713Bankruptcy.Com's Blog

Virtual Bankruptcy Assistants (VBA’s) do a lot of things for the attorneys that they work for, not the least of which, is helping to protect them.

This could be something as simple as protecting them from deficiency notices by just doing a good job on the petitions prepared for him or her.

Taking this a step further, what about helping to protect your attorney from potentially fraudulent debtors that may have something to hide?

Recently I was working on a petition for an attorney where only the husband was filing a Chapter 7.

The debtor had a fairly unique name, and so I decided to do a Google search on his name.

As I perused the Google results, I came across something interesting — the debtor was listed as being a member of a yacht club, and was the owner of a 28’ yacht.  It even listed the name of the yacht.

“Hmm”, I thought; “That boat isn’t listed on the client intake form”.

Before you read on, think for a moment about what you would do. Here is what I did…

First, I printed the web page showing the yacht information to a PDF file, and saved it in a folder called “Due Diligence” in the debtors folder on my computer.

Next, I called the debtor’s wife, who was my designated contact for getting information about the case.

I asked the debtor’s wife “Do you have a boat that needs to be listed on the documents for your bankruptcy?“.  She immediately responded and said “The boat is in my name.”

Since the debtor’s wife was not filing bankruptcy with the husband, I said OK, thanked her, and hung up the phone.

I then made a note of this in the attorney cover page that I gave to the attorney along with the petition when it was completed.

The 341 Meeting

The petition was filed with the court, and the day of the 341 meeting came, and I received a phone call from the attorney, who seemed somewhat excited.  He told me that he had just left the 341 meeting for this debtor, and relayed the unexpected outcome.

The attorney had printed out the debtors information to take with him to the 341, and when sitting with his client across from the trustee, he was well prepared as he answered questions, and went through his notes.

At one point the trustee was asking for information about the debtors mortgage, and when the attorney pulled the mortgage papers out of the folder to respond, there was another piece of paper stuck to the bottom of them that fell out onto the table. This piece of paper showed a picture of a beautiful boat.

The trustee having seen this happen said “Let me see that”, and the attorney handed it over.

The trustee looked over the printed information about the boat (which was a printout of the PDF about the boat I had emailed the attorney with the petition) and asked “What is this?” This is when the debtor began to squirm in his seat.

The trustee then asked “Do you have a boat?”, to which the debtor responded by saying “I sold it 3 years ago”.

The trustee then told the debtor to provide evidence of the sale, then moved on, and wrapped up the 341 meeting.

After the 341, the debtor’s wife approached the attorney and was visibly upset.  This is when the attorney described getting different versions of what happened to the boat.

The attorney was a bit distraught by the situation, and wasn’t sure what was going to happen next.

What I told the attorney was that it was a good thing that this happened, because if it turned out that the debtors were trying to hide the boat, that it was obvious that he was not aware of it.  He agreed.

This case is still open, so it is not known what the outcome is going to be, but one thing is certain, the job of a Virtual Bankruptcy Assistant is not simply data entry, but rather, it is our job to accurately represent the client’s information in the petitions we prepare for our attorneys, and to do the necessary due diligence that backs up that data to help protect the attorney’s interests.

Have a terrific week and don’t forget to register for the Atlanta, Georgia seminar at:
http://www.713training.com/shop/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=120

Sincerely,

Clay Holland
http://www.713training.com
http://www.navba.org
http://www.vbacertification.com

DISCLAIMER: We at 713 Training are not attorneys; any information provided by 713 Training should not be considered legal advice.  The information in this article, and any other materials provided by 713 Training, whether delivered verbally, written or via any other means, including electronic/digital delivery and storage, is for training purposes only, and is intended for individuals who work under the direction of a licensed attorney.

** This article will help you to understand important basic information if you are an attorney just getting started or transitioning to the field of debtor bankruptcy law.

An attorney called me today.  She was in a hurry and wanted to know what software she needed that would prepare a bankruptcy petition in about an hour.  I told her that none existed.  She then proceeded to tell me about an attorney who had a software program that imported credit reports, filled in all the creditor addresses and did everything, including filing her petition at the press of a button.  I explained to her that almost all bankruptcy software programs perform these same functions; but there is no bankruptcy software program that is going to practice law for her.  She was disgusted at my response but it is the same response I get from new attorneys quite often.

Remember the old saying: What looks too good to be true, probably is?  All adults should know by now that anything that appears to be simple and easy actually requires a skill.  I wrote an article one time about how horrible I was at trying to bag my own groceries at the store.  I explained that even something that sounds like it could be simple (like bagging groceries) still takes a skill that is only learned by practice.

Therefore, every person reading this article needs to reprogram their brain to understand that no bankruptcy software program is going to THINK for you.  Software programs only make some jobs easier.  You still need to go in and check data, categorize it, determine priorities and much more.  No software program is going to do that no matter how much you pay for it.

HOW DID THIS RUMOR GET STARTED?  LETS EXAMINE A REAL LIFE SITUATION:

John Q Public is sitting at home watching television.  He hears the rumor (started by the new media) that he can save his home if he files a Chapter 13 bankruptcy.  John Q Public is 9 months behind on his mortgage and facing a foreclosure because he lost his job.  Mr. Public rushes to the phone to call Ms. Attorney and tell her he wants to file a Chapter 13.

