The Problem …

It's happened to the best of us.

You've been watching the auction all week, and finally you're about to claim your prize – a rare bronze statue from the Qing Dynasty.
Or something just as tantalizing.

You log on a few minutes before the auction closes, and confirm that you're still the top bidder – no one has challenged you in several days. You're already picturing "your" statue prominently displayed on the living room mantelpiece, your friends green with envy as you tell them about the great deal you got on eBay. You refresh the page a few times, to make sure you're still number 1. You even up your bid a little just to make sure no body tries to outbid you at the last minute.

50 seconds to go … 30 … 10 … the auction has ended and the statue is yours !! You refresh the page for the last time so you can see your eBay ID announced as the winning bidder. And that's when your heart drops to your toes. It's not your eBay ID at all, but some joker who calls themselves "SpeedyFingers123".

How could this have happened?

You were the winning bidder with only 10 seconds to go !! Speedy or not, it just doesn't seem humanly possible.

Well, you're right. No one is that fast. SpeedyFingers123 (I made that one up, so if it's your actual eBay ID, please don't sue me!) Won the auction in the final 4 seconds. It isn't humanly possible because "speedy" didn't actually place the bid. The Bid was place on his or her on behalf, from a remote server, using something called Bidding Software.

You've Been Sniped!

The act of placing a bid during the final seconds of an online auction is called "Sniping" and it's perfectly legal on eBay. Bidding wars and sniping are an eBay sellers dream and a buyer's nightmare. Why, you're asking yourself, don't these people just use eBay's trusty proxy bidding process? Why not just discreetly enter the maximum they're willing to pay at the beginning of the auction, then let the cards fall where they may? Well, for a couple of reasons. First, it's not human nature. If all you have to do is outbid the next guy by fifty cents or even five dollars to win, wouldn't you?

Second, it doesn't make economic or strategic sense to place a bid anytime before the last five minutes of an auction.

Think about it. eBay encourages bidders to use the proxy system and place bids early. What this means is that an inexperienced bidder who wants an item will want to be the highest bidder right away, and will keep upping their bid to hold that winning position. They'll only stop when the bidding exceeds their budget. Then the next guy comes along and continues the process. If this starts at the beginning of a seven or ten day auction, and ends with a bidding war in the last 10 minutes, the final price for the item can spiral out of control. Many items sell for far more than fair market value because people get caught up in "bidding fever" – all they want is to WIN, they're not even thinking about whether the price is realistic.

What to Do?

A better strategy would be for everyone to "watch" the auction until the very end. Again, there's two good reasons. One, the price does not spiral up as just illustrated. Two, the auction has zero bids, so it attracts fewer bidders– less competition. It's a fact that once an auction has at least 1 bid, it becomes a magnet for additional bidders. Shoppers scanning an auction page tend to jump to the ones with bids, figuring there must be something that attracted other bidders. The more bids, the more interesting the item looks.

Wouldn't it be great if a seller started a two carat diamond ring at $ 0.99 and no one bid until the last five minutes, and they all bid in fifty cent increments? Someone might win the ring for just a few bucks !! Of course, that never happens, but it would be the ideal situation for a buyer– and it would put eBay out of business in a hurry. eBay encourages early bidding and smiles upon the snipers of the world. eBay makes their profits on listing fees and "final value" fees. The more the item sells for the higher the "final value". This makes eBay very happy. That's why you'll never find any tutorials anywhere on eBay telling you to wait until the end of an auction to bid.

The Solution …

OK, so now that we understand the benefits of sniping, lets get back to our friend "SpeedyFingers123". Speedy probably started out in life just like I did. She learned everything she knew about eBay from eBay and never realized there was such a thing as bidding software. Never knew a computer could do your sniping automatically, bid on your behalf in the last 2 to 8 seconds of an auction, and do it while you're asleep. With sniping software, you tell the software program which auctions you're interested in and how much you're willing to pay. eBay never knows you've seen the auction until your friendly sniping service swoops in and places your bid with only seconds to spare. Neither does your competition. They never see you coming. The only way you can lose is if someone else uses the same program sets their maximum bid higher than yours.

(Yes, my friend, you can still lose. There's no guarantee of winning an auction no matter what system you use, if someone else is willing to pay more. If you set your maximum bid at a million dollars for a hunk of Elvis' belly button lint and some nut is willing to pay a million ten, you're still going to lose!)

