While you should always seek out the services of an experienced bankruptcy practitioner, one common pitfall can be falling into the hands of what lawyers call a bankruptcy mill, a firm that churns and burns cases with little regard for their client's specific needs. Such firms are notorious for shoddy legal work, unhappy clients and raising the suspicions of judges and trustees, who worry that mills, and their clients, are more likely to try and pull a fast one on creditors by abusing the process.
The trouble is that spotting a mill can be rather difficult for a person who is not a lawyer. But a good first step is to check with your local bar association for recommendations on attorneys who specialize in bankruptcy, says Terzo, who points out that most mills don't do the kind of lawyer-to-lawyer networking that is a customary feature of a local bar association.