Hire A Criminal Lawyer Right Away If You're Facing Bankruptcy Fraud Charges

Law Blog

Bankruptcy is a complex legal process involving the forgiveness or reorganization of your past debt. The main goal is to move on and rebuild your financial future. If an audit or unusual activity raises a red flag, the prosecuting attorney will re-examine your bankruptcy case and take an in-depth look at your personal financial assets. If you've been ordered to appear in court regarding bankruptcy fraud, you must follow all of the instructions precisely. Here are some important reasons why you'll want to hire a criminal lawyer right away.

Understanding Correspondence From The Court

If you've just received a letter concerning an audit or concerns about a recent bankruptcy, it can be confusing. It could be to clear up some financial discrepancies or an indication that a case is being brought against you. Because state and federal bankruptcy fraud are serious criminal charges, you'll need the assistance of a criminal lawyer to decipher the complexity of the issue. Your lawyer will examine any correspondence you have received and check the status of your case. He may be able to negotiate with the courts to have the charges dropped—depending on your situation.

Protecting Your Assets

When an investigation is being conducted about you regarding bankruptcy fraud charges, the prosecutor wants no stone unturned. The first thing the court may do is confiscate and freeze all of your assets. This includes

  • Incoming funds from your job or other income sources
  • Bank, savings and retirement accounts
  • Your home and business
  • Personal property of monetary cash value including vehicles, boats, and ORVs

Having personal property confiscated can be scary. It can disrupt your entire lifestyle and cripple you financially. A criminal defense attorney will fight for you and attempt to get the court to halt or dismiss the collection process. 

Building Your Case

If you've been accused of misappropriating or hiding assets or funds, your criminal defense attorney will present your story and why you did so to the court. Be open and honest about misleading the court or hiding assets in the past. When your attorney has all of the facts about your case he can respond proactively to the court and prosecuting attorney. If you have other criminal charges pending against you such as an OWI or drug charges, a qualified DUI attorney who also specializes in drunk driving laws will be beneficial to your overall case. 

Sentencing

Depending on your case, unless the charges are dropped completely, you'll be sentenced. It could be house arrest, probation, or prison time. This part of the prosecuting process is detrimental to your future. Your attorney will present to the court what he thinks is the best option for you and your overall lifestyle. He will also address restitution and how you're going to pay the funds back to the court.

It's important to hire an attorney, one like Balerud, Thomas Law Office, with a proven track record of winning bankruptcy fraud cases. This will allow you to keep your assets and avoid prosecution. 

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5 December 2014

Improving My Life With A Great Lawyer

Although many people don't think of having legal counsel as improving their life, I have found that it has really helped me to feel empowered as a business owner. Without my lawyer, it was really difficult to figure out what I could say and what I couldn't say, and it really made things hard when I was out and about trying to make business deals. Fortunately, after I found the right lawyer, things became a lot more straightforward. This blog is all about improving your life and streamlining your business with the help of a great lawyer. After all, you never know when you will find yourself in court.