Note: For those of you who work within the bankruptcy system, you already know this statement by the media is only partially true.  The media conveniently leaves out the fact that a person cannot qualify to file a Chapter 13 if they are unemployed and have no money left after paying their basic living expenses.  That is the catch; however, John Q Public does not know that.

Ms. Attorney, who, through a lack of training, offers to file a Chapter 13 for John Q, Public.  Ms. Attorney uses her bankruptcy software program to prepare the bankruptcy petition.  Ms. Attorney has little or no training in preparing the petition and she spends from 6 to 8 hours just correcting and adjusting information (that the software cannot do).  She was unaware of this when she purchased the software because she was under the assumption that it did everything for her.

Next, Ms. Attorney is overwhelmed by the fact that she has also not been properly trained in how to gather all the necessary information for preparing petitions, properly counseling her clients and how to filter out clients who do not qualify for bankruptcy and help them through debt counseling or some other form of assistance.  Without this basic knowledge, new bankruptcy attorneys are going to be in for a very rocky road ahead; especially since there is no software program that is going to do all of this for them.

What happens next is another nightmare.  After Ms. Attorney enters in all the income for John Q Public and his wife, John Q Public does not qualify for a Chapter 13.  In a situation like this some attorneys will try to still push the bankruptcy through by finding an income from another source or suggest the debtor get a part-time job so he or his wife can qualify to file a Chapter 13.

Or, if Ms. Attorney manages to get the bankruptcy petition filed by some other method, she will still risk extreme embarrassment at the 341 Meeting when she is in front of the client, creditors and the Trustee.  When the Trustee finds these issues and brings them to the table, many attorneys will simply stop accepting Chapter 13s or stop doing bankruptcy altogether rather than face this situation again.  This is sad; because the result was only caused from a lack of training and knowledge in building her practice.  Another old saying: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

LOGICAL POINTS TO CONSIDER

If you are a seasoned bankruptcy attorney, I urge you to pass this information on to new attorneys.  In doing so, you and I are helping to improve professionalism and positive growth within the bankruptcy field.  If you are a new attorney, I urge you to study the following logical points:

1.   If a bankruptcy software program existed that could do all the thinking for you, why would someone need to hire a bankruptcy attorney?  Why not just buy the software and call it a day?

2.   If the bankruptcy court allows an attorney to charge $1,000 or more for a Chapter 13, do you not think there must be more work involved?  Some attorneys think the software does the work for them; but remember that the court does not just grant a large sum like this to an attorney without good reason.

3.   If you were going to open a pizza shop, would it be a good idea to learn how to make pizza first?  If you are going to start a new bankruptcy practice, would it be a good idea then to learn about the process first?  The least a new attorney can do is login to the American Bankruptcy Institute and view the free training videos at:

http://www.uscourts.gov/video/bankruptcybasics/bankruptcyBasics.cfm

Although these videos were made for attorneys to place on their websites to inform their clients about bankruptcy, they are still excellent in helping new attorneys understand the basics.  I always tell my students to study the law from a legal perspective as well s the consumer perspective.  It provides you with a better balance of knowledge that will carry throughout the life of your law career.

ONE SOLUTION TO CONSIDER

The videos from the American Bankruptcy Institute will NOT show you how to gather information from your clients, prepare the petition or run your practice.  That education has never been taught to attorneys and either they learn the skill through trial and error or from an experienced paralegal.

As the author of this article, I would be more than happy to talk with any attorney who is considering getting involved in the bankruptcy field. You can email me at:
victoriaring1958@gmail.com

I hope this information helps you.

If you are seeking to find more jobs working from home as a virtual assistant, you will find the new Virtual Assistant Job Directory on the 713Attorney.Com website to be extremely beneficial.  You can start using this free directory right now by visiting:

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

10 Tips for Improving Your Virtual Assistant Skills

#1 — Allow clients to tell you what THEY want. Never tell them what YOU want.

#2 — Never allow a client to know they are interrupting your work. If you are too busy to answer the phone or property do a job, do not do it until you can give it your full and dedicated attention.

#3 — Never answer the phone or emails when you are upset and angry.  Breathe deep 10 times and close your eyes for 15 seconds. This helps to prevent taking out your frustration on potential clients.

#4 — Within 1 hour after receiving work from a client, acknowledge the receipt and provide them with an estimated completion time.

#5 — Always return phone calls within 24 hours. If you do not have the time to return phone calls hire a virtual assistant or someone to answer them for you.

#6 — Always check your business email many times every day. More than 82% of work is lost by virtual assistants who rarely view their email to respond to requests from potential clients.

#7 — Always follow up with every potential client who contacts you. For example: if they send you an email, invite them to be added to your LinkedIn or other social networking group that is BUSINESS related. Your personal and business life should always be kept separate.

#8 — Never discuss personal business with your customers and potential clients. However, be willing to listen to any personal problems they want to share because it helps you to better solve their problem and get the job.

#9 — Always remember that you work for your client. They do not work for you.

#10 — Treat every client in the same manner as you would be treated if you stayed at the Ritz Carlton or the Waldorf Astoria and you will never be without work.

by Victoria Ring

SCARE OF THE WEEK

On December 2, my doctor called to tell me that my heart scan readings came back a little high and she wondered how I was feeling.  I told her I had been short of breath for the last 2 or 3 days and she said to drop everything I was doing and go to the emergency room because I could be having a heart attack.

