Bankruptcy Lawyers VS. Lawyers Practicing Bankruptcy Law

My Dad has really had his hands full - he’s been an incredible caregiver to my Mom who unfortunately has the dreaded disease Alzheimer’s.  He finally hired Judy to clean once a week for a couple of hours and she has also helped care for Mom with love and kindness. 
Judy, hard working, a single mom, cleaning houses and  waitressing to help support her daughter get through school so she can provide her young twins with a better life.  Along the way, Judy made some financial decisions that didn’t pan out and now she’s in over her head. Judy owes thousands to unsecure creditors.  I received a call from my Dad  explaining how Judy went to a lawyer to dicuss bankruptcy and the lawyer said she didn’t qualify for a Chapter 7 because she owns 2 cars. Judy’s daughter drives the 2nd car so she can get to and from school and take care of her twins.  The legal advice Judy received from a Florida attorney during her free consultation was that she couldn’t file a Chapter 7 which was $1500 plus filing fees but she could file a Chapter 13 pay $400 upfront and then she’d have to pay approximately $300 per month for 36 months to the Chapter 13 Trustee.  The lawyer never mentioned that his fees were to be paid from the $300 per month.  My Dad wasn’t quite sure what was wrong with the advice she received but he wanted to repay Judy for all her kindness so he called me.  I took down the facts and after going over her situation with a qualified bankruptcy attorney (my husband) the advice she received was not in Judy’s best interest.  Judy qualified for a Chapter 7 – the downside of a Chapter 7 is  she must pay for her filing & legal fees upfront – but her overall cost is thousands less than a Chapter 13, in her case $10,800 vs. $1500.  I asked her who she saw and this lawyer also practices family law, personal injury and bankruptcy.  Not the best choice.  So, was the legal advice based on greed or just lack of knowledge?  I went online and found her a qualified bankruptcy attorney. 
The decision to file bankruptcy is serious and so should your choice of attorney.  My free unsolicited advice – any qualified bankruptcy attorney will offer a free initial consultation – so get a second opinion and please consider hiring only an experienced bankruptcy attorney – preferably Board Certified.
No wonder there are so many negative jokes about lawyers.