Ryan P Hackett | Beaverton Bankruptcy Lawyer

I had a client come to me who was two days away from being evicted from her manufactured home park. She was supporting a family and they had no other place to go. She came to me in tears and was told by others that it was hopeless, there is no way to stop the eviction and she should just prepare to move. Here health was not great and an immediate move would have been nearly impossible. We were able to file an emergency chapter 13 that day, and propose a plan to cure her arrearages on the home and property taxes. This allowed her to stay in the home with her and her family. I was her last resort before being out on the street.

By working hard and treating my clients the way I would want to be treated if I were in there shoes. I have also been fortunate enough to find the right support team to put around me. My staff is experienced, friendly and we all believe that our clients should be treated with compassion and respect. We understand that our clients have been dealing with an unbelievable amount of stress. The best thing we can do is alleviate that stress and make the bankruptcy process as painless as possible.

Tremendously important. This fact can easily be overlooked in bankruptcy practice. People sometimes think that since bankruptcy is part of the Federal legal system that local practice doesn't really matter. That can't be further from the truth. Each state can have multiple districts and within those districts there are generally several different trustees and Judges. The local Judges and Trustees all have different styles, requirements and personalities. It has really helped my firm for me and my staff to get to know how each trustee and Judge operates. It makes our cases go so much more smooth.

In a phone consultation I first like to assess why the person is calling. Is it credit card debt, medical bills, a garnishment, foreclosure - basically, why did they decide to reach out for debt relief. Once I get a feel for that and get some basic information about the person's income and assets I can discuss whether bankruptcy may make sense to explore further. I can discuss the differences between the types of bankruptcies, and what sort of bankruptcy would be a good fit. But, I can also discuss non bankruptcy options as well. I generally talk to at least one person a day who may not need to file bankruptcy and I can offer them other ideas, or referrals if I am not able to help.

In a phone consultation it is basically a discussion about a person's debts, income, assets and overall financial situation. I don't need to know the exact amount of debt, or income, but it is helpful to get some ballpark figures and simply have a conversation with the person to see if bankruptcy can help with their debt problems. If more information is needed, then I can follow up with an email explaining what documents I would need to look at to determine if I can be of help.

I believe there are a couple of things that make my firm different. First (and I believe critical) is that we only practice bankruptcy law. I am not a jack of all trades lawyer who is juggling several practice areas. We focus only on representing debtors in bankruptcy. That means we know the bankruptcy law and are able to be more efficient in our representation. Further, our firm prides itself on customer service. The biggest complaint that lawyers get is a lack of communication. That doesn't happen at our firm. We return calls promptly, and you can always talk to your lawyer if needed.

• Oregon Trial Lawyers Association | Member | 2014 - Present
  Washington State Bar Association | Member | 2008 - Present
  Oregon State Bar | Member | 2004 - Present
  Oregon State Bar, Debtor-Creditor Section | Member        
  National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys | Member        

• Pro Bono Bankruptcy Certificate        Legal Aid Services of Oregon, Multnomah County Office        2009

• Case: In re Cummings, 06-33029-tmb13 Summary: Creditor, Bank of America challenged Debtor's monthly chapter 13 payment arguing that it should be higher. Debtor was represented by Ryan Hackett and argued to the Court that Debtor's payment was proper and should be confirmed and upheld because debtor was committing all of her projected disposable income to her plan pursuant to the means test formula. Debtor was able to save thousands of dollars in her Chapter 13 plan that was confirmed by the Court as proposed. Result: Court Held for Debtor

• Speaking to a bankruptcy attorney isn't as bad as you think. on Oct 3, 2015
  Tax Refunds and Your Bankruptcy on Jan 23, 2015
  “I Don’t Want to Include That in My Bankruptcy” on Oct 23, 2014
  
  Speaking Engagements:
  Bankruptcy Law for the Non Specialist | Exemption Laws in Bankruptcy | 2009

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