What You’ll Need
The paperwork involved in filing a bankruptcy case can be a bit of a pain, but I don't need everything right away at your initial consultation. Normally, people fill out an initial 4-page information sheet to give us an idea of their situation and how to help them. The PDF can be accessed here:
Questionnaire
If some of you want to get a head start on the paperwork we'll need, normally we're looking for proof of gross income for the six months prior to filing, the last 4 years' tax returns (a transcript from the IRS is fine), bank statements for the six months prior to filing, and, in a neat list form, your creditors. There's more that we'll need, but we'll discuss it when you come in to see us.
Finally, some of you may get the idea that transferring things out of your name before coming to see us (or before you have to disclose the item) may be a good idea. It's not. Please don't do any transfers of any type, especially between friends or family, until you see a competent professional. The consequences could be worse than you can imagine.