"Bidding Fever" Cured

Let's face it, there IS a positive side to losing an auction. It's the satisfaction of knowing that you did lose your head and spend more than you could afford !! Trust me, I've been there, done that, and come to regret it. With sniping programs, you can "set it and forget it" and walk away knowing that if you don't win, you couldn't have afforded it anyway.

What's that I hear you saying? "But I could have had it if I'd just upped my bid by another fifty cents!" Hey, did you listen to anything I just said? Do you want to drive yourself nuts? It's only stuff, after all. You can't take it with you, and there will always be more. The beauty of eBay is that there will probably be another just like it, or at least something just as fabulous.

You're in Control

There's another big advantage to using bidding software. Two things, actually.
First, sniping programs allow you to do something called "contingency bidding". Suppose you're interested in several very similar items and you want to win at least one of them but not all. Provided they're not all ending at the same time, you can create a contingency plan telling the bidding software to cancel your bids on the other items as soon as you win one of them.

Second, you can change your mind about an item you're bidding on at any time (except in approximately the last 15 minutes).
On eBay, it's a huge "no-no" to retract a bid. You can only do this under the most dire of circumstances. Do it too many times you'll be politely asked to leave. Permanently. But, because eBay does not register your bid until the Sniping program enters it for you, (at the very end of the auction) you can cancel your "snipe" with no penalty. You're canceling what you've programmed into the sniping software, not an actual bid on eBay.
Isn't that nice? No more "watching" an auction you're unsure about, and then forgetting to bid on it. No more babysitting your computer so you can be there for the final moments of the auction. No more finding out you've read the description wrong and you're bidding on an item you don't want. Or finding something you like better after you've already committed yourself to another item, and having to pass on it. (Or worse, spending way too much on both!) And, finally, you have the satisfaction of knowing that winning doesn't depend on the speed of your fingers or your internet connection.

Believe me, the first time you snatch an item away from SpeedyFingers123– or anyone else for that matter– you'll be hooked.

Open your Bible to Psalm 89:13 It says, Thou hast a mighty arm: strong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand. Go ahead and highlight that Scripture.

Today you have a choice to make. To either stay in the same situation, or decide to turn your situation over to Jesus. Jesus is greater than all distressing situations troubling you. This is a true teaching God wants you to receive today!

The devil wants you to keep your thoughts negative and full of worry so he can keep you defeated. Whatever stronghold you may be trapped in today, the Truth from Jesus will make you free. But you have to trust the Lord not only with your heart, but also with your mind.

Today resurrection power is available to change your life from weakness into strength. Jesus cares about you and wants to help you! The Bible encourages people to build their lives on the solid rock of Jesus! Jesus gives expectation of change to people with faith. That's why reading the Word of God is always enriching and powerful.

Show yourself faithful! Receive the inspiration and authority of the Bible, because Jesus has power over all distressing situations troubling you. Today rest in the Truth of the written Word.

Dont try to solve your problems on your own! Take your focus off your problems and focus instead on God's written Word. No matter how hopeless life seems, Jesus has a plan to turn it around. You don't have to be distressed, defeated, depressed or discouraged.

When the negative floods of life rage around you, turn to Jesus. He works best in flood situations. You don't have all the answers, and you never will. Your spiritual job is to listen and learn from the Word. Why? Because Jesus has all power over all distressing situations troubling you.

Jesus is the most caring, compassionate person you will ever meet. Jesus is excited and personally interested in you and He wants you to know Him in a deeper and more personal way.

Jesus says, come to me! Whatever your situation is, Jesus invites you right now to come to Him! It's right there written in the Scriptures for you to know that Jesus is Alive, Mighty, and Powerful to help you!

Yes, The Holy Spirit will guide you and lead you closer and closer to Jesus. Why? Because God wants to see you win in every situation!

Getting an ex girlfriend back is not an easy task. You will need to be patient first. Do your best to commit as much as you can and show your initiative if you really want her back. Dedicate all your efforts on it and remember that this could be the last chance for you. If you really want her to return to you, don’t think much that she left you because of your fault. Make the maximum of effort and follow the tips in this article. Doing so you will not fail – these simple techniques really work!

Before you begin, think of what she didn’t like in you that made her decide to leave you. This is the key trying to get your ex girlfriend back, and if you just can find the reason, it is essential for you to change it. If you don’t and do it again, you will never get your ex girlfriend back.

WHAT NOT TO DO:

– Once you start talking to her about what went wrong in your relationship before, never blame her. Never say things happened because of her! If you do, you will lose everything! You should understand that if you broke up, it is all because of fault of two. Talk about it and discuss it together.

