Legal Helpers - Macey And Aleman This firm is the bottom feeder of bankruptcy firms. Do not fall victim to their scam! Chicago Illinois

I apologize if you were unable to get anyone on the telephone. I have to admit that I am surprised by that. We have consistently employed a large number of staff to handle calls. I am aware that hold times increased during the fall and that was a problem we addressed and continue to address (see below). It is also why I encourage people to use our website and submit an email to concerns@legalhelpers.com or email me directly at rkg@legalhelpers.com.

Not that it's an excuse, but during the fall of 2008, there was enormous growth in demand for bankruptcy services. Unlike most other industries these days, most bankruptcy firms are experiencing a drastic increase in demand for services.

To explain, a review of filing statistics for bankruptcy cases reveals that from 1994-2004 there were between 1 million and 1.4 million consumer cases filed annually. In 2005 when there were highly publicized and anti-debtor bankruptcy reform laws that were passed, the number of cases filed spiked to over 2 million.

Unfortunately, in 2006 and 2007, either people were scared away from bankruptcy by these new laws, or anyone who might have needed a case rushed to get it done before October 2005. This resulted in only approximately 600,000 cases filed in 2006 and approximately 750,000 cases filed in 2007. These numbers represented significant decline in demand for services. Firms, including ours, laid off employees and many bankruptcy firms closed their doors, or other firms eliminated bankruptcy as a practice area.

Last year, the number of cases filed grew to close to 1 million (though 2008 official statistics have not been published by the Administrative Office of the Courts for either the 3rd or 4th Quarters of 2008 yet). This is a 33% increase, unofficially.

In recognition that bankruptcy filings are likely to continue to increase given not only the bad economic news, but also given recent trends, our firm has made an effort to get prepared and has hired and trained a lot of new staff. For example, the firm has hired over 40 new staff members specifically to handle call volume. In addition, the firm has hired over 30 new employees in local offices across the country to help improve the handling of paperwork and to speed the turnover of cases. In addition, the firm cut off much of its advertising during December to try to resolve any pending issues. Unfortunately, talking to other bankruptcy lawyers, they are also experiencing the same issues.

I am a partner at the law firm and I would be happy to discuss any of your concerns. My email is rkg@legalhelpers.com. Let me know where I can reach you a convenient time for you and I will work with you to resolve any issues in your case.

This is always the approach my firm has taken. We provide contact to partners via our website and we provide a toll-free number tended by representatives from 7:30am Central Time until 9:00pm Central Time, so there should not be an issue getting in touch with us. I understand you might get frustrated if you are unable to contact any one individual, but this is the reason we provide the toll-free number and the alternative (email) ways to contact someone. We're a group practice. Everyone in the firm works together.

Most delays are caused by paperwork issues. There is extensive documentation required since 2005 for bankruptcy cases. Cases are subject to audit by the United States Department of Justice and paperwork has to be turned over to the Trustee immediately after filing. I certainly sympathize with anyone who has to comply with the requirements, but as legal counsel, it is our job to be the messenger and that can often be misconstrued as being an obstacle. That is certainly not our intention. Please contact me and I'm sure we can resolve the problem.

Mr Gustafson no one can get through on the number you posted as it just rings and rings and rings. Trust me I have been calling all day to no avail. It seems to me that you are taking on more than you can handle hence the horrible customer service. You should think about what you are saying because we are not as dumb as you take us to be. Not only do you not answer the phones, you do not respond to emails nor faxes. A person that comes to your firm deserves your time since that is what they are paying for. My experience with your firm is that they seem to be working for the bankruptcy court and not their client. That is why I am cancelling my case with your firm. I want someone that works for me in a very timely manner and you don't provide that. Hell I would like just once to get through and talk to someone. You do real well returning call to potential customers but after that it goes down hill. I for one will definitely be writing the bar with my experience here in Michigan.

I am one of the partners here at the firm and I would be happy to personally make sure that your case is handled properly and promptly. With rare exceptions, I am in the office Monday - Friday from 8:30am - 6:30pm. Please give me a call at 1.888.303.0431.

Since I do not have any other contact information for you, I do not have any ability to review your file without speaking with you first.

As I've said before, the paperwork required by Congress for filing has gotten a lot more complicated and requires continual updates and that can be very frustrating. We get thousands of calls a day from people with questions about case status, questions about needed paperwork, etc... and these situations are routinely resolved promptly, so I am sorry for your frustration and I will do what I can to make sure everything is taken care of.

Please give me a call.

Sincerely,
Richard K. Gustafson, II