances of that happening when you are performing a service for attorneys? What reason would an attorney have to sue you?

I ran all 8 of my previous companies as a sole proprietor from 1988 to 2006. The only reason I formed an LLC in 2006 was to protect my home if someone sued me because they didn’t like a book or training video I developed. As you know, there are crazy people in this world.

4. Yes, I will review your Chapter 7 bankruptcy petition for $50.00 as long as the process does not take over an hour. However, the cost would be higher for the review of a Chapter 13 since there is more time involved. Normally, virtual bankruptcy assistants charge an additional fee to the attorney to cover my review fee. But we can discuss this once you have a Chapter 13 for review. Like I said before – it may be some time before you even encounter one.

People ask my all the time why more Chapter 7s are filed versus Chapter 13s. There are several reasons, but one of the main ones is because the majority of people wait until they have exhausted all avenues before filing bankruptcy. People will normally cash in their 401Ks, stocks, bonds, savings and all other assets to pay their bills. Only when they have nothing left do they normally file bankruptcy. This is why the majority of bankruptcy petitions filed are Chapter 7s.

I urge you to keep a watch on the filing of different chapters at the American Bankruptcy Institute website at http://www.abiworld.org They are a much better authority than I am on the topic.

Summary

Thank you again Monica for your excellent questions. I am sure many of our virtual bankruptcy assistants are happy you asked them also. It gives them an opportunity to learn the answers to the same questions they also have. Do not hesitate to email me again if I can help you.

QUESTION:

Good Morning Victoria. Thank you for the great webinar on Wednesday, June 18, 2007 sponsored by VANetworking. It has been one of the best I have heard. Since very little is free of charge in the world of VA Training, this was worth more then a lot of paid advice I got so far. Could you give us a hint, how to approach the virtual bankruptcy assistant field and where to start. Which of your training materials would be best?

ANSWER:

I have developed a wide range of products in both printed, eBook and video format to provide people with a choice of which type of training works best for them. I cannot recommend any one product you should start with. You will have to decide if reading a book or watching a video is the best training method for you. You will also need to assess your background and determine which products do not cover the knowledge you already have in the legal field.

But rather than trying to determine which product you should buy, why not join the National Association of Virtual Bankruptcy Assistants for only $15.99. Once you join, a complete new world will open for you. Not only will you be provided with a lot of free products like pre-recorded teleconferences, discounts on office supplies and much more, you also are entitled to discounts on every training product you purchase. The discounts will more than pay for your $15.99 membership. Just visit:

https://www.713training.com/administrator/signup.php

You can login instantly as soon as you join. I believe joining the organization will be the less costly and most beneficial method for you right now until you determine which direction you want to go in.

QUESTION

Dear Victoria: I am finally getting my marketing materials together and was wondering if it was okay to use the example client intake forms and questions from the seminar I attended in 2006 for my marketing packet, along with my finished petition. Please let me know. Thanks!

ANSWER:

As far as the training materials being used in your marketing packet, I would suggest that you have the marketing packet reflect YOUR work, not mine. There is no reason for you to cut corners and make yourself appear lazy,

You could use the Client Intake Forms, but YOU need to input the information into Best Case, prepare YOUR own Attorney Cover Sheet and print out YOUR own finalized petition for YOUR marketing packet.

QUESTION:

Dear Victoria: I attended the seminar held in Orlando last July. Shortly after that I started putting together information and then started to market my services to local attorneys. It was slow getting started (partly because I was still busy doing loan closings and didn’t push it too hard).

As the mortgage business got slower, I started marketing the bankruptcy business more aggressively. On a lark, I sent my information to a larger bankruptcy law firm in Ft. Myers. Bankruptcies is all they do. Two days later I received a call from them. Over the past 2 months we have gone back and forth over fees and the level of work they wanted my company to do. It originally started as we would only be doing data input and they would do all the research and client contact (at a significantly lower fee). It has now changed that we will do all the work at a much higher fee. Because they are anticipating sending me 2-5 petitions a day we negotiated a lower than normal fee.

One of the issues that we had to resolve is they use Bankruptcy Pro as their software. I downloaded a trial version of the software to see how it works. While it works differently from Best Case, since I know the basics, I feel the problem is not insurmountable. And, to alleviate the problem of me having to buy new software, the law firm has set it up so that I am now connected to their server and will use their software.

I just got a call from the law firm while typing this email and they said they had 6 cases they are going to be sending me in the overnight tonight. I’m very excited!!

Also, while I was marketing my company, I received a call from someone who had previously worked for a bankruptcy attorney. Her girlfriend had given her my information. She wanted to know if there was anything she could help me out with. I met with her and she really knows bankruptcies. She’s helped me out with one attorney I’m doing a little work for because she knows so much about Chapter 13 bankruptcy filings. She’s made some great recommendations to this attorney on fixing some problems he had. She’s going to be doing some of the work with my new client which will free up time for me to market to other attorneys.