– If you beg her to come back, you will ruin everything at the first stage. Show her your respect and the reasons which would make her come back. It is definitely not easy, but give her space and let her think about what happened. She will really appreciate it as she needs time to think about the past. Do your best to keep some distance but show her that your life was much better with her – you will really have a chance to do so!

– Never lie to her! This is so unappreciated! She knows how you are, and if she feels you lying, you lose! Don’t let it happen as you are so close to your goal to get your ex girlfriend back. No matter what happens, always say true.

SIMPLE THINGS THAT WORK:

Your patience is extremely important! Do not call her first, and wait when she does it. Once received a call that you were waiting for so long, don’t get lost. Feel relaxed as if you were talking to your friend about daily stuff. What you could do is to tell her about how nice she is, and how much you are missing her. You could say that her eyes are things that you are missing most. Use this as a chance to get back to old times, when you both were in love, and happy about each single minute spent together. Remind this to her! Bring memories back by talking again about what you did together, what made you both laugh and enjoy your time. Don’t forget to show her how nice YOU are. She should see again a guy she felt in love with. Be polite, do your best to be a gentleman! Listen to her, show your interest in everything she says, and talk. Once you find the best moment, invite her for dinner. Well, it’s about another date that you can get!

Girls like being surprised. Your ex girlfriend is not an exception. If you buy her flowers, you will definitely make her smile! Do other nice things that will make her have best feelings about you! You could also show her how great you cook! Use your imagination, and remember, that surprises work very well when it’s about how to get your ex girlfriend back.

Pay more attention to your appearance. If you think there was something she didn’t like, improve it. Change dressing style, haircut or something you think she will adore! If you are sure she likes everything you do, just keep on being fresh and always prepared.

Waiting for your girlfriend to show up might take time. Don’t give up and give her as much time as she needs. Don’t sit home and wait for her call. Be strong enough to still go out with your friends, to party. If you sit home, you will really make her think she made a good choice breaking with a guy who is sitting home. It’s boring! Don’t let her think so and go party! Show her that you are still happy even though you are not with her anymore. But don’t forget your goal to get your ex girlfriend back, so do not exaggerate partying too much:) Just continue with your life!

You are living a difficult period and it is definitely not easy. Negative thoughts come easily and are making you hurt even more. Try to get rid of them by thinking something positive! Think of times spent with your ex girlfriend, enjoy them again. Don’t regret your mistakes as they are sometimes heading to the victories!

After you’ve made so much effort, you may think what she really wants. This is not an easy task for you, but will help you to get your ex girlfriend back. If she needs you to be close more often, try to make it. If she wants to have some time to go out with her friends, let her do so! Freedom is so important that if you think it is something that she was missing so much in your relationship, make it now! Do not change yourself; just do your best to improve things she did not appreciate during your relationship. Once she realizes you’ve changed, her way back to your arms is guaranteed!

Remind her how special she is for you and how much you are missing her. Let her feel the only in this world – it will really make her melt!

Again, going through this will take time and this process is not so easy. But since you were ready for it, you can do it! You may need to wait a week, a month or two, but don’t worry, waiting and making efforts is worth! You will finally get your ex girlfriend back just as you wanted.

One thing that becomes painfully evident to anyone who has been studying the Ninja’s warrior arts for any length of time is…the shear impossibility of being able to practice all that you’ve learned. After even a short time in training, the number of skills, technique models known as “kata,” and weapons hits a point where, even if you wanted to, you could not consistently practice everything in the same way that, say, a practitioner of other arts might be able to do so.

However, in the martial art of Ninjutsu, you don’t have to. For the Ninja’s perspective does not limit itself to the building blocks of the art in the same way that is seen in other conventional forms or styles. Instead, the Ninja aspirant focuses not on technique but on principles and concepts. And, by concentrating on winning in combat from a higher level or viewpoint – like a blimp overseeing a football stadium – he or she is free to exchange techniques, skills, and weapons freely without ever changing the focus of the lesson itself.

Focusing On Concepts & Principles Instead of Step-By-Step Technique

One such concept or principle that forms part of the core of the Ninja student’s training from the very beginning is that of distance. Also known in Japanese as ma-ai, distance is a crucial aspect within any given encounter and varies according to such fight variables as:

1. size or height of each combatant, especially where there is any significant difference
2. type and length or reach of any weapons involved

3. number of combatants, including multiple-attacker to single defender scenarios, and…

4. environmental considerations or limitations

In my seminars and classes, we have a saying…

“He or she who controls the distance, controls the fight.”

