Table of Contents
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Why we’re the best bankruptcy attorney in Santa Clarita
To find a quality Santa Clarita bankruptcy lawyer to guide you, where do you start? How do you find the “best bankruptcy lawyer in Santa Clarita?” As a Santa Clarita bankruptcy attorney, I can help you go over and figure out which of the Santa Clarita bankruptcy lawyers is best for you, and why that person is me.
Here are some factors to review.
One way is to personally interview each bankruptcy attorney in Santa Clarita. And I personally want to meet with you, and invite you to shop and compare. But that takes a lot of time.
There’s another way to “get to know” a lawyer to find the best bankruptcy attorney. The website. Lawyer websites can tell you a lot about the bankruptcy attorney. Not just what they say, but how they share information, and what that tells you about him without even visiting his office.
Are they stuffy? Is it boilerplate jargon? Or is the webpage something they wrote on their own, in plain, understandable words you can relate to?
Find the best Santa Clarita bankruptcy attorneys
For example, if you google “bankruptcy attorneys in Santa Clarita” look at the results, and let’s see if they check all the boxes.
Go Local
Firstly, you want someone local. A local bankruptcy lawyer you can trust. With experience you can trust, that will shape your financial future for years to come. On the website, look at the phone number. Our phone number is 661-252-9900, and it has been for almost 20 years. Go ahead, test it. Click and call us now.
Now, look at the other bankruptcy lawyers. Is it a bankruptcy attorney in Santa Clarita with a 661 area code… or somewhere else? They may say they’re committed to Santa Clarita, but how committed can they be if they won’t even get a local number. Call us now. Again, our phone number is 661-252-9900.
Stay Away From Multi-Office Bankruptcy Mills
Secondly, when searching for a bankruptcy attorney in Santa Clarita, do they have just one office? Or are they a big firm with lots of offices and Santa Clarita is just one of many? Go to their Contact Us page. How many offices do they have?
Maybe they’re not committed to be a Santa Clarita bankruptcy attorney if they have offices all over Southern California. Do they know where the Mustang Drive-in was? Do they know the sounds of the Saugus Speedway? Do they even know what Mann Dollar Night was?
Scroll to the bottom of the page. Do they know anything about Santa Clarita, or did they just copy-paste words from the Santa Clarita entry in Wikipedia? You want a Santa Clarita bankruptcy lawyer who was raised here and lives in the SCV… not one who sees Santa Clarita as a branch office and a pin on the map.
Informative and Easy-To-Understand
Thirdly, look at how the “Santa Clarita bankruptcy lawyers” in the results share information. For example, go to practices, and click on the “Chapter 7 bankruptcy” link on their website.
Did it inform you? Do you feel like you know all that you need to know about Chapter 7 now? Or was it just a link to make the lawyer website look better that some vendor wrote and the bankruptcy lawyer wasn’t even involved in?
Now click on our Chapter 7 bankruptcy link. It helps you, informs you, hopefully explains the process. In plain language that doesn’t talk down to you. It’s thorough. And I wrote it myself. I try to explain things to my clients so that you understand this complicated process, not talk at people to try to impress them with big words.
Do you know why this website has helpful bankruptcy information that explains things in easy-to-understand terms? Because the bankruptcy attorney personally wrote it, just like I am writing this in an effort to help you.
Most other “Santa Clarita bankruptcy attorneys” just asked their website creator to come up with copy. So the web designer just plugs in generic text. The bankruptcy lawyer didn’t even take the time to write their online resume, which is what a lawyer website is.
If a bankruptcy attorney in Santa Clarita won’t even write their own online resume, how much personal attention will they give to you or your case? I personally handle all aspects of all my cases.
Plum Canyon facing Valencia & Saugus
Above the Cinder Block Wall
Once upon a time, you’d have a view looking west driving on Plum Canyon. You’d see the horizon, with layers of foothills, mountains, shadings and striations. Now you see a cinder block wall (thanks Santa Clarita!). When you peer over the wall, though, over the housetops, this is what you see.
Good Reviews for Good Service
Fourthly, are they well-reviewed? Other websites may say “People love us on Yelp” which is great. But why isn’t there a link to the reviews to back it up? Or are they just linking to words to impress Google searches for “Santa Clarita bankruptcy attorneys” more than they’re trying to impress you, the human, their hopefully future client? Go read a few of the testimonials and Hale Antico reviews. And I don’t hide my Yelp reviews; here’s a link to them too.