Wow!  I was shocked.  I had no pain in my chest but yet I trusted my doctor; so I followed her advice.  After seven hours experiencing the horrors inside an emergency room, I was released only to discover that I had bronchitis.  My doctor breathed a sigh of relief, but I ended up $950 in debt and I considered it all to be a waste of time.  Anyway, I got behind in processing orders and responding to emails so please forgive me if you had any problems reaching 713Training.Com this week.

ROBIN HARVEY TO VISIT NEXT WEEK

Robin Harvey is flying from Oakland, CA to Denver, CO on Tuesday, December 15.  She will be spending about 6 days with me so that she can be trained in the operation of the business.  After the near-death experience I had back in 2007 (see www.servantofjesuschrist.com) when I almost lost the company due to my 5-week hospitalization, it has always been my intention to train someone that I could trust to take care of 713Training.Com if anything should happen to me again.  Robin Harvey is a good sister in Christ and I look forward to the fellowship we will have when she comes to visit.

NEXT PLAN ON THE AGENDA

On January 21-22, 2010, the American Bankruptcy Institute will be sponsoring the Rocky Mountain Bankruptcy Conference in Denver.  Robin Harvey is flying in a second time to attend this conference with me so that she can advance her knowledge in the business of bankruptcy.

Robin plans to stay a few days after the conference so that we can meet YOU and spend some time providing you with any help we can to help you grow in your bankruptcy knowledge.   The plan is for you to attend the Rocky Mountain Bankruptcy Conference and for an extra $75 (to pay for food and drinks) you will be invited to a special PRIVATE gathering in Colorado Springs to spend with Robin Harvey, Victoria Ring, and other bankruptcy professionals.  I think it is a really good way to finish off a good conference for a very ow price.  Look for a special announcement to arrive in your email very soon about this event.

COOL LINKS I FOUND THIS WEEK

http://jotform.com/
A web based form builder.  Build your form from easy to use templates, copy the code to your webpage and enjoy!

http://www.carbonite.com/
Online backup for your computer.  The first time you use this service it will take a LONG time to back up your system. Be prepared to let it run overnight.

http://www.layoutready.com/
Low cost Microsoft Word templates.  Use these to design brochures, business cards, and much more. They are perfect for attorneys as well as virtual bankruptcy assistants.

http://www.typingtest.com/certificate.asp
Prove your typing skills and get a certificate for less than $10.  This would be a good certificate to add to your portfolio.

http://www.logo-design-studio.com/
Get a logo designed for your law firm or business for only $69.97.  I have personally used the service and I highly recommend it.  The designers are very good and provide fast service.

SPECIALS OF THE WEEK

Motion to Avoid Secure Lien and Strip Second Mortgage
http://www.713training.com/shop/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=114

Chapter 13 Training in Mortgage Cram Downs and Strip Downs
http://www.713training.com/shop/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=112

The Chapter 13 Plan Training Workbook
http://www.713training.com/shop/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=80

Bankruptcy Petition Case Training Collection
http://www.713training.com/shop/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=117

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEK

Prior to training as a VBA, David Noel had previously achieved success in building a real estate business.  Next, he joined his dad in building a construction business which is still in operation today.  However, even with the level of success David achieved, he was still not satisfied with the type of work he was doing.  That was until he found the field of virtual bankruptcy assistants and decided to make it his chosen career.

David followed the same path as many beginners to this field.  He purchased the training materials and self-trained himself in the basics of a Chapter 7 bankruptcy petition.  Next, he began spending a great deal of money.  His first expense was $1,500 to have a designer make him a website.  Next, he invested money into designing a company logo (also called: business branding) as well as about $2,000 in printing letterheads, business cards and envelopes.  After making this investment, David finally scheduled his private training with me in Colorado.  That training took place on November 23 and 24, 2009.

During the training session I discovered that David had made several crucial mistakes that cost him several thousand dollars.   This is the reason I decided to write this article and help you avoid some of those same mistakes if you are a beginner to the virtual bankruptcy assistant field.

LESSON NO. 1:  PROBLEMS WITH THE WEBSITE

Copying and Pasting Information From Another Website

When I first reviewed Davids VBA website I noticed he had copied and pasted information from another VBA website.  This is a bad mistake.  All the material on your website should be original.  If you do not know what words to use, just design ONE web page containing your contact information for the time being.  As you learn and advance your knowledge you can add links and information to your website that is a reflection of you and your ability to be unique and different.  Therefore, your website should be continually changing to achieve higher rankings in the search engines.  If a search engine visits your website and finds that no update has been made to the content, your website will appear lower on the search engine list.  To prevent that from happening, update your website as often as you can with new and original information.

A QUICK LESSON IN SEARCH ENGINE RANKINGS

Search engines rarely read Meta Tags any more these days. This is because many web designers placed bogus keywords in their Meta Tags in order to trick the automatic robots controlled by search engines.  Therefore, search engines grew more sophisticated to combat this fraud.  One of those new tools is that search engines can now read the words on your website in order to rank it in the proper category.  This new way of categorizing websites is also helping to combat the criminal act of phishing.

WHAT IS PHISHING?

