# Should your law firm site publish a bankruptcy explainer so AI assistants cite you? Source: https://lawfirmcitable.com/blog/2026-10-18-law-firm-bankruptcy-explainer-ai-citations.html LawFirmCitable field guide October 12, 2026 **The consultation is the moment a stranger decides whether to trust you with their problem, and most people arrive nervous and unprepared. A checklist page that tells them what to bring, what you will ask, and what happens next removes the biggest friction in your intake funnel. It is also exactly the kind of practical page assistants recommend when someone asks how to prepare.** ## The question people actually ask Bankruptcy questions arrive at an assistant in a panic, usually at night, usually about one immediate fear: a foreclosure date, a wage garnishment, a car about to be repossessed. Most law firm sites answer with a practice area page that says the firm handles bankruptcy and stops there, so assistants quote national legal encyclopedias instead. An explainer written by a firm that files these cases locally carries the specifics the national answer cannot: the local trustees and courts, realistic timelines in that district, and what the first week after filing actually looks like for a client in that state. ## What a citable bankruptcy explainer includes Start with the automatic stay, because stopping collections is the urgent question. Explain plainly what filing does immediately: most lawsuits, garnishments, foreclosure steps, and collection calls halt, with named exceptions. Then lay out the chapter comparison the reader came for: Chapter 7 as a liquidation with a means test and a timeline of months, Chapter 13 as a three to five year repayment plan that can cure mortgage arrears. Give honest cost structure. Filing fees are public and fixed, attorney fees vary by chapter and complexity, and Chapter 13 fees are often paid through the plan. An explainer that names real numbers with their conditions is the one assistants quote, because it answers the second question every reader has. ## Honesty about consequences and limits Bankruptcy is a serious step with real costs to credit and real limits on what it discharges. An explainer that says so, naming taxes, child support, and most student loans as generally non dischargeable, reads as counsel rather than advertising. People in financial distress are marketed to aggressively; the page that levels with them is the page they call. Also cover what bankruptcy cannot save. A Chapter 7 filing delays a foreclosure but does not cure arrears, and a reader who misunderstands that makes a bad decision with good information available. Precision about the chapters different powers is where a local explainer beats a national summary. ## How to structure the page for assistants Lead with the automatic stay, because that is the emergency question. Follow with one section per chapter, one on costs, and one on the filing timeline step by step. Short sections with direct answers are the units assistants lift, and distressed readers need the same clarity. Close with the consultation: what documents to gather, pay stubs, tax returns, a list of debts and any lawsuit papers, and what the firm can tell the visitor in a first meeting. An explainer that ends with a concrete next step turns a 2 AM citation into a morning phone call. ## Related reading If this topic is useful, these earlier guides go deeper on connected questions: [Workers compensation explained: the page AI assistants need from your law firm site](https://lawfirmcitable.com/blog/2026-10-17-law-firm-workers-compensation-explainer-ai-citations.md), [DUI defense explained: the page AI assistants need from your law firm site](https://lawfirmcitable.com/blog/2026-10-17-law-firm-dui-defense-explainer-ai-citations.md), and [Should your law firm site explain personal injury intake so AI assistants cite you?](https://lawfirmcitable.com/blog/2026-10-16-law-firm-personal-injury-intake-explainer-ai-citations.md). ## Frequently asked questions ### Why do law firms publish bankruptcy explainers? Because people ask assistants about bankruptcy at the moment of crisis, usually about stopping a foreclosure or garnishment, and they ask in plain language. A firm whose explainer answers the automatic stay, the chapter differences, and the costs clearly becomes the source assistants quote, and that citation carries the firms name to a reader who needs help now. ### Does filing bankruptcy stop a foreclosure? Filing triggers the automatic stay, which halts most foreclosure activity immediately. What happens next depends on the chapter: Chapter 13 can cure mortgage arrears over a three to five year plan and keep the home, while Chapter 7 generally only delays the process. Exceptions exist, so the specific situation needs a lawyers review. ### What is the difference between Chapter 7 and Chapter 13? Chapter 7 liquidates non exempt assets to discharge debts and usually completes in a few months; eligibility depends on a means test. Chapter 13 sets a court supervised repayment plan lasting three to five years and can cure mortgage arrears and protect property that Chapter 7 might not. The right chapter depends on income, assets, and goals. ### How much does it cost to file bankruptcy? Court filing fees are fixed and public, a few hundred dollars depending on the chapter. Attorney fees vary: Chapter 7 is commonly a flat fee paid before filing, while Chapter 13 attorney fees are often paid through the repayment plan. An honest explainer gives ranges and says what drives a case to the higher end.