National Society of Virtual Bankruptcy Assistants, LLC

NSVBA, LLC is a national organization of Independent Contractors known as VBA's (Virtual Bankruptcy Assistants).

NSVBA members work under the direct supervision of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys preparing Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Petitions.

NSVBA is a regular Exhibitor at Consumer Bankruptcy Attorney Conventions and Conferences.

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

National Society of Virtual Bankruptcy Assistants celebrates 5 Years in 2013

Below is the list of Members who were there in 2008 when the idea was conceived to form an organization for VBA's.

Dee Medlin -2007 http://www.t11va.com
 Peggy Grangetto -2007 http://www.hillcrestvirtualservices.com
 Gary Ostad -2007 http://bankruptcyattorneyassistant.com/
 WT Lane -2007
Amy Underwood- 2008 http://www.nbpetitions.com
 Jeannie Lynch -2008 http://lynchlegalsupport.com
 Dennis Kaczor -2008 http://www.magdenassociates.com/
 Maria Griffin -2008 http://www.magdenassociates.com/
 Sherri Nash -2008 http://www.inlandempireoutsourcing.org/index.html
 Judy LaBoda -2008 http://www.allstatebankruptcy.com
 Anna Baughman -2008

Through the years we have had many members come through our doors. Most have created thriving Virtual Bankruptcy Assistant businesses. Others have gone on to further their education and careers in other areas of law.

I am proud of these individuals and all the current NSVBA members.

They understand it takes hard work, intense education and a dedication to serve their attorney clients.

We exist because of our members and the support of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys who utilize the services of a VBA.

Special recognition goes to Sharon Hassler, NSVBA Webmaster. Sharon works tirelessly for NSVBA and its members. Sharon took my idea for a website and made it more than I could have ever imagined.
 http://gogetsites.com/affordable-small-business-websites-portfolio

Thank you everyone for helping make NSVBA the premier VBA organization it is.

Look for more announcements throughout the year about the members of the National Society of Virtual Bankruptcy Assistants.

Vikki Watanabe
 President
 National Society of Virtual Bankruptcy Assistants

http://www.nsvba.com/find-a-vba/vba-member-profiles

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Evie Jacobson-Royal Palm Beach, Florida


Evie Jacobson
Virtual Bankruptcy Assistant
Royal Palm Beach, Fl. 33411
561-596-6711  866 713 9097
Virtual713BankruptcyAssistant.com
I am a self-employed, highly trained Virtual Bankruptcy Assistant working from home in Royal Palm Beach, Florida.  My goal is to enable you to START STREAMLINING YOUR LAW PRACTICETODAY!
The work I do today is a logical transition from my 25 year career in the insurance industry where I evaluated and managed many types of claims including workers compensation, general liability, asbestos, environmental and latent injury health claims, and complex litigation. I was also a member of the fraud investigation team for many years.

Bankruptcy attorneys, especially in small to medium-sized firms -- locally or anywhere in the U.S. -- save time and money by calling me, as needed, to provide complete, accurate, personalized bankruptcy petition preparation services with a no-risk 100% guarantee.

My services are tailored to the specific needs of the law firm. Services extend to organizing and evaluating intake information, petition preparation, as well as motions and treatment of liens.
 

Attorneys today recognize that technology has changed practice management in law firms. Outsourcing bankruptcy petition preparation is cost-effective and fast becoming a better way to practice.

When attorneys choose me as their “life saver” and strategic business partner they receive expert bankruptcy petition preparation for clients. Drafting a Bankruptcy Petition is complex, and a mistake can be detrimental. The process requires dedication, hard work, as well as a compassionate understanding of what is at stake.
 
 
Because I am a thoroughly trained and certified virtual assistant who is available on demand 24/7 in a distraction-free environment, attorneys can focus their time on client service and on firm growth. They can stop being concerned about an overwhelmed and often untrained support staff.


My virtual bankruptcy assistant certification was obtained from 713Training.com
and the Morgan King Bankruptcy Academy.  I am a member of the NACTT Academy: ConsiderChapter13.org., the South Florida Bankruptcy Bar Association,, the National Society of Virtual Bankruptcy Assistants (NSVBA), the National Association of Virtual Bankruptcy Assistants (NAVBA), and the Morgan King Bankruptcy Academy.  