If you copy and paste information from another website, your website could be suspended while an investigation for phishing is conducted.  Phishing is a criminal act and it is important to understand.  For more information on phishing, visit:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phishing

which states in part:

… Phishing is typically carried out by email or instant messaging and it often directs users to enter details at a fake website whose look and feel are almost identical to the legitimate one. Even when using server authentication, it may require tremendous skill to detect that the website is fake.

LESSON NO. 2:  NEVER PUBLISH YOUR PRICES ON YOUR WEBSITE

Most attorneys are not going to take a virtual bankruptcy assistant seriously if they publish their prices on their website.  I have even found some VBA websites that break down their prices based on the number of debts in the bankruptcy petition.  This only cheapens your website and makes you appear as a beginner. Why?  Because a VBA is a service business.  A service business personalizes services for attorneys and debtors, which means that prices should fluctuate from one petition to the next.  If all attorneys are charged the same amount for bankruptcy petitions, your company appears as a paper mill.  If that is okay with you, then continue doing what you are doing.

But if you are not satisfied with the results of your business efforts, start seeking out and patterning your VBA business after successful professionals in the legal field.  Why copy someone who has no experience and is at the same level you may be at?  Instead, you should always be looking for professionals who have more knowledge than you do; people who are more successful in the field.  Learning from successful people is the only way you can obtain success.

To help you start connecting with professionals, join MeetUp and interact with business professionals in your area:  www.meetup.com

Also, go to Google and type in the search words:  attorney legal services

LESSON NO. 3:  NO COST WEB PAGE DEVELOPMENT

Joomla is the web page development tool that major companies (such as Burger King and Microsoft) use to build and maintain their websites.   Joomla is open source software that is free to install and use.  Designers and developers develop modules and templates that you can purchase to enhance your website if you like, but there is a lot of free stuff that is professional also.  The best thing about using Joomla is that you are in total control and updates are done instantaneously.  You NEVER have to pay anyone for web design again and you can get millions of ideas from predesigned templates that you install with a simple click.  Joomla has taken web design to the next level.

To have Joomla installed on your present website, call your web host and ask them if they will install Joomla for you.  If they want you to download Joomla and do the install yourself, feel free to use the company I use: Blue Host at www.bluehost.com.  I pay $6.95 per month for the hosting of all my websites and I clicked a button and Joomla was automatically installed.  This way, Joomla is installed on my server and automatically updated online.  There is nothing to install on my computer and I do not need to be bothered with updates.

What is Joomla?  The best way to find out is to view some free videos to find out more:

Visit: http://www.myjoomlacast.com/
Click on BEGINNERS and select THE 5 MINUTE SITE

The direct link is:
http://myjoomlacast.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=78&Itemid=98

This information alone could save you literally thousands of dollars.

SUMMARY

Other than the mistakes regarding Davids website, he learned a great deal about the day to day operations of his VBA business while training in Colorado.  I also provided him with resources that he can use to save him time as well as money.  David said that if he had to do it over again, he would recommend the following process to beginners of the VBA field:

1.   Purchase the Complete Bankruptcy Training Kit:
http://www.713training.com/shop/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=59

2.  Schedule Private Training with Victoria Ring:
http://www.713training.com/shop/cart.php?m=product_detail&relate=1&p=98

3.  Start the VBA business with no further investment.

It is interesting to note that before David left Colorado to fly back to California, he already had secured work from a bankruptcy attorney.  The attorney was sending him three petitions by email as soon as he returned.   Where did the attorney find him?  From the NAVBA website at: www.navba.org

CONTACT DAVID NOEL

To find out more about Davids experience and to verify any of this information, visit:
http://www.ebankruptcyassistant.com/

Click on CONTACT US and contact David by phone or email.

NEW DEBTOR BANKRUPTCY FIRM

On June 10 I flew from Denver, Colorado to Chicago, Illinois to meet with Steven Larsen, an attorney who is starting a new debtor bankruptcy law firm from the bottom up. Mr. Larsen’s office is located in South Haven, Michigan and he drove the 150 miles to Chicago to pick me up. I stayed in a beautiful private suite in his home and where I met his wife (who is a minister) and 2 great kids, Lars (5 year old son) and Marija (4 year old daughter).

During my two day stay, I helped establish the office procedures for his new debtor bankruptcy practice, as well as offering suggestions for the layout of the 8,000 square foot office for maximum efficiency. Additionally, I trained Mr. Larson as well as three members of his staff on Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy petitions. On the last day, Mr. Larson and I had lunch with a District Court Judge who provided some excellent advice to Mr. Larson on the opening of his new law practice. It turns out that Mr. Larson will be the first bankruptcy attorney in the area specializing in the field. Other attorneys have general practices and bankruptcy is only one of the services they provide. Mr. Larson’s law firm will be different in the fact that he will be focusing on foreclosure and debt relief and offering bankruptcy as an alternative. This approach will provide him with a distinct marketing edge for that particular area.

Mr. Larson’s motto is: Clients do not care how much you know. They want to know how much you care.

With these solid business practices in place, there is no doubt that Mr. Larson is going to be an extremely successful debtor bankruptcy attorney and benefit the lives of thousands. I cannot wait to go back in a year and see how the seed that was planted last week has grown into a thriving enterprise.