ANSWER:

Congratulations! I am so very, very happy for you. You are truly blessed. Not only do you have a steady law firm client, but you have someone knowledgeable in bankruptcy petitions to help you. Praise God for His blessings and give Him the credit. There is no doubt you will not be successful with this set-up.

However, to address your problem regarding the difference in software programs, you will need to do things “their” way for awhile. Then, slowly show them the difference between their software and Best Case. For example, you may say: “I just wanted to show you that your software adds on an additional 20 minutes of time per petition because of … whereas, Best Case fills all this information in for you. If I saved 20 minutes of time per petition I completed, I could save you money.” Or something to this effect.

In marketing or changing the way a person thinks, you simply concentrate on the benefits to THEM – not you. Don’t aggravate them to the point that you lose them as a customer. Instead, show them the benefits to their law firm that Best Case can be by showing them specific examples but still follow whatever they want you to do. Eventually, you may be successful in changing their mind. If not, be thankful you have a steady customer who may use your services for many years to come. You may have to get used to Bankruptcy Pro and just live with it for this customer client.

QUESTION:

I just wanted your advice. I got contacted by two different attorneys who are swamped by bankruptcy petitions looking for assistance. They both seemed extremely interested in my services until they asked what software I used. When I told them Best Case, they said they use EZfile and have been using it for years; and at that point their interest ended. Even though I told them I could efile for them or send them the completed petition in PDF format, it was clear they would not use my services unless I had EZfile.

ANSWER:

Why would you destroy your marketing efforts? If the attorneys had the work to give you – do whatever they want. They are the customer. You cannot dictate to your customer what you want them to do. If they want you to use EzFile and they have been using it for years, use EzFile. There is nothing written in stone that says you must use Best Case. I use it because I like it. But if an attorney wanted to give me a lot of work, I would use whatever software he or she wanted me to use.

Your purpose as a virtual bankruptcy assistant is to provide services in preparing well-detailed bankruptcy petitions. All bankruptcy software programs are going to be similar because all bankruptcy forms are the same. Never destroy your potential future over an argument about what software program to use.

If possible, call the attorneys back right away and tell them you looked at EzFile software and you would be happy to use it for their law firm. Then, NEVER make this mistake again.

QUESTION:

I just downloaded the AVBA Exam and then I received an email about the Certified Bankruptcy Examination in San Antonio, Texas. Why are you offering two different exams?

ANSWER:

I am NOT offering two different exams. Please read the email carefully. It specifically states: “Do not confuse the Certified Bankruptcy Exam with the AVBA Exam developed by 713Training.” The difference between the two are:

Certified Bankruptcy Exam – An exam developed by the Judicial Assistants for paralegals, legal assistants and non-lawyer persons.

AVBA Exam – An exam developed by 713Training.Com for virtual bankruptcy assistants.

The Association of Judicial Assistants is located in Trenton, New Jersey. I doubt they have ever heard of 713Training.Com let alone virtual bankruptcy assistants. So please understand the exams are totally different and offered by two different companies.

THE FIRST WEB TRAINING SEMINAR

On June 21, 2008 we held the first Web Training Seminar sponsored by 713Training.Com. This seminar covered problem petitions and a discussion of how to proceed with them. After the seminar was over, all attendees received a free copy of the seminar in video format. Below are some comments we received from virtual bankruptcy assistants:

Thanks for all the great info on the webinar today. I learned a great deal, especially about those “problem” petitions. (Peggy)

Thank you Victoria and Dana for making it happen! I really needed the training on the Schedule I and J. I’ll put into practice what I have learned!!!! (Fraser)

UPDATE ON 1-ON-1 PERSONALIZED TRAINING

Last week I conducted 1-on-1 Personalized Training every day of the week. This was necessary in order to work out the problems and develop an easy workflow for training.

The training was so successful that one day, I assisted an attorney in setting up a new law firm practice through the use of the new Lotus software. The attorney paid for 3 hours of training and I covered everything she needed to get her law firm started. Plus, she is interviewing several virtual bankruptcy assistants in the Central District of California because she plans to run her law firm practice from her home.

A wonderful benefit of this new Lotus software is that people are discovering that 3 hours of training is the same (or more than) a full day of training at a seminar. In the past, people have paid $275 to attend a seminar, $150 for lodging, $300 for air travel and another $150 for food and other personal expenses. This amounted to about $875.

Now, with the advancement of new technology, you can eliminate all your travel, lodging, food and personal expenses. You now enjoy the convenience of sitting at home at your computer and being trained 1-on-1. This is completely different compared to sitting in a hotel conference room with 15 or 20 other people, all demanding the attention of the presenter. By having a private and personal training session, you can receive the same full-day of training in only 3 hours.