And, while this may sound obvious, it is often far from it. What I and my instructors under me see time and again, is the student’s tendency to learn one particular distance and then attempt in vain to use that as their default, regardless of the situation they’re working on. Difficult, if not impossible to describe addequately using the written word, here are a few examples to convey this very powerful concept:

1) A knife-wielding attacker will have a difficult time getting at me if I stay farther away and out of his reach, however…

2) An assailant armed with a handgun will find it easier to shoot me at the same distance. Instead, he will have increasing difficulty the closer I am to him and his weapon.

3) If a guy is trying to shoot at me with a high-powered rifle from a rooftop, I want to be visiting my friends in another town, but…

4) If the same lunatic has the trigger device for a nuclear weapon, unless he has a death wish, I want to be standing right next to him!

Now, I know that those last two sound a bit far-fetched, but they illustrate the point. And that is that…

…distance is dictated, in large part, by your opponent or opponents, his or their tactics, and any weapons involved.

Knowing and understanding the concepts of ma-ai, or proper distance, allows the Enlightened Warrior to step out of the narrow, limiting “box” that knows only preset techniques. It allows him or her to adapt freely to the situation – change as change is needed – and to always be in the right place with the right defense to overcome the adversary and…

…win.

What do you do when your husband is emotionally distant? Granted, men aren’t like women when it comes to discussing feelings and emotions. They do not share their inner world with anyone, and try to solve their problems themselves. However, when this takes to an extreme, i.e. when your husband shuts you out, something needs to be done. Emotional miscommunication is an incredibly quick killer of relationships.

Your Husband is Emotionally Distant…

Going back and looking at when he started to be this way can help you in determining what the reason is, and what you should do in order to repair your marriage. Usually, the reason is an ongoing issue, or the fact that you two are fighting too frequently.

When your husband thinks that if he opens his mouth and says something substantial, like his thoughts or feelings; you two are going to end up fighting, he will keep his mouth shut. He will completely stop to talk about “real” things because he thinks it is going to make you two fight, and he certainly doesn’t want one.

Really – that’s all there is. Your husband is emotionally distant because he thinks you are simply not respecting his thoughts, or you criticise him too often for this. So what can you do to convince him otherwise?

Do This:

You simply go to your husband and want him to talk about his feelings. Really. He, being a man, will of course refuse that he hasn’t been talking about his feelings nowadays. And that’s where you leave it – don’t push it any further but make him know that you are aware he has been distant and emotionally unavailable.

And Then Do This:

If you two are not spending enough time with each other, it is just going to make it harder for him to really talk about what he is going through in his life. The best cure in these situations is to just spend more time with him alone. No matter how busy your schedules are, if you plan ahead you can always spend some alone time with your husband. Do this a couple of times and you will see that things will start to change. You don’t need to be with him all the time. Just a dinner out once every week, or simply having a walk outside together – these are things that will bring you two closer. When your husband is emotionally distant, you take the first step and the rest will come.

Sometimes it's best to keep away from places and even people, that make you remember your former indulgence in destructive habits and behavior. Some who are in addiction recovery tend to avoid frequenting places and eliminate contact with friends with whom they formerly used cocaine, for example, as these are some of the easiest influences that can trigger the craving and lead to backsliding.

Opt for a change in lifestyle. This can mean moving away, going on a vacation to clear your mind, or simply finding rewarding habits and hobbies to occupy yourself and channel your energy and time in positive ways. New scenery and activities complement your new lifestyle.

Addiction Recovery and an Optimistic Attitude

Your own attitude towards your addiction recovery can be the saving factor between personal rescue and the risk of relapse. While there may be trying times, such as when you feel especially frustrated or sad, always remember that everyone goes through that at various times in life and that you are not alone. Resorting to the cocaine habit that you once used to make the pain go away temporarily poses huge mental and physical risks, and is never a sound solution.

Don't be afraid to ask for help from your friends and family. They are your closest network, and would be much happier if you sought their support instead of opting to use drugs to alleviate any of life's difficulties. Develop trust in yourself and your ability to make good decisions.

Avoiding Post-Treatment Relapse

In spite of the effectiveness and success of your cocaine rehab program, in order to remain drug free in the long run, it is crucial to take certain steps to help avoid relapse.