A native of Cherry Hill, New Jersey, I relocated to Florida in 1999 with my two children. I hold A Bachelor of Science Degree from Rutgers University in Business Administration.

http://www.nsvba.com/user-profile/userprofile/eviejacobson

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Olympic Bankruptcies for Ordinary Families

Olympic Bankruptcies for Ordinary Families


“I’m not even embarrassed.”
With that forthright acknowledgement of her financially precarious state when asked by reporters about her recent bankruptcy filing, Natalie Hawkins, the mother of the Olympic gold medal winner Gabby Douglas, might have done as much for people suffering from the economic tsunami of the last several years as her daughter has accomplished for the sport of gymnastics.
Ms. Hawkins, who said she filed for bankruptcy to protect her ownership of her Virginia home, is not the only parent of a star Olympian in severe financial straits. The mother and father of the swimmer Ryan Lochte are also in arrears. They ceased paying the mortgage on their Florida home in 2011, and are now being sued by the banking company that holds their loan.
While a few personal finance reporters have rushed in to point out that training a child for the Olympics is quite expensive, those expenditures are unlikely to be the cause of either family’s money woes. Ms. Hawkins’s bankruptcy filing revealed the single mother was raising her family of four children on about $30,000 annually, most of which came from Social Security medical disability benefits and child support payments from her soon-to-be ex-husband. You probably don’t need me to tell you that this amount of money is not going to go far in supporting a household full of children, even without gymnastics lessons. Not surprisingly, there is no evidence of licentious living, unless you count a $408 orthodontia bill for the future gymnastics star as a luxury item.
If anything, it is likely other mothers and fathers of Olympians are in similar circumstances as Ms. Hawkins and the Lochtes, and we just don’t know it. According to the Federal Reserve, the median household net worth fell by 40 percent from 2007 to 2010. For African-American families, like Ms. Hawkins’s, the numbers were far worse, with CNNMoney, which performed an extensive analysis, asserting those families lost 60 percent of their total net worth during the same period.
There is much personal pain behind those rather dry sounding statistics. According to research, the biggest predictor of bankruptcy is not overspending, but medical woes and unemployment, two factors clearly present in the Hawkins/Douglas household. At least one was also a factor in the Lochte situation. “I just got divorced and I had lost my job,” Ileana Lochte told USA Today, by way of explaining her financial distress. And if you are wondering, research performed by Elizabeth Warren several years ago revealed divorced single mothers have a much higher risk of bankruptcy than anyone else.
Yet despite years of living through the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, the vast majority of us remain reluctant to acknowledge our financial struggles publicly. The shame is immense. The revelations of economic trouble in the households of these star athletes is an “Olympic parents — they’re just like us!” moment. Bankruptcy hits everywhere, and for many reasons. Often that shame is misplaced. Americans, perhaps more so than other cultures, tend to believe all fiscal failure is their own fault.
Almost nothing seems capable of shaking this belief. Not the recent revelation that just under half of Americans die with nothing in the way of assets and not the fact that the majority of Americans approaching the end of their working days have less than $30,000 in their retirement accounts. Perhaps, as the real impact of the last decade becomes unavoidable for more families, we will at least begin to talk about it.

Helaine Olen’s book “Pound Foolish: Exposing the Dark Side of the Personal Finance Industry” will be published by Penguin’s Portfolio imprint in

Friday, June 22, 2012

Real Change Takes Time


Real Change Takes Time

Did you hear the one about the country bumpkin who took his family to the big city for the first time? Lost in a strange place, he stopped in front of a multi-story hotel building. Father and son went inside to get some directions.

Standing in the lobby, they were looking around for someone to ask. They spied a kind-looking old man with a cane and started toward him. They drew back, though, when the wall opened up for him! They watched in amazement as the wall closed, numbers above the opening grew larger then smaller, and the doors opened again. Out came a young man in confident stride and business suit. "Son, wait right here," said the farmer. "I'm going to get in that thing!"

