OR PHONE (866) 635-1838 for Bankruptcy Help, (866) 635-6190 for Divorce,
(866) 635-2689 for Personal Injury or (866) 635-9402 for Criminal Defense

Find a Local Lawyer

Close This Box!

When Victoria Ring became a legal assistant in 1977, she had little inkling that some three decades later she would be atop the virtual bankruptcy world.

For many years, she worked as a paralegal for various local attorneys, eventually landing with several prominent bankruptcy lawyers in Central Ohio. It was during this time Ring realized she could input a debtor???s data into a bankruptcy petition from anywhere in the United States, freeing her from the constant interruptions she endured when working in a law office and letting her work for attorneys outside Columbus and Central Ohio.

When word began spreading about what she was doing, other lawyers sought her out. Ring was soon preparing those labor and data-intensive bankruptcy documents for 56 attorneys from across the U.S.

???My company grew so large that I looked around for help and (realized) there was none available,??? said Ring, whose business earns about $250,000 annually. ???In fact, I found that no law school or paralegal course provided training in the input of detailed Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy petitions.???

Plenty to work with

Looking to capitalize on that fact, Ring sold the data entry business in 1988 and developed 713Training.com, LLC, which includes a Web site endeavoring to teach attorneys, paralegals and virtual assistants how to prepare accurate bankruptcy petitions over the Internet.

Because all documents must be filed electronically with the bankruptcy court governing a case, educating people virtually about accurately entering data into the multiple forms and related documents comprising a bankruptcy filing made sense, said Ring.

She coined the job title Virtual Bankruptcy Assistant. To guide candidates wishing to become bankruptcy assistants, Ring penned five books, 10 electronic books and 15 training videos while also founding the National Association of Virtual Bankruptcy Assistants.

The materials were a success, she said, and when some bankruptcy assistants told her they wanted a way to promote themselves as certified professionals, Ring, 51, created a curriculum and a certification exam.

She recently expanded her endeavor by establishing 713Attorney.com LLC, a business providing technical support and training to debtor attorneys.

From March to November, Ring helped 78 attorneys nationwide establish new bankruptcy practices. She also traveled to 27 offices across the country to train attorneys and their staffs about understanding and using bankruptcy software. In 2009, she will release a book co-authored with a Chillicothe attorney offering tips to lawyers about establishing a bankruptcy practice.

Bankruptcy bonanza

One such lawyer who hired Ring is John Gonzalez, a solo practitioner in Long Island, New York. Although he worked primarily in real estate law since becoming licensed to practice in New York in 1992, Gonzalez said when the economy began to worsen about a year ago, he did a Google search for virtual bankruptcy processes and discovered Ring.

Gonzalez said he decided to turn his practice???s focus to personal bankruptcy after conferring with Ring.

She later introduced him to two virtual bankruptcy assistants capable of completing his client???s bankruptcy petitions with little supervision. Whereas he used to file no more than two bankruptcies a year before meeting Ring, he now files seven or eight new cases per month.

Using bankruptcy assistants to track down the data needed for a bankruptcy petition ??? such as tax returns, debts and assets, as well as having them enter the data into the bankruptcy software ??? has freed Gonzalez to pursue other aspects of his law practice.

He has more time, for example, to ensure a petition???s accuracy by reviewing the paperwork with his clients. He also has more time to market his law firm and rarely has to work weekends like he did when he typed his client???s paperwork.

Gonzalez pays an assistant $200 to $500 to prepare a bankruptcy petition, depending on its complexity.

Ring garners accolades from those impressed with her knowledge of bankruptcy paperwork and professionalism. Simina Vourlis, a Columbus personal injury lawyer who hired Ring as a temporary paralegal eight years ago, said she is considering adding bankruptcy to her caseload ???solely because of her.

???Virtual services seem like it would make all kinds of things easier,??? Vourlis said.

Ring credits her business success to her willingness to learn from her mistakes and never shying away from challenges. ???It takes a person to enjoy making mistakes and figuring out new solutions to run a company,??? she said.

Gonzalez said he embraces a similar attitude, citing his move into bankruptcy law when the real estate industry began to contract.

???I definitely enjoy my practice now,??? Gonzalez said. ???I go into court more confident because my documents are accurate.???

Ring said she doesn???t think virtual assistants are valuable to bankruptcy attorneys only.

Any area of law involving information-intensive forms, such as immigration or domestic relations, can benefit from using a virtual assistant, she said.

???Most work at a law firm is done behind a desk, so it can be performed anywhere,??? Ring said. (Source)