The Affordable Attorney Advice service provides telephone legal advice to customers of California Bankruptcy Petition Preparers. The fee is a flat rate of $100 for all questions that may arise in the course of your bankruptcy. AAA is owned and operated by Stephen and Catherine Elias. Steve is a California bankruptcy attorney and has written numerous books for Nolo Press, including Nolo’s do-it-yourself bankruptcy books.

Surveys have shown that many attorneys have doubled their fees to cope with new requirements imposed by the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act, effective October 19, 2005. Many thousands of debtors have therefore been priced out of lawyer representation in their bankruptcies.

Because of rules governing the practice of law, the only legal alternative to attorney representation is self-representation. Although bankruptcy petition preparers can assist with your paperwork, they cannot give legal advice—such as what will happen to your debts or property in your bankruptcy, or which type of bankruptcy is best suited to your circumstances.

That’s where AAA comes in. Over the last couple of years, it has conducted a demonstration project designed to provide affordable and informed access for consumers who represent themselves in simple bankruptcies. The success of the project now allows AAA to operate statewide.

Here’s how it works. You simply sign and return the AAA contract provided to you by your bankruptcy petition preparer, along with the check or money order for $100. Atty. Steve Elias will then countersign the contract and return it to you. Then you can call Steve, who will provide the missing information you need to competently handle your own bankruptcy. He will also tell you when the circumstances of your case warrant attorney representation—as opposed to the use of the AAA system.

For Users of Nolo’s How to File For Chapter 7 Bankruptcy
If you have reached this page because you are using Nolo’s How to File for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, and you want assistance from the author, call (888) 895-DEBT. The AAA service will be explained to you and you will be sent a contract if you wish to proceed further.