All of us could wish change came so quickly and so painlessly. I'd rather lose 20 pounds with a pill than deny myself extra helpings or desserts and begin to exercise. Some people prefer to saddle themselves with debt to buy a house full of furniture rather than buy furniture as they can afford it or to buy a new car they could easily do without. And so the stories go. We want what we want - now.

I even think I see a lot of anger in today's world that is tied to the same thing. Petty people get mad at the good fortune of others. They want immediately what someone else attained over time. Immature people want the recognition and life status other people earned over years, but they want it on a silver platter - today.

We laugh at the bumpkin who thought an elevator was a magic box that made old into young, stooped into sprightly, and plain into stylish. Maybe we should be laughing at ourselves. Going to college doesn't make one wise. Driving an expensive car doesn't confer refinement or personality. Living in an exclusive part of town says nothing about the happiness of the people who live in its newest and nicest house. And going to church doesn't confer spirituality.

Authentic change in looks, lifestyle, and personality takes place over time. If there is an outcome you'd like, the surest way to achieve it is not to waste your money on dangerous pills or to squander it on lottery tickets.

Set a worthy goal…

Identify the incremental steps necessary to get there,

And…

Begin your journey.

Know in advance that the wisdom, discipline, and understanding that come from the journey are equally as valuable as anything at its end.

Rubel Shelly

Rubel Shelly is a Preacher and Professor of Religion and Philosophy located in Rochester Hills, Michigan.

Friday, June 15, 2012

The Best Dad


The Best Dad

Years ago I heard a story of a dad named Paul who gave his young son a small chalkboard to practice writing on. One evening his son called out from the bedroom, “Dad, how do you spell best?”

Paul answered him. Moments later, the boy hollered, “How do you spell kid?”

Finally he asked, “How do you spell ever?”

When the boy showed him what he’d written on the chalkboard, Paul expected to see “I’m the best kid ever.” Instead, the boy beamed as Paul read the message: “You’re the best dad a kid can ever have.”

Paul recalled that it was one of the best days of his life. In fact, he had to buy his son another chalkboard because he wanted to save this message forever and hang it on his wall. It’s still there.

Feeling appreciated is enormously important to adults as well as children. So much so that we often don’t think enough about what we’d most like to be appreciated for.

Being appreciated at work is a big deal. Who doesn’t want approval and respect from one’s boss and coworkers? Beyond the economic value of raises, promotions, and commendations, praise can be gratifying and motivating. That’s why good employers look for opportunities to acknowledge and thank employees for their contributions.

Yet as meaningful as work recognition is, if you could choose between winning your child’s “Best Mom/Dad a Kid Can Ever Have” award and being named “Best Employee,” which would you choose?

The point is not to belittle the pursuit of approval in your business life but to remind you how much more meaningful it is to know you’re important to and appreciated by the people who love and need you the most. Your most important job in life is to be worthy of that appreciation.

Being the “best ever” mom or dad, husband or wife, or friend – it doesn’t get any better than that.

Michael Josephson
www.charactercounts.org

Happy Father’s Day to all Dads everywhere.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

National Society of Virtual Bankruptcy Assistants "Red Envelope"

The National Society of Virtual Bankruptcy Assistants would like to send you our “NSVBA Red Envelope."

What is the NSVBA Red Envelope?

The NSVBA Red Envelope if filled with information about NSVBA, its members, and the VBA industry.  It is a 6x9 envelope which consists of letter openers, business cards, brochures, flyers and pens.

Tell us where to send your NSVBA Red Envelope.

Email Vikki Watanabe directly at vikki@nsvba.com

Do You Need a Virtual Assistant now?

Attorneys: You can find a qualified VBA (Virtual Paralegal, Virtual Legal Assistant) at the NSVBA All Member Directory at: http://nsvba.com/find-a-vba/vba-member-profiles

NSVBA Offers a FREE Referral Source for Attorneys

If you are pressed for time and would prefer to speak to someone at NSVBA, give us a call today. We’re happy to assist.

We can match you up with a qualified VBA (Virtual Paralegal, Virtual Legal Assistant)  to specifically meet your needs.  If you are not satisfied with the referral, let us know, we will work to help you find the “right match”.

