Atty. Michael Jay Berger, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, USA

Serving Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, San Fernando Valley, Santa Ana, Santa Barbara and Riverside. I am a Certified Specialist in Bankruptcy Law. I am an "AV"* rated attorney with 37 years of experience in solving bankruptcy problems. I am a Mensa certified genius with a strong ability to analyze and solve problems. If you are being hounded by creditors, I can legally erase your debts and get you a fresh start. If your business needs reorganization, I can give you protection from your creditors while you reorganize. If you have a claim against an individual or company that has filed for bankruptcy, I can help you collect to the maximum extent possible. My fee is always much less than I save you. My initial consultation is always free. I represent debtors and creditors in Chapter 7, 11 and 13 bankruptcy proceedings throughout Southern California. I know the law and I know the courts, the judges and the trustees. I know the local rules. I can guide you through any bankruptcy proceeding. I use state-of-the-art technology to help my clients, including Best Case Bankruptcy Software, Lexis Nexis Research Software and the United States Bankruptcy Court's Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) system. This system enables me to review and print out detailed information on all recent bankruptcy cases. I use CIN Legal Data Services to instantly get your credit records upon your request to aid in the preparation of your bankruptcy schedules. All of my employees use ACT! Premium 2019 to manage our contacts and calendar. All of our attorneys have Smartphones so that we can receive and reply to client calls, e-mails and texts even when we are out of the office. I handle emergency cases that other lawyers refuse to take. I have been 100% successful in stopping foreclosures, even when first called one day before the scheduled foreclosure sale. View More ?

Business Law

Business Contracts, Business Dissolution, Business Finance, Business Formation, Business Litigation, Franchising, Mergers & Acquisitions, Partnership & Shareholder Disputes

Free Consultation
Initial consultation is always free!

Rates, Retainers and Additional Information
Firm Fees I handle most Chapter 7 bankruptcy cases on a flat fee basis. My fees for a Chapter 7 range from a minimum of $1,500.00 to a maximum of $5,000.00, depending on the complexity of the case. My median fee for a Chapter 7 is $2,000.00. My flat fee covers many things that paralegals cannot do, and other bankruptcy attorneys charge extra for. Half of the fee is due when you hire me, half is due immediately before filing of the bankruptcy petition. All costs are included except the Bankruptcy Court filing fee, which is $335.00 for a Chapter 7 and $310.00 for a Chapter 13. I typically charge $5,000.00 for a Chapter 13 bankruptcy case for debtors who work for a company, and $6,000.00 for debtors who are self-employed, though complicated cases may involve additional fees. I typically ask my clients to pay me $2,000.00 before the filing of the Chapter 13 petition, with the balance of my legal fees being paid through the Chapter 13 plan. This allows my Chapter 13 clients to file bankruptcy and save their homes without having to pay me the entire legal fee before the filing of the bankruptcy petition. Regular wage earners who are able to make regular plan payments but do not have money for a retainer may qualify for my special no money down Chapter 13 plan. This lets my clients file Chapter 13 bankruptcy by paying only the court filing fee of $281.00 prior to filing bankruptcy. All legal fees are paid to me through the plan. This is an incredible deal. Adversary Proceedings and Motions are handled either on a flat fee basis or an hourly basis, according to the preference of the client. Chapter 11s are handled on an hourly basis. My hourly rate is $595.00/hour. The hourly rate for my Senior Associate Attorney Sofya Davtyan is $495.00/hour. The hourly rate for my mid level Associate Attorney Carolyn Afari is $395.00/hour. The hourly rate for my Associate Attorney Samuel Boyamian is $295.00/hour. The hourly rate for my law clerks and senior paralegals is $225.00/hour. The hourly rate for my paralegals is $200.00/hour. These rates are substantially less than those charged by other bankruptcy attorneys with similar experience. Unlike other attorneys, I never raise my hourly rates in the middle of a bankruptcy case. Chapter 11 business reorganizations are billed hourly, with a typical retainer of $20,000.00 for an individual or small business Chapter 11. The filing fee for a Chapter 11 is $1,717.00. For an exact fee quote in writing for your matter, call me at 310.271.6223 to discuss the specific facts and circumstances of your case.

University of California Hastings College of the Law

J.D.

1981

Honors: Thurston Honor Society. Order of the Coif. Phi Alpha Delta.

Duke University

B.A. | English

1978

Honors: Member, National Honorary Society. Delta Sigma Rho Tau Kappa Alpha.

Activities: Captain of the Debate Team. Chairman, North Carolina Public Interest Research Group.

39 years of experience