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Specializing in bankruptcy law for individuals and small businesses
in Maryland and Washington, DC

410-625-2272

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      • Home
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      • Contact Us
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    Specializing in bankruptcy law for individuals and small businesses
    in Maryland and Washington, DC

    410-625-2272

    • Home
    • About
    • FAQs
    • Resources
    • Contact Us
    • …  
      • Home
      • About
      • FAQs
      • Resources
      • Contact Us
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      • Terry Goddard, Esq.

        Experienced and Well-Qualified

        Attorney Terry L. Goddard, Jr., is a senior associate with the law firm Skeen & Kauffman, headquartered in Columbia, Maryland. Terry heads the firm's Bankruptcy Practice Group and has over 20 years of legal experience representing clients in a variety of legal areas.

         

        Since 2007, Terry has assisted consumer and small business clients with filing for protection under the bankruptcy code. Terry graduated from The George Washington University earning a B.A. in Political Science in 1998. Terry earned his Juris Doctor from American University's Washington College of Law in 2002 and has a Master of Business Administration from Arizona State University's W.P. Carey School of Business. Terry served as an appellate law clerk to the Honorable Andrew Sonner, Associate Judge, Maryland Court of Special Appeals (now Court of Appeals) and then served 4 years as a prosecutor with the Maricopa County Atorney's Office in Arizona. Terry joined Skeen & Kauffman in 2010.

         

        A Specialist in Bankruptcy Law

        Terry has been admitted to the practice of law in Maryland since 2002 and Washington, DC, since 2016. His experience and compassion help his clients successfully navigate their legal proceedings. In particular, Terry has extensive experience assisting clients when their financial situation leads them to seek bankruptcy protection. Terry has represented both individuals and businesses under the bankruptcy code in the following areas:

        • Chapter 7 individual and small business filing
        • Chapter 13 individual reorganization
        • Chapter 11 small business reorganization
        • Foreclosure defense
        • Debt restructuring
        • Adversary proceedings including discharge enforcement and student loan discharge

        Understanding and Empathetic

        Terry strives to provide superior customer service and one-on-one interaction throughout the process of filing for bankruptcy protection. Skeen & Kauffman provides their clients with an affordable legal experience without any reduction in quality of service and with empathy and understanding for those who are going through a very difficult financial time.

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      • Awards & Memberships

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      • How Much Will It Cost?

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        Fixed Costs

        With any legal service there is a cost and whenever you start a case with the court system, even the Bankruptcy Court, there is a cost. There is one fixed cost that everyone filing for bankruptcy will have and that is the filing fee with the Court. Currently, those filing fees are $306.00 for a Chapter 7 case and $281.00 for a Chapter 13 case.

         

        Another cost that everyone filing bankruptcy will have is the cost for the pre-filing credit counseling class and the post-filing debtor education class. Prices for these classes vary depending on what provider you use, but our firm uses a service that charges $5.00 for the first class per person and $15.00 for the second class per person. So a married couple filing a joint bankruptcy case can expect class expenses of at least $40.00 total.  

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        Due Diligence Fees 

        Another cost that may arise in your bankruptcy case if you are filing with an attorney is the cost of due diligence materials. This cost is generally limited to the cost to the attorney of pulling your credit report. In many cases, this cost is included in some other disclosed expense like the attorney fee.

         

        This firm includes this cost in our filing and due diligence fee. Our filing and due diligence fee includes the filing fee noted above and the cost of other services, like pulling a client's credit report. The filing and due diligence fee for a Chapter 7 is $400.00 and for a Chapter 13 is $365.00. If a case is not filed for any reason this fee should be refunded and this firm does refund that fee if the case is not filed. 

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        Attorney Fees

        The final major component of any bankruptcy case filed with the assistance of a bankruptcy attorney is the attorney fee itself. This fee varies and can be a wide range. As a general rule you can expect to pay an attorney fee of anywhere from $900 to $2500 for a Chapter 7 and $3,000 to $4,500 for a Chapter 13. In a Chapter 13 case, your attorney may elect to seek approved compensation from the bankruptcy court and as a consequence, you would be paying by the hour. Fee arrangements in a Chapter 13 case in the District of Maryland are governed by the Court's Local Rules in Appendix F. The reasonableness of any fee charged by an attorney is governed by the bankruptcy code.

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        Additional Costs 

        Any fee charged by an attorney is going to be based on the amount of work the attorney anticipates your case will require. Cases with fewer creditors and lower income will cost less than cases with more creditors, higher income, and other issues. The income of the client has nothing to do with the cost. The higher a person's gross household income is, the more likely the attorney will have to deal with Means Test issues in the case. As a consequence, your attorney fee will be higher.

         

        Some other issues that will require higher bankruptcy attorney fees include reaffirmation agreements, self-employment, preferential payments, asset transfers, asset protection issues, and exemption problems.In some cases, generally in a Chapter 13 case, there will be additional costs not related to the items discussed above.

      • Online payment

        In addition to in person payment of case fees, Skeen & Kauffman LLP offers its clients a secure way to pay the case fees online.

        • Bankruptcy Clients please CLICK HERE to make payment on your case fees.
        • If you received an invoice for case services, please CLICK HERE to make payment on your account.

      About Us

      Terry Goddard, esq.

      Skeen & Kauffman, LLP

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      Office

      9256 Bendix Road, Suite 102

      Columbia, MD 21045

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