Schedule your training today for only $150.00 and see the difference for yourself at:

http://www.713training.com/shop/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=84

SEND YOUR QUESTIONS TO VICTORIA RING

Please send your questions to http://www.713training.com/contact.html and I will be happy to answer you personally about any topic relating to the virtual bankruptcy assistant. If your question is chosen to be included in a future newsletter, your name and any identifiable information will not be revealed as I will always respect your privacy.

Have a wonderful week.

Published by
Victoria Ring
713Training.Com LLC
http://www.713training.com

QUESTION:

I’ve posted my question to the Members Forum, myself. My concern is lack of communication regarding the cancellation of the Yahoo Group and what is the plan for members to communicate with each other with specific BK petition questions?? It would appear to me that information on the member forum would only be viewed as members logged in and happened to look at particular posts. Is this a correct assumption??

Also, what happened to the ‘perfect score’ noted next to AVBA members?? I really thought this was a great distinction amongst the AVBA community. Especially when marketing the member list to attorneys. The ‘perfect score’ really stands out for me and my fellow ‘perfect score’ holders. Will you be returning that distinction to the appropriate members of your home page??

ANSWER:

I have no idea what happened to the Yahoo Forum. A lady in California was running the forum. I never had anything to do with it. In fact, I never read a post or visited the forum.

One day, the lady sent me a short email that said she deleted the forum and was no longer going to be the moderator. Therefore, in situates like this it is impossible for me to give you advance notice.

The AVBA members who passed the Exam have never been removed. In fact, instead of appearing on ONE site, the AVBA members appear on TWO website which are located at:

http://www.navba.org
http://www.713training.com/directory

Please understand Dee that 713Training.Com is owned and operated by (me) Victoria Ring. When others operate their business under my name (because I endorse their ideas) I have no control over their behavior and cannot be held responsible for their misgivings.

As far as a member forum in the future, Kent at Bummer Hosting and I are installing and trying out different membership software right now to determine the best one to meet 713Training.Com’s needs. If the software we select has a member forum capability, I will consider starting a new one.

But my main concern in having a forum is that I do NOT have the time to manage it. From the abrupt behavior from the lady who was managing the Yahoo forum, it is evident that something happened. I am assuming that people started posting “rumors” and their own “personal” feelings rather than sticking to the topic of “bankruptcy petitions.” This is the main problem with forums. Even when they are secure, people like to use them for gossip lines and I will not tolerate “crap” like this. Rumors do nothing but expend energy that could be put to better use – like building a business and improving your skills.

QUESTION:

Victoria: I love the new AVBA Exam!!! Having worked on both Exams I can see great improvement. The new AVBA Exam measures a VBA’s diligence in researching automobile and home market values, as well as being proficient with PACER. The Ethics section is practical. And the Client Intake Exercise highlights the need to be detailed in our work. Most important of all, the exam requires for VBAs to demonstrate they can follow direction while being capable of working independently. I would highly recommend this exam for any virtual assistant that wants to improve their bankruptcy petition drafting skills! The exam is training in itself! Well, that’s my feedback. If I think of anything else, I’ll let you know.

ANSWER:

Ref: http://www.713training.com/avba/index.html
Thank you for your comments. I will publish your testimonial in the next issue of the 713Training.Com Update.

QUESTION:

Victoria: I am impressed. How did you get to be the spotlight on the National Association of Women’s Business Owners website at:
http://nawbo.org/spotlight.cfm?mid=10

ANSWER:

I joined their organization, submitted my information, and they chose my profile for the website. This is another good example of FREE MARKETING. It has helped to bring a great deal of new website traffic and new orders to 713Training.Com and I did not pay a dime for the publicity. Try this approach. It works.

QUESTION:

I cannot afford the Bankruptcy Workbook as of now (Certified Notary Signing Agent in Florida — ugh). I have downloaded the AVBA Exam and understand the test is based on questions from the workbook along with other materials from 713Training.Com. If I do not purchase the Workbook, do I have enough information in your other materials to pass? Thank you for your time.

ANSWER:

That is an impossible question to answer because the answer depends on you. The best thing I can suggest is to read over all the information about the AVBA Exam at http://www.713training.com/avba/ . If you feel you have the skills to complete the test, then purchase and submit your test. If not, continue practicing on your own and visit the website often. Also read all the free articles I have provided at http://www.713bankruptcy.com

It is not necessary to purchase additional training materials unless you believe you need additional training. Everyone is different. That is why I developed a variety of different training products in different price ranges and write and publish free information every week.

QUESTION:

I have a good general knowledge of the bankruptcy petition and the bankruptcy process, thanks to Victoria’s training materials. However, I have not prepared a bankruptcy petition and I feel uncomfortable marketing my services to attorneys until I have some experience drafting petitions.

