Buckwalter, Brett A.

Since graduating from Suffolk Law in 1991, Rhode Island bankruptcy Attorney Mark S. Buckley has provided thousands of free debt consultations to clients in all of Rhode Island's 39 cities and towns. He is the only bankruptcy lawyer in RI who is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER professional and he will help you understand the difference between debt consolidation scams, credit counseling and bankruptcy relief.

Mark Buckley was honored to serve on the Attorney Advisory Committee to the US Bankruptcy Court (RI), is among the few lawyers who are full-time bankruptcy debtor attorneys, and is a member of the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys (NACBA). He is also a contributing author to the Bankruptcy Law Network.  Serving Rhode Island and Massachusetts, Attorney Buckley has offered private telephone, office and in-home consultations for over 19 years, and has filed an estimated 3,000 Chapter 7 bankruptcy cases.

During your free debt consultation, Attorney Buckley will explain your best options and whether he believes your case will be successful. While no lawyer can guarantee an outcome in any legal matter, Attorney Buckley will offer to refund the attorney fee if your bankruptcy case is dismissed through no fault of your own. To date, he has never filed a case that has not received a discharge in bankruptcy and is careful only to accept clients he knows he can help.

With 5,878 licensed attorneys in Rhode Island, how do you choose the right lawyer for your debt problems? Here are just a few questions to ask: 1) Are you a general practitioner, or do you practice bankruptcy law exclusively? 2) How many years have you devoted your practice to bankruptcy law full-time? 3) How many cases have you filed in Rhode Island and Massachusetts? 4) How good is your reputation among local bankruptcy Trustees, other bankruptcy attorneys and the court? 5) Will you be handling my case in its entirety (from initial interview, to preparing the 45 page petition, and attending required creditor meeting) or will these responsibilities be delegated to secretaries, paralegals and other inexperienced attorneys I've not yet met?

Attorney Buckley understands that nobody wants to file bankruptcy; and if there are better alternatives, he will suggest an approach unique to your own particular circumstances. What is most important, however, is to understand your rights and options before fatal mistakes are made. Here are just a few common mistakes to avoid:

1. Working with most debt consolidators/credit counselors/non-profit agencies: Why? Because most promise to get you debt-free, but are actually deceptive scams. Many will collect three months of payments from you before ever sending any portion to your creditors. After thousands of dollars are wasted, it usually takes four months before you realize that the debt consolidation plan was never reasonable or workable.

2. Hiring a jack-of-all trades attorney: Why? Because you need a lawyer who is devoting their time and energy to understanding the local rules, who has earned a good reputation with the local Trustee and knows how the local Bankruptcy judge interprets the new bankruptcy law. Don't take chances by hiring an attorney that could equally represent you in a real estate closing or speeding ticket. You can't afford to hire an inexperienced attorney no matter how inexpensive the fee. When you need to file bankruptcy, the more experienced attorney will do a better job for you at a fair price.

3. Robbing Peter to pay Paul: Why? Because certain desperate acts may delay the relief you could receive under bankruptcy protection laws. If you are tempted to take cash advances, balance transfers, payday loans, retirement account loans, or sell assets to pay bills, DO NOT DO IT! Here is the key to knowing you need help: if your monthly living expenses already exceed your present monthly income, you need to call Attorney Buckley

4. Believing common myths about bankruptcy? Why? Because lies cause fear and prevent one from getting the help one needs. Here are just a few of the myths Attorney Buckley hears regularly. I'm afraid to file for debt relief because... a) everyone will know I filed b) I'll lose my job c) I'll lose my home or car d) I'll destroy my credit forever e) I'll never be able to qualify under the new bankruptcy laws f) I could never afford to file. The truth for most clients is that while bankruptcy law is complex, an experienced attorney can help make the process confidential, affordable and straightforward. Clients can wipe out unmanageable debt, keep their jobs, protect their property, and be considered a much better credit risk after they file for relief. The few problems that can happen are largely due to ignoring Attorney counsel or hiring an inexperienced/incompetent attorney.

Mark Buckley's goal is to help you remove the stress of excessive debt, make your living expenses more reasonable, and help you begin to live again. He is in constant contact with his clients and is strongly committed to providing the best quality service possible to RI and MA residents burdened with debt.

Attorney Buckley is admitted to practice in Rhode Island and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the (federal) United Sates District Court for Rhode Island and Massachusetts and is a member of the Rhode Island and Massachusetts Bar Associations. If you need a fresh start and would like a FREE debt consultation, call (401) 467-6800.