Qualifying for our lowest fee

The Oney Law Office will represent you in a Chapter 7 case for a flat fee of $750 if your case is very simple and you use WebLaw to complete the full bankruptcy interview. Here's what that means:

• Your household must consist in you, your spouse (if you're married) and your dependent children (if you have minor children). If you are separated, living with someone to whom you are not married, or do not have sole custody of your minor children, your case is not simple and you don't qualify for the $750 fee.
• If you are married, both you and your spouse must file a joint petition. If you are married and just one of you files for bankruptcy, your case is not simple and you don't qualify for the $750 fee.
• Your household income must be below the median income for Massachusetts households of the same size as yours. Here's how to figure this out:  

  Start with the number of people who live in your household. This includes you, your spouse, your children, roommates, their children, etc.
  Add up your income and your spouse's income (if you're married, that is) for the past six months. Don't count social security or unemployment.
  Add in the amount everyone (not just the people in your household) contributed to the expenses of your household during the same six months.
  Compare that number with the appropriate number from this table:
  
  

  Household Size	Six-month Median Income
  1	$26,407
  2	$31,990
  3	$40,015
  4	$48,286
  5 or more	$48,286 plus $3,450 for each person over 4

  
  If the number you got is higher than the number from the table, your case is not simple and you don't qualify for the $750 fee.

• If you have a car loan, you must plan to surrender the car to the lender. To keep the car, you will have to "reaffirm" the loan, which means the court will hold a hearing. Your case is therefore not simple, and you don't qualify for the $750 fee.
• You must rent your home from someone who is not a relative. If you own your home or rent from a relative, your case is not simple and you don't qualify for the $750 fee.
• You must have filed all your federal and state tax returns for the past 10 years, and you must have paid all taxes and penalties. If you owe income tax, or if you haven't filed all your tax returns, your case is not simple and you don't qualify for the $750 fee.
• You must be current on all your alimony and child-support payments. If you are in arrears for alimony or child support, your case is not simple and you don't qualify for the $750 fee.
• You cannot have made more than $600 (total) in payments on your credit cards during the last six months. If you have been making credit card payments, you have disposable income. Your case is not simple and you don't qualify for the $750 fee.
• You must not have paid a debt, or given any property, to one of your relatives within the last 4 years. If you have paid a relative in preference to your other creditors, or if you have given property to a relative, your case is not simple and you don't qualify for the $750 fee.
• You must be able to accurately complete the lengthy online interview using our WebLaw software. In general, this means that you must carefully read all the questions and thoughtfully answer them. If you can't complete the online interview accurately, a personal interview will be required and our standard fees will apply to your case.