Let’s say you’ve fallen behind with your mortgage payments. You may have had a shortfall of money for all kinds of reasons, or your income has suddenly dropped, even if it is just temporarily. That’s the kind of situation that can lead to foreclosure.

And when you find yourself in such a situation, especially once your lender has sent you a “default” letter, which is a letter telling you that they intend to start foreclosure proceedings, you should act immediately! Don’t wait and keep hoping that maybe next month will be better. Once a lender has actually filed for foreclosure, it will be much harder (and more costly) to prevent it.

So talk to a foreclosure attorney as soon as you’re falling behind and get the help you need to work out some kind of arrangement to get you caught up. That’s the easiest and least costly way to prevent foreclosure.

If you’re concerned about cost, at least get a free consultation, and you may be able to work out a payment arrangement with your lawyer too.

Why You Should Hire a Foreclosure Attorney in the First Place

Defending yourself against foreclosure can be very challenging. You need to be familiar with a lot of legal details that would take you weeks or months to find and work through, and that’s if you can find them at all. Lawyers have been specially trained to do this kind of work, and when they specialize in foreclosure law, they are doing this all the time.

In addition, the law changes frequently, and new decisions happen all the time that could affect your case. That could put you at an even bigger disadvantage if you try to handle your foreclosure by yourself.. An experienced lawyer, however, will be up-to-date on these changes.

What makes this worse is that the stakes are very high and you could lose your home if you can’t stop the foreclosure. A lot of deadlines will have to be met on a very tight schedule, and without an experienced foreclosure attorney on your side, you will likely lose your case.

How To Find a Good Foreclosure Attorney

Once you’ve decided to hire a seasoned foreclosure defense advocate, the challenge will be to find a good one, an attorney with lots of experience and a great track record, who truly will go to bat for you. In short, you need an attorney you can trust.

So how do you find attorneys like that? Start with scheduling a free consultation with one or more foreclosure lawyers and pay close attention. Find out how much attention you get from the actual attorneys, whether they really listen to you, have a good understanding of your situation, and help you understand what will happen and the timelines involved.

Also check their reviews very carefully. They can give you a good idea how happy their previous clients were with their work. Make sure they are good about meeting deadlines, which is crucial when it comes to foreclosure defense. Get recommendations from legal resource sites and the Better Business Bureau as well.

The lawyers you talk to should also give you a good sense of how much it will cost to retain them, and what payment arrangements they’re willing to accept.

What Are Red Flags?

While you do your research, look out for red flags. You want to avoid lawyers who are mainly in it for the money. This means they take on as many clients as they possibly can get but provide them with less than optimal service. And that’s putting it politely.

They may not do all the work, miss deadlines, and fail to show up in court. Attorneys like that will leave you in a worse position than you were in in the first place. In addition, they may charge excessive fees, again in an effort to maximize their profits.

How can you spot attorneys like that? Once again, read the reviews and look for red flags, including complaints on websites like the ones of the Better Business Bureau. Moreover, pay close attention to how such attorneys interact with you, for example during the free consultations.

Do they rush you? Are they impatient and vague when you ask a lot of questions? Do you actually get to meet any of the attorneys? Do they pressure you to hand over large sums of money right away? Are their waiting rooms crowded? That may mean that they’re trying to get more clients than they can handle, and that they aren’t able (or willing) to give each one of their clients the attention they deserve.

Your Next Steps

If you’re ready to hire an experienced and trustworthy foreclosure attorney who can help you navigate the minefield of foreclosure defense and help you achieve the best outcome for you and your family, it’s time to schedule a free consultation and talk to an attorney. You can call us or contact us by email, and we’ll be happy to sit down with you, look at your situation, and give you a sense of how we can help you.