Many folks are not aware that persons seeking bankruptcy protection are not required to be represented by a lawyer. However, this comes with a caveat, in a recent study prepared by the American Bankruptcy Institute the success rate for Chapter 13 cases (meaning completion of a confirmed plan) overall is 41.5% for filers with an attorney but only 2.3% without. That’s almost a 20 times improvement. See Ed Flynn, Success Rates in Chapter 13, American Bankruptcy Institute Journal, August, 2015, p. 38.