NEW VBA OFFICE

Clayton Holland of American Fork, Utah flew from Salt Lake City, Utah to Denver, Colorado to spend two days with me. I was very impressed with Clayton. He had studied all of the training materials several times and had even developed a binder of notes that cross referenced all the information from the training videos, books, audios and even the blog. This binder allowed him to quickly find specific information about the bankruptcy petition so he could make sure he was doing his job correctly. Clayton is currently in the process of building his VBA website, but it will be located at MyBankruptcyAssistant.com

NEW STAFF RECENTLY ADDED

As most of you are aware, 713Attorney is expanding to provide bankruptcy petition services to attorneys nationwide. At the moment we have 27 bankruptcy attorneys that we serve throughout the United States. So far, five people have achieved high grades on the VBA Exam and the Chapter 13 Concepts Exam. I would like to congratulate the following people who have been selected to join the team and work with me in providing a high level of services to bankruptcy attorneys:

Clayton Holland
American Fork, Utah
Email: clay1937@hotmail.com
See the previous paragraph for information on Clayton Holland. To contact Clayton, please use the email link above as he is still building his VBA website.

Gary Ostad
Elk Grove, California
http://www.bankruptcyattorneyassistant.com/

Gary has been preparing bankruptcy petitions for the past 3 years and already has an established business as a virtual bankruptcy assistant. We are very fortunate to have him join our group and since he is familiar with the California bankruptcy court local rules, he is an excellent resource for the California attorneys we serve. Visit his website at the link above for more information.

Sherri Homen
Medford, Oregon
http://713attorneyassistant.com/

Sherri attended the Chapter 13 seminar as well as spending a day with me for additional training. She has prepared several bankruptcy petitions already and is a dependable and very honest person to work with. She also passed the VBA Exam as well as the Chapter 13 Concepts Exam. Visit her website for more information.

ATTENTION ATTORNEYS

If you are seeking a dependable, trustworthy group who performs high level paralegal quality work, please consider 713Attorney.Com. We guarantee our services 100% and fast turnaround of your petitions. Or, if you have any difficult Chapter 13 cases, 713Attorney.Com specializes in this field. Visit http://www.713attorney.com for more information as well as the Free Attorney Start Up Kit.

ATTENTION VBAs

If you need help with petition reviews or Chapter 13 cases, contact 713Attorney.Com as we provide backup services to help you also. Contact any member of our team (see list above) for assistance.

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN JOINING OUR TEAM?

If you are the type of person that wants to achieve the expert level in the virtual bankruptcy assistant field, and are seeking to join the 713Attorney.Com team, follow the steps below:

1. Download the free VBA Exam and pass with a score of 90% or higher:
http://www.vbacertification.com

2. Download the Chapter 13 Concepts Exam and pass with a score of 80% or higher. This is an Open Book Exam which is why it is not free to download:
http://www.713training.com/shop/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=101

3. Join the NAVBA so you will have access to private information I only provide to members:

http://www.navba.org/administrator/signup.php

SUMMARY

I would like to thank our group for their excellent work and we hope to continue growing. There are a lot of really good, excellent, dependable people out there and 713Attorney considers itself to be blessed to have the people listed above. I hope you can join our group in the near future.

Victoria Ring
http://www.713attorney.com
http://www.713training.com

By Victoria Ring, 713Training.Com LLC

When I originally developed the first bankruptcy training videos in 2003, I never gave any thought to Best Case or the software program I was using in the videos. My mind was solely concentrated on teaching the skills needed to prepare well-detailed Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 petitions.

The only reason I chose Best Case software for the development of the training videos was because the attorney I was working for in 1999 used it and I was already familiar with how to operate it. Also, at the time, I found it to be the easiest for eliminating the learning curve of understanding the Schedules and Forms for those I was training.

However, before developing the training videos, I contacted John Mancini, the original developer of Best Case and obtained permission to use his software in the development of the videos. At that time, John thought the virtual bankruptcy assistant field was a fantastic idea; but he also knew it would be free advertising for Best Case. Little did I know at the time that John was not a bankruptcy attorney as I had been told. I only found out recently that he and his wife Lucinda Fox worked for Anderson Publishing, not a law firm. John had developed Best Case software to simply fill in the federal forms. His only goal was to make money, not help attorneys and bankruptcy courts.

When the bankruptcy law changed in October 2005, John sold Best Case to the current owner: Wolters-Kluwer Law and Business. This may sound like the name of a law firm but it is nothing more than a publishing company. John sold Best Case in December 2005, only 2 months after the new bankruptcy law took effect. Again, this shows that John was only focused on making money, not to benefit the bankruptcy industry as I had originally been led to believe.

While none of this prior deception really matters to our industry now, what does matter is that within the last year, Best Case has developed some internal management and organizational problems. Because the employees and the company that owns Best Case are not attorneys, they have no clue regarding bankruptcy and our needs. Instead, Best Case has chosen to cause great havoc within their customer base and the VBA industry as a whole. These problems have got back to me and I have been sending certified letters and trying to contact Best Case regarding these matters for about 14 months. Best Case refused to contact me until just recently. This is when I decided to finally bring this matter to your attention to protect our industry from any further misunderstandings.

