MasConcepts Incorporated

My husband and I filed Chapter 7 jointly, and our 341 meeting is coming up. & At this point, I can’t wait for this process to be over.

The bankruptcy itself hasn’t been the stressful part. The communication, tardiness, and dismissiveness throughout the process with our attorney has been.

There have been multiple instances of meetings starting late despite being scheduled in advance, difficulty getting straightforward answers to questions, and long response times. It often feels like a simple question via email turns into an hour long phone call from our attorney that never provides a direct answer. Instead of feeling reassured by the person handling one of the biggest financial events of our lives, I’ve often felt like asking questions or seeking clarification is somehow an inconvenience.

After expressing concerns about the communication issues, I eventually disclosed that I have diagnosed anxiety and ADHD. The response was, “Oh, that makes sense. You should’ve told me.” 😒 OR the attorney could’ve thoroughly explained to me what the process was going to look like so I wouldn’t have as many questions.

What bothered me most is that I don’t feel like I should have had to disclose my diagnoses in the first place. The issue wasn’t my anxiety or ADHD. The issue was communication, tardiness, and responsiveness. Whether I have anxiety, ADHD, neither, or both shouldn’t change the expectation that an attorney communicates professionally and follows through on commitments.

Even though this case is being handled through my employer’s group legal benefit, legal services are still being provided and paid for. I don’t think clients should have to disclose personal medical information in order to receive timely communication or straightforward answers.

Instead of addressing the concerns that were raised, the conversation shifted toward my diagnoses. I was told they represent clients from all walks of life, including people with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, which felt like a strange comparison when discussing anxiety and ADHD. I was also repeatedly reminded that the attorney has been practicing for over three decades, that most clients are happy, and that positive reviews speak for themselves.

The thing is, I never questioned anyone’s years of experience. I never complained about speaking directly with an attorney instead of a paralegal. I complained about communication, tardiness, and feeling dismissed when asking questions.

I also explained that email works best for me because it allows me to keep track of information and refer back to it later. The response was that phone calls are better and that we should “handle this like humans.” One of my professionally written emails was even criticized for sounding like AI.

Another frustrating issue is that this is a joint bankruptcy filing for both my husband and me. I intentionally copy him on every email so we’re both informed and have access to the same information. However, responses frequently come back with him removed from the email chain, forcing me to forward everything afterward and creating unnecessary confusion.

What makes this especially frustrating is that bankruptcy is completely new to us. An attorney may handle these cases every day, but this is the first time we’ve ever gone through something like this. Of course I’m going to have questions. Of course I’m going to be thorough. Of course I’m going to be anxious about making a mistake when we’re trusting someone else to handle a major legal and financial matter on our behalf.

I don’t expect hand-holding. I don’t expect instant responses. I do expect professionalism, clear communication, and not feeling judged for asking questions about my own case.

Ironically, I’ve gotten more direct answers to my bankruptcy questions from ChatGPT, PACER, and other people who have gone through Chapter 7 than I have throughout parts of this process.

At this point, I’m just hoping the 341 meeting goes smoothly so we can move on and put this behind us.
Has anyone else had a Chapter 7 attorney who seemed technically competent but made the process more stressful through poor communication? Did things get better after the 341 meeting, or were you just counting down the days until discharge?

Mostly just venting, but curious if anyone else had a similar experience.