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How do you file if you can’t afford the fees?

HOW DOES A PERSON FILE IF THEY CANNOT AFFORD THE NORMAL FEES TO FILE FOR BANKRUPTCY.

Posted from: Ontario

One Response to “How do you file if you can’t afford the fees?”

A licensed trustee said...

Always an awkward question – filing for bankruptcy is not free. Trustees are not government employees – we make our living from the fees people pay. The first question to ask is what will it cost if you don’t file for bankruptcy? If you are afraid of a wage garnishee then you need to compare the cost to file as compared to the amount of the garnishee.

Frankly, there are times when filing doesn’t make sense – if you’re income is exempt from seizure (pensions for example) then it may not make sense to pay $200 a month for a legal procedure that you may be able to live without.

IT may also be possible to negotiate a lower fee from the trustee – we have taken on files for as little as $25 a month, but there was always a compelling reason. For example, someone living on $500 a month, but needs to file for health reasons. These things are assessed on a case by case basis by the local trustee.