For example, an attorney who is a member of the NACBA (National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys) was a registered user of Best Case. He called them to ask how to install a copy on his laptop. Best Case told him he was committing an illegal act and threatened to sue him. The attorney, knowing that Best Case was wrong, has lashed out with an attack against them. Several bankruptcy blogs are carrying the article and hurting sales for Best Case.

Additionally, Best Case has continually attacked the virtual bankruptcy assistant field. They claim that virtual bankruptcy assistants are stealing the usernames and passwords of attorneys; then using this stolen information to file petitions for the general public. I called and spoke to Bethany Lape, a manager at Best Case and she verified the information I heard was true.

However, I knew it was a lie the first time I heard it. Think about it; even if ECF usernames and passwords were being stolen, the day the 341 Meeting took place, the attorney who had been victimized would not be present. The Trustee would simply throw the case out of court and the non-attorney who filled out the petition would be fined. Therefore, stealing the username and password of an attorney would be worthless.

Next, I explained to Bethany that employees of Best Case were using my name and specifically telling potential customers who called in to buy their software that our industry was illegal. Again, I caught Bethany in another lie. She told me that she had no idea this false information was being relayed by Best Case employees. In fact, in order to put a stop to it she would immediately have an office meeting with the staff as soon as we ended our telephone call. Bethany even provided me with her direct email address and phone number, asking me to call her if I heard of any Best Case employees doing anything like this again.

However, three different attorneys and two virtual assistants called Best Case to make inquiries of Bethany. In all instances, Bethany was the one who was slandering me, my company and our industry. One virtual assistant even recorded the conversation to prove it. It really blows my mind how people can lie to your face knowing they have the potential of being caught.

BUT WHY WOULD A COMPANY DO THIS?

Why would Best Case deliberately victimize their product and force customers not to do business with them? Why would Best Case slander my name and company when I have generated millions of dollars in sales for them during the past 11 years? Why would Best Case tell their licensed attorneys that the software versions they purchased were illegal. Also, why would Best Case tell an attorney that he or she could not hire a paralegal to work for them but could only use their software if they keyed in the petition themselves? A preacher once said: If it does not make sense, there is a buck in it. Therefore, the only logical explanation I can come up with is that Best Case is trying to go out of business so they can make more money from their company losses. Of course I do not know this for sure, but it makes more sense than what Best Case is doing.

REGARDLESS OF THE REASON, LET US MOVE ON

Like I said before, I did not develop the training videos to benefit Best Case. I did not develop the training videos to benefit any software company. My only goal in developing the training videos was to teach attorneys, paralegals and virtual bankruptcy assistants how to learn Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 petition preparation skills.

Suppose I developed a training video about how to format a professional business letter. Suppose the training video used Microsoft Word for the visual demonstration. Does this mean that you must purchase Microsoft Word to type a professional business letter? Of course not. You can use Notepad, WordPerfect, HTML or even an old 1970s IBM Selectric typewriter. It does not matter to me what you use to type the business letter. My only concern is that you learn the skills needed to format a professional business letter.

Therefore, I highly suggest that you not concentrate on the keystrokes I use in a software program to prepare a bankruptcy petition. Use the training videos to learn the skills of preparing a bankruptcy petition. After you learn these skills, you can choose any software program you want to use for preparing your bankruptcy petition; it does not matter to me and it will not affect the skills you have learned from the training videos.

WHICH SOFTWARE PROGRAM DO I RECOMMEND?

After my disappointing telephone conference with Best Case, I contacted Frederick Rogovy, the owner of New Hope Software and Art Engelbrecht, Vice President of EZ Filing. Below is a summary of the meeting I had with both gentleman:

Frederick Rogovy of New Hope Software is a supporter of our virtual bankruptcy assistant industry. He is also a very honest man that I respect. He took almost two hours of his time explaining the history of the bankruptcy software industry which opened my eyes to many things I was not aware of. He even has a special support system built into New Hope Software specifically for virtual bankruptcy assistants. You can read this information on his website at:
http://bankruptcysoftware.com/virtualassistantfeatures.shtml

Art Engelbrecht and the original developer of EZFiling, Marty Mohr; drove 70 miles from Denver, Colorado to my home in Colorado Springs to meet with me personally. I was as impressed with both of these gentleman as I was with Frederick Rogovy and found them also to be honest men. EZFiling also approves of the virtual bankruptcy assistant industry and is well aware that our skills benefit both the law firms as well as the bankruptcy courts.

SO WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?

The problem is that both New Hope and EZFiling software can only be licensed to attorneys. Virtual bankruptcy assistants cannot license it; but they can use it under the license of the attorney they are working for. This is a problem for virtual bankruptcy assistants. Suppose you market to attorneys and an attorney hires you to do his or her petitions. You tell the attorney that you are saving the law firm money and you will provide them with a completed petition. However, there is only one hook. The attorney must pay $100s of dollars to purchase a particular software program.

When I presented this scenario to Marty Mohr of EZFiling during our meeting, he said: But if a virtual bankruptcy assistant purchases a license and works for 15 attorneys, my company just lost 15 sales.

This is an excellent point and I certainly understand it. I am sure this is the same reason why Frederick Rogovy does the same thing. However, there must be a solution to this dilemma. At this time, I am working on solving this problem and I welcome any suggestions you may have.