1. Following cocaine addiction treatment, pay ongoing attention to your psychological well-being and mental state by creating a safe life for yourself. This includes employment at a steady, low stress job that is supportive of your clean and sober lifestyle.
2. Find a home that is in a stable area away from the pressures of an environment revolving around drug addiction.
3. If your existing home life does not provide supportive surroundings for your continued recovery, strongly consider finding another place to live.
4. If family members live elsewhere and are unavailable to provide the support and encouragement you require, you may be able to connect with potential roommates through those you meet at cocaine rehab.
5. Attend post rehab services that focus on good ongoing guidance and support.

Addiction is destructive, take charge and let go of habits that can destroy your life in the long run.

The secret to weight loss, is just eating as much as our body needs. Any excess calorie intake, leads to weight gain. Almost any diet will work if the calorie intake is lower, and if the calorie intake remains to be lower. That is if the calorie intake is kept at the lower intake levels.

Human weight is directly proportional to the amount of calorie intake on a daily basis. The rising problem of obesity has been passed down to us by our hunter-gatherer forefathers, when there wasn't even a mention of a drive-through at every corner of the street. Excess eating on this date, is triggered, by our modern lifestyles, excessive stress and chronic disorders.

Modern weight loss techniques

People now days can go to enormous levels of diet to get their weight reduced. This is followed by a fad diet, with unnatural and highly restrictive diet plans. A low-calorie diet works only in the short term, as evidently your body is supposed to rebel against all the restrictions and ultimately end up gorging more than ever.

Yo-yo dieting and drastic ups and downs can have disastrous effects in the diet plans. End of the day your body will start craving for whole grains and whole foods, to gorge and fill up, for the gap created in the process.

Any improper diet practice may result in organ damage, malnutrition, slow metabolic rate and within the body imbalances.

The end objective of any human being should be to decrease the amount of food that we take in, in the process trying to increase the amount of energy we expend. Acupuncture makes all of this possible, thanks to ancient Chinese medicinal practices.

The comprehensive therapy to weight issues rooted in ancient Chinese medicine would be better digestion, smoother emotions, appetite reduction, metabolism rate increase as well as elimination of food cravings.

What research states

Research has use of acupuncture and Asian medicine to weight loss:

ü A 2003 study revealed that people who preferred acupuncture lost three times more weight than that of the control group. This was published in The Journal of Medical Acupuncture.

ü Another study was conducted, in 1998 by the University Of Adelaide, Australia, where 95% of the people were to receive electro-stimulations on acupuncture points which reportedly resulted in appetite suppression. The resultant factors revealed that these people experienced a far reduced appetite and weight loss as experienced by the control group.

Intrapersonal stress is caused by external factors which are commonly known as stressors. There are many kinds of stressors and they may be an event or a situation. Going by the explanation of stress that states that stress is as a result of high demands that we cannot meet with our resources, it will be very easy to see where the frustration comes in and we feel inadequate. Stress is one of those things that nobody can really claim to perceive accurately. The main reason for this is that people react very differently to situations and this is because of their brain functions in regards to stress.

Intrapersonal stress is mainly caused by the feelings of failure where you might have set certain goals that did not meet expectations. Most people have gone through this kind of frustration but not everyone has reacted with severe stress. There are many other factors that will come to play because the stress might also be as a result of other unresolved feelings. In such a case intrapersonal life situation interventions may seek to provide a different perspective or a different angle in which they can look at their situation. An intervention that has been seen to help is one that guides people on ways to set goals they can actually achieve.

This is because it have been found that people expect too much or too little from themselves. Therefore, many situations where there will be frustration will be as a result of setting goals that might be too high. Sometimes, this might be equated to over ambition. This is why people who find themselves stressed by such stressors benefit a lot from lessons of setting realistic goals. The opposite of this is true and people will have stress because of their under performance. We have all been there where we feel that we could have done better. Some people take this very far and develop serious stress which also needs some intervention.

Intrapersonal stress is therefore the conflict within a person and it is therefore very hard to know the exact cause when you are trying to treat a person who has severe stress. You have to rely on what they are saying which may not always be accurate. Interventions will therefore seek to explore their feelings and listening to them talk it out will ease their burden. Only professionals are able to help such situations because of their experience and research findings on cases similar to this. It is vital for you to seek help if you feel you might be going through intrapersonal life situation stress. Sometimes people take the condition for granted and ignore it.

We cannot wish stress away and you have to identify your problem so that you can deal with it. Failure to do this will only be perceived as the absence of a problem. When you are dealing with internal conflicts, a lot is pretty unpredictable and you might be fine for a moment and the next minute you feel like taking away your life. Do not gamble with this thoughts, get professional advise and you will only get better.

