What steps do I need to take before filing for bankruptcy?

Before filing for a bankruptcy, the first thing I would recommend is that you meet with a qualified bankruptcy attorney to determine your options. There are a couple of different chapters available to individuals and you'll want to find out which one is best for you. Once you've made that determination, then you will need to gather all of your documents which are going to be pretty extensive in order to get the bankruptcy prepared and filed. You'll also need to take a credit counseling course, which you can do online or over the phone in order to qualify for a chapter seven or a chapter 13 bankruptcy.