One solution would be for 713Training.Com to hire a programmer and invest into the development of a bankruptcy software program specifically for virtual bankruptcy assistants. This way I could develop the software with features that would make our jobs easier. However, I would prefer to find a software program that was developed by a company that allowed us to purchase it and use it to prepare bankruptcy petitions for an unlimited amount of attorneys.

IN THE MEANTIME, WHAT SOFTWARE SHOULD YOU USE?

The training videos I developed are still the only videos that teach you the skills of preparing well-detailed Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy petitions. Attorneys, bankruptcy courts, paralegals and virtual bankruptcy assistants use them all the time for training. When you purchase them, you can download any bankruptcy software program to practice and develop the skills you need. During your training period you should only be concentrating on learning the skills anyway, not the software program you will ultimately use in your virtual bankruptcy assistant business.

However, when it comes to purchasing a license, wait until you have an attorney to work for. Then find out what software program they use. If the attorney has a licensed copy of New Hope or EZFiling, you can use their license at no additional fee. This will save you money and you do not need to make any additional financial investment.

But, if the attorney you are going to work for as a virtual bankruptcy assistant does not have any software program, there are others you can choose from. Visit:
http://www.713training.com/links and scroll down to the BANKRUPTCY SOFTWARE section

Or, you can purchase Best Case software. Some virtual bankruptcy assistants have no trouble using it for their businesses. Gary in California said that he is treated like a King when he calls Best Case for technical support and they know he is not an attorney. I personally have never had any problems either and I continue to work on cases with attorneys nationwide; however, I am not going to renew my license this year. Therefore, the decision of what software program you want to purchase is up to you.

SUMMARY

This article is not intended to cite a riot against Best Case or to cause people not to purchase their software. Like I mentioned several times, I do not care what software you purchase. The only purpose of this article is to clear the name of 713Training.Com in understanding that we NEVER endorsed any bankruptcy software program through the development of the training videos.

In the meantime, continue to study and practice your skills to perfection. You will find that the virtual bankruptcy assistant is considered to be the greatest thing since sliced bread for thousands of attorneys across the United States. Nothing we are doing is illegal and we will defend this position in a court of law if necessary. We have enough attorneys, paralegals and court personnel who back our industry and utilize the services of our virtual bankruptcy assistants that we do not need to be concerned with the internal problems Best Case is suffering through at this time.

Stay tuned. I will continue negotiations with Fredrick Rogolvy and Marty Mohr. Perhaps we may find a solution to the problem soon so that the virtual bankruptcy assistant industry can continue to benefit the debtor bankruptcy field of law. Please remember me in your prayers regarding this matter.

REFERENCES

New Hope Software
http://bankruptcysoftware.com/

EZFiling
http://www.ezfiling.com

10 Bankruptcy Training Videos
http://www.713training.com/shop/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=35

Offered by Victoria Ring, the developer of the virtual bankruptcy assistant field
http://www.713training.com/trainingcenter/

How would you like to spend a day or two being trained by the developer of the virtual bankruptcy field? What would be the benefits to your business if you learned directly from Victoria Ring, the lady who built a business from scratch in only 9 months working for 56 attorneys and processing an average of 120 bankruptcy petitions per month? This personalized training service is offered exclusively by Victoria Ring at a reasonable price that anyone can afford. So come spend the day in Colorado Springs. Victoria will pick you up from the airport and even pay for your meals while you are here. You will be treated with the utmost of hospitality and return home ready to grow your business and have the ability to start earning a fantastic income almost immediately.

Find out all the details at
http://www.713training.com/trainingcenter/

THE MARKETING POWER OF MEETUP.COM

I cannot wait to tell you about all the cool stuff that has been happening since I moved to Colorado Springs a little over two weeks ago. The first thing I did was to find local business groups so I could get to know business owners in the area.

To do this, I joined a social networking internet website at http://www.meetup.com You can do this also. Just sign up, type in search words like: small business, home business or paralegal or legal or any number of words of interest to you. Next, select your zip code and MeetUp will return to you a list of groups that are meeting in your area. Simply join any of the groups (like you would any other internet group) and attend their next meeting.

The reason I like MeetUp versus joining a Yahoo or Google online group is that MeetUp is geared toward meeting and networking with people in your area face to face, not by a computer. I know that communicating on the internet is great for obtaining information, but if you really want to pack some power to the punch, meet with real people and talk to them face to face. It will do wonders for your marketing campaign.

Tonight I attended my first meeting in Colorado Springs and I loved it. Twelve of the members sat up tables and each gave a 3 minute commercial. The group graded the business owners on their presentation and then door prizes were given. I even won a Tshirt. It was a blast. Also, during the meeting I met a lady who owns a cleaning service, an interior designer and a gifted woman who designs her own jewelry. Another lady performed nerve readings to determine weakness in the spine; another lady sold vitamins; another sold Tupperware and another sold healthy tea.

I urge everyone to check out MeetUp and attend some meetings in your own area. Although this meeting may not have increased my bankruptcy training business, I was able to start networking in Colorado Springs. Many beginners to marketing do not understand that networking is an extremely powerful tool. Sales people have used this form of marketing for years. Even though no one at the meeting I attended tonight was interested in becoming a virtual bankruptcy assistant, every person knows at least 100 or more people. Therefore, out of 30 people I got the benefit of exposing my company and its name to over 3,000 people. You will never know how networking can help you until you give it a try. Besides, the cost is free or very low. You cannot go wrong with MeetUp.