I believe that new VBA’s like me need is an attorney or experienced VBA that can provide us with an apprentice relationship. I think the VBA apprentice would work for an attorney or another VBA without pay. The attorney or experienced VBA would task the apprentice with preparing actual bankruptcy petitions, and oversee the work of the apprentice. The attorney or experienced VBA would benefit financially from free labor and profit from completed bankruptcy petitions that they did not have to complete themselves.

This arrangement should not interfere with the daily work of an attorney or experienced VBA at all. The attorney or experienced VBA would need to provide some guidance and instruction to the apprentice. The VBA apprentice would gain invaluable experience drafting petitions. Perhaps after three to five petitions, the VBA apprentices would be ready to step out on their own. I think this would be a valuable addition to the training program. What do you think?

ANSWER:

I agree, but the majority of attorneys still are having trouble recognizing the bankruptcy petition as caring much importance. After the BAPCPA law changed, it changed their perception of the petition. Therefore, if you can find an attorney willing to do this, and an experienced VBA to work for no money – I wish you the best. But most VBAs who are overloaded with petitions do not have the time to work for free.

In my opinion, a better alternative would be to provide one-on-one training where an experienced VBA comes to your home and trains you personally. Or, perhaps an online training school could be developed just like the paralegal programs.

Personally, if it was me and I was in your position, I would work for a bankruptcy attorney and learn the skills (like I did). This is the best education you can get in this field, it doesn’t cost you anything – but instead pays you a salary. After working for a bankruptcy attorney for 6-8 months, you should have enough confidence to work for yourself. Some people will take longer and others will take a shorter period of time. Only you will know when you have the confidence you need to sell your services and grow your own business.

QUESTION:

1. If a person wants to do a Deed In Lieu and they are in the middle of Chapter 13 proceedings, will it still show as a foreclosure/negative mark on their credit report, regardless?…. In other words, is there any benefit, credit wise, in doing a Deed in Lieu for a person who is in the middle of a Chapter 13?

2. Also, if a person does go thru with a Deed In Lieu of Foreclosure will their automobile be enough of a secured debt to maintain a Chapter 13 status? Or, is that strictly determined by the Means Test?

ANSWER:

I can understand your confusion. The reason is because there is no definitive answer to the questions. That’s because many different factors could come into play. For example:

What stage of the Chapter 13 is the debtor in? If they have not attended their 341 Meeting and their Chapter 13 Plan has not been confirmed, a Deed in Lieu of Foreclosure will be easy to handle. But it will reduce the debtor’s assets and could possibly cause an increase in the Chapter 13 plan payment. It all depends on the circumstances.

Or, if the Chapter 13 Plan has been confirmed, a new Chapter 13 Plan would need to be submitted for approval before the Deed-in-Lieu could be implemented.

As far as whether the Deed-in-Lieu will negatively affect their credit, that is a decision left up to the credit reporting agencies. Each one is different in their classification. However, if the debtors are in a Chapter 13 bankruptcy, their credit is already negatively affected. I don’t see how a Deed-in-Lieu would make any difference. The more important factor is whether the debtors continue making their Chapter 13 plan payments on a consistent basis. That is what will carry more weight with the credit bureaus.

Also, I do not know if an automobile would be enough to secure the debt. That would depend on the amount of the debt and the market value of the car. Once you determine those 2 figures, you will be able to see for yourself if the debtors have a car with enough equity to stand as collateral.

Again, there are so many variables to your question it is impossible to answer. The best thing I recommend is that you try and find a mortgage broker or foreclosure mediator who does this type of work and interview them about their job. Or, pay $50 and talk with a bankruptcy attorney. As long as they know you are not there to take business away from them, they will be happy to talk with you about foreclosure mediation for a half hour or so.

QUESTION:

Whatever happened to Angie Boyd? I called her and she said she was no longer working for you. I am confused. I thought Angie Boyd and Victoria Ring were 713Training.Com?

ANSWER:

To be quite honest with you – I have no idea what happened to Angie. Angie worked for 713Training.Com for 18 months. During that time I thought of her as a younger sister and loved her and her children very deeply. The last time I saw her, I had purchased her a carrot cake from Cracker Barrel and she said “thanks” as she drove off in her car. That was the last word I have heard from Angie. She has not returned any of my calls or certified letters where I have attempted to uncover and to solve any problem. But 2 months later I am clueless as to what the problem is so I do not discuss the subject since I have no information to provide.

All I can do is wish Angie Boyd the best of success and hope that her business is successful. But I will always think of her as my “little sister” and perhaps one day, I will learn what happened to cause her to avoid me.

TESTIMONIAL:

Thanks so much for helping me decide what I want to do with my life. Your company is the best. Not only will I be able to make a nice living for myself, but I will be helping people also. What more can you ask for. Thanks again. (Craig Rowe)

Published by Victoria Ring
http://www.713training.com
http://www.navba.org