Emergency financial situations can happen to anybody and any financial arrangement exercise is not ideal without planning for such occasions. The whole idea of having an emergency fund is to offer a cushion against any unexpected expense.

This will ensure it does not have any negative impact on your financial condition and does not rip off the whole financial security.

There are many circumstances which can cause a financial emergency such as a sudden illness, accident, medical emergencies, emergency house repairs, loss of a job, emergency car repairs and much more.

The major reason for having an emergency fund is very clear because when a person falls into an emergency financial situation, they will have to break their savings or make a compromise to get the needed money.

It’s not rare to find people who just take out their credit card and swipe it for hard cash. Opposing popular opinions, credit cards are the worst way to fund any financial emergency. The fastest way to get thousands of dollars its to get a car title loan it is not a long-term solution but a short-term solution.

In a circumstance where you’ve taken a cash advance with your credit card to get the needed money, the credit card company will charge you a cash advance fee with an interest rate. This is a very costly way to borrow and manage finances for emergency situations.

Therefore, what is the best amount that should be set aside as emergency money? There are diverse opinions on it. Some professional’s experts agree that a minimum of 3-6 months’ worth of monthly income should be set aside for an emergency situation. This amount can differ according to marital status, the size of family and lifestyle.

Everyone must reserve some extra cash in case of emergencies. But, the amount to reserve depends on your income and monthly expenses. The amount that is needed for your emergency fund is open to debate, the minimum amount should be sufficient to cover your expenses for daily living for at least 3 months. It’s also ideal to save for 6 months even though some financial advisers agree on a full year worth of cash.

These funds must be kept aside in an instrument, which is easily available when needed. It could be money in a bank account, hard cash, liquid funds or fixed deposits. This will ensure the fund is always accessible instantly or within a short period when it’s needed.

Where to Keep the Cash

Your situations and what can offer you peace of mind are the factors that can help you determine how cautious you want to be. Keep your emergency fund somewhere that is safe and accessible because you may be required to get the cash in a hurry when an emergency arises. The best option you’ve is to open a money market account or savings account. But, always examine their offer with regards to the interest rate, minimum balance, and other terms.

When you think you’ve saved enough, you can stop. You can now sleep easier and try to start placing your extra saving into higher-interest and less accessible accounts or investments.

Deciding to pursue bankruptcy protection is a difficult decision often arrived at only as a last resort. Still, one of the biggest mistakes made when filing is waiting too long. Precious resources can be spent trying to pay creditors and keep the business afloat, which can ultimately hurt your chances of qualifying for protections.

A second, but equally large mistake, is trying to manage the process on your own. Cash-strapped individuals and businesses often look for ways to save money and cut costs, but declining to hire bankruptcy lawyers to represent you could end up costing you much more in the long run.

Different Types Of Bankruptcy

There are several different types of bankruptcy options. Chapters 7, 11 and 13 are the most common. Chapter 7 is used in the liquidation of assets and is most commonly used for individuals. Chapter 11 is open to both businesses and individuals and Chapter 13 is open to individuals who want to pursue a debt restructuring program, and protect existing assets rather than liquidate their assets.

Nuances Of Legal Representation

Sometimes it can be hard to determine if you need legal representation. The paperwork seems straightforward and your case is simple so you might think about representing yourself in court. This is allowed in Chapter 7 and 13 cases but Chapter 11 cases are required to have legal representation.

Although debtors can represent themselves in court, it is very difficult to do so successfully. The legal process is complex in even the best situations. When business and personal financials come in to play, the technicalities and complexities rise even further. It is vital to the success of your case to have knowledgeable bankruptcy lawyers representing you who can file and handle the case properly. A mistake as simple as forgetting to file one form can cost debtors their right to a case. The short and long-term financial consequences are too great to risk representing yourself. Bankruptcy lawyers are skilled in evaluating situations on a case-by-case basis, and then recommending an appropriate course of action.

Finding An Attorney

Finding a lawyer is as simple as contacting the state or local bar association. Most groups have a search function on their website allowing you to find attorneys who have experience in your type of situation. If you’re concerned about cost, contact the association. You might be able to find free attorney services or even law schools that offer pro bono work. The court system is also a good way to find free services and/or bar associations.

If you’re having financial difficulties, don’t try to fix it on your own. Many lawyers offer free consultations and can tell you if filing is a suitable option for you, your chances of a successful resolution, and the costs involved. They may even be able to recommend alternatives, like mediation or debt negotiation, if you talk to them before things get too bad.