I WILL BE SPEAKING IN DENVER

Through my social networking I located a group of entrepreneurs in Denver that presents speakers to their audience who have started their own businesses. I contacted them last night and today the President called and asked me to speak at the March 20 meeting. I am thrilled. The group has 425 members and although not all of them will be present, I have the ability to expose 713Training.Com to a huge crowd in Denver.

If you are interested in attending, I will be speaking at Panera Bread, 1330 Grant Street, Denver CO at 2:00pm. To sign up visit:
http://www.meetup.com/Denver-IDEA-Cafe

JOIN MY VIRTUAL ASSISTANT GROUP

Also, I was inspired by MeetUp to start my own local virtual bankruptcy assistant group. If you would like to join after signing up with MeetUp I would love to have you. Even if you do not live in the area you can get updates on all our meetings and watch the group grow. To sign up visit:
http://www.meetup.com/coloradospringsva/

DO NOT FORGET THE CHAPTER 13 SEMINAR

This will be the first seminar of the year and I hope you can attend. The information you take away from this seminar will escalate your virtual bankruptcy assistant business. Guaranteed. Plus, for everyone who attends, a Certificate will be issued so you can use it when marketing your services to attorneys. To find out all the details and to sign up visit:
http://www.713training.com/seminar

FORECLOSURE MEDIATION SEMINAR

We have had several calls asking us if we are going to have a Foreclosure Mediation seminar. The answer is YES. However, in order to provide you with the best information available, Leanne Levitt, an attorney in Florida who specializes in foreclosures will be the main speaker at this seminar. At the present time, I have forwarded Leanne a list of potential meeting places in Denver so she can decide which one is best for the group. Once Leanne has provided me with a date, time and place, I will announce it so you can sign up and attend.

SUMMARY

I would like to thank everyone for their continued prayers of support during my relocation from Ohio to Colorado. I love living in Colorado Springs and I know there is a reason the Lord directed me here. Not only is it the most beautiful place on earth, the people are kind and accepting of others. So far, I have only met 2 people who lived their entire life in Colorado Springs. Everyone else is just like me. We grew tired of the snub-nosed, rude and hateful people who exist in big cities and moved here to live a peaceful and wonderful life. I think the main reason people are so cheerful and considerate is because the sun shines 300 days of the year plus the air is clean and pure. I know that when you come out for a visit and attend a seminar, you will see the difference too. Although Colorado Springs may not be for everyone; it is the perfect place for me and it will help me to develop and create better training products which is a benefit to YOU.

Hope to meet you in person soon. If not, do not hesitate to let me know if I can help you in any way. 713Training.Com not only provides training products, we work hard to support you and your virtual bankruptcy assistant business after the sale. Allow us to help you by contacting us. We appreciate you.

Victoria Ring, President
713Training.Com LLC
http://www.713training.com

Virtual bankruptcy assistants are trained professionals who work solely for licensed bankruptcy attorneys nationwide. One of the many methods they use for every case is an internet search for liens including judgment liens and liens against personal property. This information is necessary because it helps to protect the debtor from additional debts and potential litigation they may or may not be aware of. One good example was a man I was doing a bankruptcy petition for who divorced his first wife 18 years ago. Normally the previous marriage would not be listed on the bankruptcy petition because it was so old, however, when the first wife did not pay the mortgage on the residence the house went into foreclosure. Since the debtor was on the mortgage the mortgage company filed a judgment against him that he did not know about. eDiscovery revealed this hidden judgment and we were able to add it to the bankruptcy petition and get the debt discharged.

Another eDiscovery method used by virtual bankruptcy assistants is performing background searches that often show up previous spouses as well as previous addresses. This information can be very important especially if a debtor has lived in another state and failed to tell the attorney about it. In one case, when we found a debtor who lived in another state we were able to determine that she owed State taxes she did not reveal in her bankruptcy petition. Another case provided us with spousal information which helped us to find a current divorce proceeding that was still being litigated.

Finally, another use of eDiscovery virtual bankruptcy assistants use is a criminal search. Often, debtors do not like to reveal a criminal past; especially a criminal offense of driving while intoxicated and causing the death of another person. However, this type of debt was made non-dischargable by the court when the bankruptcy law changed in 2005. Prior to the law change, most debts of this type were discharged in the bankruptcy.

In summary, virtual bankruptcy assistants utilize the internet for a variety of eDiscovery purposes when they are preparing a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy petition. The eDiscovery method can be something as simple as looking up a Kelly Blue Book market value for a motor vehicle to discovering a criminal past. One virtual assistant even found a debtor who had 9 different social security numbers when she used eDiscovery methods. After reporting this fraudulent action to the attorney she was working for, the attorney did not represent the client; thus protecting himself as well as his law firm from potential sanctions as well as lost time and money.

For additional information about virtual bankruptcy assistants, download your free eBook: What is a Virtual Bankruptcy Assistant at http://www.713training.com/getstarted.pdf Also review the information on the National Association of Virtual Bankruptcy Assistants at http://www.navba.org Feel free to contact us through either website with any comments or questions.

Victoria Ring
Certified Paralegal
http://www.713training.com
http://www.713attorney.com
http://www.713bankruptcy.com