I think one of the most difficult things to try and impress upon a person seeking bankruptcy relief is how important it is to tell the truth. Today's news about ex-baseball player Lenny Dykstra being indicted for bankruptcy fraud helps to highlight my point. Basically Mr. Dykstra, of 1986 New York Mets fame, wasted or destroyed $400,000.00 in property that was part of the bankruptcy estate that would be used to repay creditors.
While situations like this are not normally comparable to my clients' case, it does illustrate an important lesson when filing any bankruptcy: always be truthful. I tell clients that when you are subjecting yourself to the jurisdiction of a federal court you always want to be forthright and truthful. That may seem heavy-handed but it really is the truth. There is all kinds of nasty trouble you can get yourself into if you don't disclose everything.
The basic lesson is this: don't do anything in your bankruptcy case without consulting with your attorney. You really want to avoid federal prison. That's just my personal view.