Disclaimer: National Society of Virtual Bankruptcy Assistants is not an employment agency.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

GUEST BLOG POST-Five Essential Considerations When Outsourcing Bankruptcy Support Services

Five Essential Considerations When Outsourcing Bankruptcy Support Services: Finding the “Perfect Fit”

As a paralegal contracting “virtual” legal support services, I am sensitive to the ongoing debate over the pros and cons of outsourced legal support.  At the outset, let me say that I have the utmost respect for those firms that oppose the idea; there are legitimate concerns giving rise to that position. But the virtual legal support relationship can prove such a significant asset that it should not be overlooked in any legal support benefit analysis.

Bankruptcy attorneys are among those in the profession to embrace the benefits of outsourced legal support.  In re Van Dyke, 296 B.R. 591 (Bankr.Mass., 2003) favorably resolved the issue of the appropriateness of reimbursement for fees paid to an outside bankruptcy paralegal for preparing a modified Chapter 13 plan by first making clear the conditions which must be met when attorneys engage paraprofessionals:  The paralegal must be properly trained, experienced, and adequately supervised, can never provide legal advice, and may be delegated work only after the attorney meets with the client and determines the tasks needed to be performed.  And when compensation is sought for those services, the paralegal’s work must be itemized in detail and the fee justified.

Whether prospecting for in-house or outsourced bankruptcy support, the obvious single most important task, then, is to find the right support professional and thereafter to provide adequate supervision and make a detailed record of fees for which compensation may be sought.  But finding the right support professional within the local pool of available applicants can be hugely frustrating, time consuming, and fruitless. Expanding the search to include virtual legal support professionals can increase exponentially the odds of finding the “perfect fit”.

Five essential areas to consider when seeking outsourced bankruptcy support include the following:
  • First, identify the level of support needed in relation to the firm's support budget (purely administrative, Virtual Bankruptcy Assistant, or specialized Bankruptcy Paralegal); itemize weak areas and look for prospects with the ability to fill the gaps (the perfect fit may fill gaps you didn’t know you had!);
  • Next consider the background, education, experience, and professional associations of prospects in relation to the level of support you need;
  • Ask for references and samples of work product to support the prospect’s stated skill level;
  • Inquire into office automation, technologies, and software to confirm compatibility with your existing systems; and
  • Most importantly, query the policies and practices in place to protect and secure the private nature of your clients’ personal and financial information.

If I had in front of me each attorney reading this article, I would ask for a show of hands by those who have ever worked closely with a knowledgeable, experienced, and trusted in-house support professional – that one person on whom you confidently rely to assist you in “dotting your i’s and crossing your t’s”.  The kind of support person who kindly, capably, and efficiently engages with clients to elicit the information needed to assist you in properly presenting their matters, all the while understanding that you, the attorney, are the sole advisor and decision maker.  No micromanagement or over-the-shoulder supervision is required to ensure diligent, focused, and dedicated efforts and top-quality, reliable work product.  And with a firm grasp of local procedure and a sufficient understanding of relevant law, there is fostered between you confident dialogue and exchanges of suggestions and brainstorms as unique situations arise.

Those of you have had the pleasure of this kind of working relationship understand the confidence and relief that comes with the involvement of knowledgeable, experienced, and trusted legal support.

Now, put those professionals in a satellite office and consider for a moment just how their “virtual” contributions could and would continue to prove them viable and integral members of your legal teams . . . it can and does work.

Outsourcing, of course, is not for every firm but for those attorneys and legal support professionals who reach out and find that virtual perfect fit – one comprised of mutual respect, appreciation, and trust – the rewards are tangible and ongoing and the relationships dynamic and successful.

Jeannie Lynch
Paralegal-Owner, Lynch Legal Support
Specialized Bankruptcy Paralegal Support
http://www.lynchlegalsupport.com

Director of Paralegal Studies,King Bankruptcy Academy
http://www.bankruptcyacademy.com

Advisory Council Member, National Society of Virtual Bankruptcy Assistants
http://www.nsvba.com