One Price Does Not Fit All
Finally, beware websites that list prices. Law and medicine are not ‘one size fits all’ professions. Do the other Santa Clarita bankruptcy attorney websites list a price? This website doesn’t. Why? Because every bankruptcy cost is different because every person is different. It doesn’t do you any good if a bankruptcy lawyer says the price is a dollar* (*and up) if your case is part of the (and up).
I won’t trick you to get you in the door. I can’t tell you what your bankruptcy price would be until I assess your situation. A carpet cleaner doesn’t say it’s the same price for a 1-bedroom loft and a 10-bedroom mansion. Someone who listens to you and gets to know your situation before bidding isn’t doing a bait-and-switch coupon cleaner, but just being honest. Which is what you want from a Santa Clarita bankruptcy lawyer.
I meet with you, personally try to understand your unique situation, and will then provide you with an answer to “what does a bankruptcy cost” that is specific to you. In the competitive field of bankruptcy lawyers, I bid all cases in a competitive market in the hopes of getting your business.
Cost of a Santa Clarita Bankruptcy Attorney
What does a bankruptcy cost? It’s a problem that sounds like a catch-22: “If I had money for lawyers, I wouldn’t need to file bankruptcy!” At first this may sound logical, let me flip it around on you. I only help people file bankruptcy who don’t have a lot of money… and yet have stayed in business for two decades. How? Because this Santa Clarita bankruptcy lawyer is affordable, and has a flexible payment plan.
Affordable
It may sound counter-intuitive, but lawyers can be affordable, particularly if you are considering ditching a lot of debt. It’s a good bang-for-your-buck to pay a fraction of all your debt. We are competitive and provide value far and beyond what other firms offer.
Payment plans are where you pay-as-you-go. We’ll work as we’re getting paid. You decide the payment amount, which makes this a flexible payment plan. When you finish the payment, we’ll finish the bankruptcy petition, schedules, and Statement of Financial Affairs. We don’t charge interest, and even $100 a month can make this happen.
Beware of Paralegals
While you may consider to file bankruptcy on your own, there are many very good reasons why you should use a Santa Clarita bankruptcy attorney. For a complex procedure that will impact your life for years to come, you really don’t want to skimp on money and cut corners. You wouldn’t skimp on a surgeon to perform surgery on you, would you? Why would you want a discount paralegal to do something as major as this? There are lawyers who dabble in bankruptcy. Even worse than that are non-attorneys who do wills, divorces, and oh yeah, bankruptcy.
Value
A skilled professional will assist you in explaining the California homestead exemption and California bankruptcy exemptions to protect your property and house, and many thousands of dollars. A lawyer will be with you in court. They’ll fight for you if your creditors contend an issue or want you to give something back, or say that some major debt is non-dischargable.
You don’t want to be on your own, at that point. You want a bankruptcy attorney in Santa Clarita who knows what he’s doing, and is on your side. Further, a good Chapter 13 bankruptcy attorney has a success rate 20 times the district average.
You get what you pay for.
Finally, only bankruptcy lawyers can give you legal advice about your situation, even something as basic as which chapter to file under. If a paralegal does that, they’re practicing law without a license… and do you really want someone like that “helping” you?
A Santa Clarita Bankruptcy Attorney with you in Bankruptcy Court
To be the best bankruptcy attorney in Santa Clarita, a lawyer should not only help them here in the SCV, but when it’s the day in court. What helps someone feel cared for is when their attorney is at bankruptcy court for them, with them.
You see, every debtor to file bankruptcy has to attend a 341(a) Meeting of Creditors. This is where creditors can show up and question you under oath. A bankruptcy trustee will certainly ask questions, looking for assets that they can take and sell to give to your credit card debts.
Now here’s the secret; A bankruptcy lawyer has to have someone be there, but it doesn’t have to be your Santa Clarita bankruptcy attorney. It can be any lawyer from Fillmore or Santa Paula. This stand-in stranger may not know anything about you and maybe will scan your file the day of the hearing.
You certainly won’t know them. They may not even be a bankruptcy attorney, but someone that sues people for dog bites. Not only is this allowable, but with bankruptcy lawyers, it’s normal. And in my opinion, it’s bad customer service, and wrong.
If you’re going to bond with an attorney at the consultation, you want that Santa Clarita bankruptcy lawyer to be with you when you testify under oath, not chasing the next client. You’ll feel more comforted if your Santa Clarita bankruptcy attorney is there with you.
And this lawyer usually is there, personally. Yes, I make the drive when others won’t. For no other reason other than if I were in your shoes, the day I’m testifying in bankruptcy court, I’d want my Santa Clarita bankruptcy lawyer there with me.
