Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy Engagement Letter

Engage a consumer debtor: scope, flat fee, the client's duties and the Code's required notices.

What you get

  • An editable Word document, drafted from your answers and the state's official text.
  • A proof of sources: every citation in the draft with the words it quotes, the official source, the date the text was saved and its fingerprint.
  • Notes for counsel listing each point marked [VERIFY], each blank and each choice left for the client.

What the intake asks

Plain questions, in the order an attorney would take the facts. Anything left blank stays a marked blank in the draft; nothing is invented to fill it.

The engagement

  • Attorney and firm
  • Client's full legal name
  • Client details
  • Chapter
  • Scope of the engagement

Money

  • Fees and costs
  • When the fee is paid
  • Handling of funds

Terms

  • The client's duties
  • Debt relief agency disclosures
  • Why the disclosures are omitted
  • Ending the engagement

Signing

  • How will this be signed
  • Other instructions or open decisions

Where it is offered

Every state Lawsmith has official sources for:

Official sources on file

The drafter works from the texts Lawsmith has saved for this document in the state you choose, plus federal law where it applies. Each is read from the official publisher and dated.

StateSources for this document
California27
Connecticut13
Delaware12
District of Columbia17
Florida18
Maryland24
Massachusetts18
New Jersey17
New York17
Ohio20
Pennsylvania18
Texas20
Virginia18

Among them, for New Jersey:

  • D.N.J. Bankruptcy local rules 2016-5 and 3011-1, effective August 1, 2026
  • N.J.S.A. 17:16G-1 Definitions.
  • N.J.S.A. 17:16G-2 Debt adjuster
  • N.J.S.A. 2A:13-5 Lien for services.
  • N.J.S.A. 2A:13-6 Recovery of fees and disbursements.

How the draft is checked

Before it writes, the drafter must quote the official text behind each citation. Lawsmith compares every quotation with the text on file, character for character; a citation with no checked quotation reaches you marked [VERIFY]. The draft still needs your review before it is signed, filed or sent. How citations are checked

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