I’m getting ready to file a Chapter 13 case, but the attorney’s fees are so much higher than Chapter 7, why is that?

The reason why Chapter 13 attorney’s fees are much higher than Chapter 7 is that Chapter 7 is a fairly straight-forward and in the best-case scenario a 90 to 100-day process.

Whereas in Chapter 13 you have to do everything you would do in a Chapter 7 plus you have to get a plan confirmed, plus, you know, clients are living through their lives during Chapter 13, income rises and falls, expenses vary, sometimes you need to get a car, sometimes you need to move out of a house and the attorney needs to be prepared to manage all of those different circumstances that are going to come up during that 3 to 5 year period and that’s why the Chapter 13 attorney’s fees are significantly higher then Chapter 7 attorney’s fees.

Thoughts from a Maryland Bankruptcy Lawyer