Where is the Santa Clarita Bankruptcy Court?
In Santa Clarita, if you file bankruptcy, you will need to attend the bankruptcy court that is located in downtown Los Angeles, not the courthouse on Magic Mountain Parkway or even Chatsworth. It used to be at the San Fernando Valley bankruptcy court, but that was way back in 2009. Since then, anyone to file bankruptcy goes to Los Angeles.
Do other bankruptcy lawyers go to downtown L.A.?
Most other Santa Clarita bankruptcy lawyers don’t go to L.A. You know how I know? Because I’m there, and I don’t see them. Why don’t the other bankruptcy lawyers in Santa Clarita leave the comfort of their Valencia bankruptcy office, one in Castaic or Canyon Country? You don’t need me to tell you. It’s like 60 minutes to get to Los Angeles from the Santa Clarita, and that’s often without traffic.
But bankruptcy hearings aren’t at 11 a.m. They’re at 8 or 9 in the morning. Guess what time you have to leave Saugus or Newhall and jump on the 14 and sit in all that traffic through the Newhall Pass just to arrive in Los Angeles at 8am.
Add an accident in the Newhall Pass and some morning rush-hour traffic and the 14 will back up to Agua Dulce and the drive can easily become two hours, sometimes more for the bankruptcy attorney in Santa Clarita. Not counting the trip home. You don’t need me to tell you that a Santa Clarita bankruptcy lawyer has to set their alarm for 5:00 am if they’ll attend with you.
The majority of Santa Clarita bankruptcy attorneys don’t make the drive from the Santa Clarita Valley to downtown Los Angeles. Because that’s easily five hours out of their day from their Stevenson Ranch bankruptcy office, and they’d rather stay back in the comfy office while you sweat it out so they can get work done. They hire a stranger to be with you, someone you’ve likely never met before.
Think about it.
After the stress of traffic, finding a parking space, it’s time to find the room. Then, full of anxiety, it’s time to testify, under oath, in a room with a sign on the wall saying the FBI investigates bankruptcy crime. You’re freaking out. Do you want to meet a stranger for the first time who doesn’t know you, you’re not comfortable with, doesn’t know your personality or story? Of course not.
We’re full-service so you don’t testify with a stranger
Santa Clarita bankruptcy attorney Hale Andrew Antico will be there on your day to testify. Because you’re not alone. We almost always personally attend your important court date with you.
Customer service is why we do what the other Santa Clarita bankruptcy attorneys won’t do. It’s knowing the ins and outs of the bankruptcy protection known as the automatic stay. Consequently, I typically make the drive to downtown Los Angeles to be with my clients. The same familiar Santa Clarita bankruptcy lawyer you consulted with, signed with, is there for you when you’re sweating bullets downtown.
Yes, I also lose about half a day of work, but I just feel it’s a higher priority to take care of an existing client on their big day instead of chasing new ones. Search for “bankruptcy attorney in Santa Clarita” and ask the other bankruptcy lawyers that.
Timing
You don’t want to wait too long in choosing a bankruptcy attorney in Santa Clarita. Delay will only lead to more creditor harassment and could lead to wage garnishment and put you in a situation where you’ll need to stop foreclosure. So many people I meet have waited too long; the delay has affected their legal rights. It can become too late.
You get what you pay for.
You want the best lawyer for the job.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime thing. Don’t get it wrong.
Find someone who’s not part of a multiple-office conglomerate.
Someone who will be with you at your hearing.
Who is a Santa Clarita bankruptcy lawyer and doesn’t dabble.
For a big deal like a bankruptcy, let this award-winning Santa Clarita bankruptcy lawyer help you. Please contact me now.
I’d be humbled by your trust.
Reach out to us.
Santa Clarita Bankruptcy: Experienced, Affordable Award-winning Quality
You want the best Santa Clarita bankruptcy attorney. But you don’t have a lot of money. Of the Santa Clarita bankruptcy attorneys, you can have both affordable and quality. Award-winning Hale Andrew Antico is the best choice. Here’s why we’re the primary option for getting a fresh start with a bankruptcy in Santa Clarita.
Santa Clarita bankruptcy lawyer to protect you from creditors
Stop lawsuits
When you file bankruptcy with an experienced Santa Clarita bankruptcy attorney, you can no longer be sued for old debts. Lawsuits stop immediately.
Stop wage garnishment
If you’ve already been sued for a credit card debt, the judgment can turn into a wage garnishment. They’re allowed to take 25% of your net pay for your debt. File bankruptcy and protect your paycheck.
