1. Tell The Truth:  This has been covered before but I think its incredibly important to cover again.  Do not, in any way, fail to reveal information to your attorney and to the court.  That means more than fibbing about how much your car is worth (which one could easily find out anyway).  It means not transferring property to friends or loved ones a month or two before filing for Bankruptcy.  It means answering honestly when the Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Trustee in New York City asks you questions about your property/income/assets, etc.  You can almost always negotiate a settlement if you have non-exempt property in a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy in New York.  You CANNOT do that after lying on the record.  Its criminal and I know I sound like your mother but it is so important that your realize how much this can hurt you.  There are ALWAYS options available to you with respect to your property.  But your Chapter 7 lawyer can’t help you if you dont tell him/her the truth.
2. Be Prepared for the Meeting of the Creditors:  Each one of my clients has a conversation with me before the meeting of the creditors because it is so critically important that they be prepared for the questions the Trustee will likely ask.  Look, no one wants to file for Bankruptcy in front of people, especially in New York City.  You can be nervous, you can feel ashamed, you could have eaten something not agreeable before the meeting (that hurts everyone in the room when it happens).  In any case, before you file for Bankruptcy in New York City, make sure to ask your prospective Manhattan or Brooklyn Bankruptcy Lawyer if they will prepare you for the “341 meeting.”  Questions arise like : “Have you ever owned Real Estate”  ”Are you going to be inheriting under a will”  ”What’s the most you’ve had in a checking account in the past two years.”  You clearly have to answer them truthfully, but there is also a particular way they should be answered, especially if your answer is vague,  and thats what an attorney’s job is.

3.     Do not be combative with the Chapter 7 Trustee in Brooklyn.  I can’t tell you how ridiculous this is.  The person             that can potentially wipe out hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt is sitting two feet in front of you and          you’re going to give him an attitude.  Folks, I get it.  I’m not a regular attorney.  I know what its like to try and contain my emotions when I feel like I am being pushed.  If you can get by the 5 minutes of questioning then you’re golden.  You’ll be be able to wipe out tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars off your books and sleep well again.  I know its tempting, but make sure to treat each person in that room with respect.  It will pay off.