Stop Foreclosure
Late on house payments? If you file bankruptcy, you can stop the foreclosure sale, save your home, and force the lender to accept the repayment over years.
Stop creditor harassment
Collection calls can ruin a perfectly good day. They go out of their way to make you feel miserable. If you file bankruptcy, the creditor calls stop, and you get peace. Finally.
Stop car repossession
You fell late on car payments. Now, they’re threatening to repo your car. While you don’t get a free car in bankruptcy, filing bankruptcy stops the repo so you can catch up quickly.
Start rebuilding your credit, and your life.
There is credit after bankruptcy. Sure, a bankruptcy is bad on your Experian. But, when you file bankruptcy, you get a chance to start new. A chance to show that you can repay on time. This helps your score go up so you can rebuild after bankruptcy discharge.
Phone now for the first step on your fresh start.
Award-Winning Quality
Why risk a cut-rate coupon counsel when you can afford a Santa Clarita bankruptcy lawyer who has been voted best bankruptcy attorney multiple times. This is because we're active in the bankruptcy law community, leading organizations of attorneys. We don't just attend bankruptcy classes, but present them to other bankruptcy attorneys
Affordable
We have an affordable payment plan. You decide how much to pay each month, and how often to pay. We do it this way because you know what you need your money for. Why let other firms auto-deduct money from you? With us, you're in control.
Personalized Attention
Trust your once-in-a-lifetime Woodland Hills bankruptcy to an attorney who treats you like you're my only client. You don't need to be treated like a number and get lost in massive volume where they do tons of cases for 47 cents. I personally handle all aspects of all my cases. Lawyers are known to be impersonal. With us, find out what customer service feels like.
Santa Clarita bankruptcy lawyer Hale Andrew Antico
$50,000,000+
Debts discharged
2,000+
Satisfied clients
15+
Years of bankruptcy experience
4
Best bankruptcy attorney awards
Like so many others, we never dreamed the economic conditions would result in a necessity for us to file bankruptcy.
Mr. Hale A. Antico was referred to us. From the first meeting with Mr. Antico, it was very apparent the client is his most important focus. Many times, Mr. Antico and his staff have patiently answered our many questions and were most observant to assure all applicable paperwork was filed in the correct manner. If we call or email his office, responses are received in a very timely way.
Mr. Antico has represented us in an exemplary fashion. No matter what circumstances may develop, Mr. Antico approaches each one in a totally competent, honest and professional mannerism. His trained staff also exhibits these most important attributes.
We have recommended Mr. Antico to several people and have yet to receive a negative response.
It is indeed our pleasure to continue to recommend Mr. Hale A. Antico to anyone that may require his professional services.
Contact Us
When you contact us, we’ll arrange a consultation and go over your options. After that, you think it over with no pressure. Finally, if and when you decide this is the best option, I’ll begin work on your bankruptcy petition. I’ll personally review the completed schedules with you, and file them with the court. And yes, I’ll personally be at your 341(a) Meeting of Creditors with you, and answer all your questions.
Different Types of Bankruptcies
There are two primary types of consumer bankruptcies. First, there’s chapter 7 bankruptcy. Also, there’s chapter 13. They have different pros and cons, and you’re going to want to talk to an experienced Santa Clarita bankruptcy attorney before deciding which is right for you.
Chapters of Consumer Bankruptcy
Often known as liquidation bankruptcy, a Chapter 7 is the type of bankruptcy where a bankruptcy trustee can take your assets to repay debts. Because you don’t repay your debts, it is faster. However, they give much greater scrutiny to the money you repaid grandma last month, and all those Zelle transfers you made over the past few years. Even though you may not have intended anything bad, fraudulent transfers are problems. Typically, Chapter 7 bankruptcy does not discharge tax debt, fraud, domestic support obligations, and student loan debt.
Chapter 13 is debt consolidation where you are protected from lawsuits. This happens while you make affordable payments to repay your debts. Also, the credit cards can’t keep charging interest. There’s a set ending point. Consequently, you can get off the hamster wheel and just be finished. Finally, this option is helpful for making repayments on late mortgage debts, catching up on income tax debt to the IRS or FTB, and has extended automatic stay protections to codebtors, such as a nonfiling spouse.
Reach out to Us
Note: while the only office is in Palmdale CA in Los Angeles County, you'll never need to drive anywhere. All business is conveniently done with Zoom and email attachments. We're proud to serve all of Los Angeles County and Orange County for about 20 years now. I'll be honored to help you also.