About the Firm

The Law Offices of Albert Goodwin, PLLC is a boutique New York City law firm representing debtors in consumer and small-business bankruptcy. We file Chapter 7, Chapter 13, and Chapter 11 cases in the U.S. Bankruptcy Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, and we have been practicing in New York since 2008.

NY Fresh Start is our bankruptcy practice. Through it we help individuals and families discharge unmanageable debt, stop foreclosure and wage garnishment, and rebuild credit. We also represent business owners restructuring through Chapter 11 and Subchapter V.

What Makes Us Different

You Talk to the Attorney

Many bankruptcy firms in New York are high-volume operations where intake is handled by non-lawyers, the petition is prepared by paralegals using template software, and the attorney does not meet the client until the 341 meeting. That is not how we work. Albert Goodwin personally meets with every client, reviews every petition before it is filed, and personally attends the 341 meeting and any contested hearings.

We Tell You When Not to File

Bankruptcy is a tool, not a goal. If your debts are old enough that the statute of limitations has run, if a creditor has violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, if a single negotiated settlement would resolve the problem, or if you simply don't have enough debt to justify a filing — we will tell you. We make our living filing bankruptcies, but we will not file yours unless it is the right answer for you.

Eighteen Years of Court Experience

Albert Goodwin has been licensed to practice in New York since 2008. The firm has handled hundreds of bankruptcy matters and thousands of litigation matters in state and federal court. That depth of courtroom experience matters when a case becomes contested — when a trustee challenges an exemption, when a creditor objects to discharge, or when a Chapter 13 plan needs to be confirmed over objection.

Local Knowledge

We file regularly before the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York (One Bowling Green, Manhattan; 300 Quarropas St., White Plains) and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of New York (271-C Cadman Plaza East, Brooklyn; 290 Federal Plaza, Central Islip). We know which trustees scrutinize which assets, which judges have which preferences, and how the Chapter 13 standing trustees interpret the local rules.

Practice Areas

• Chapter 7 Bankruptcy — liquidation of unsecured debt for qualifying debtors.
• Chapter 13 Bankruptcy — three-to-five-year repayment plans to save a home or restructure debt.
• Chapter 11 Bankruptcy — corporate reorganization and Subchapter V for small businesses.
• Business Bankruptcy — LLC, corporation, and partnership wind-downs and restructurings.
• Foreclosure Defense — stopping foreclosure sales and curing mortgage arrears.
• Creditor Harassment — ending collection calls, bank levies, and wage garnishments.
• Debt Relief Alternatives — non-bankruptcy options when they fit better.

Where We Practice

Our office is in Midtown Manhattan at 31 W 34th Street. We represent clients across all five boroughs — Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island — and throughout the New York metropolitan area, including Nassau County, Suffolk County, Westchester County, Rockland County, and Orange County.

How We Charge

Bankruptcy work in our office is billed on a flat fee, quoted at engagement, that covers the petition through discharge in a routine case. We do not charge by the hour for routine consumer matters, and we do not surprise clients with mid-case fee escalations. The engagement letter spells out exactly what is included, exactly what is excluded (typically adversary proceedings, contested motions for relief from stay, and similar non-routine matters), and exactly what the all-in cost will be.

Court filing fees, credit counseling fees, and financial management course fees are itemized separately so you can see precisely what is being paid to whom. Most Chapter 13 cases allow a portion of attorney's fees to be paid through the plan rather than out of pocket up front, which significantly reduces the cash required at engagement. We accept credit cards, debit cards, and bank transfers, and we offer payment plans for Chapter 7 retainers where the situation justifies it.

Working With Out-of-State Co-Counsel

Bankruptcy is a federal practice, but local procedure varies meaningfully between districts. New York lawyers who refer clients to us from outside the state typically do so because they want the case handled by counsel admitted in the SDNY and EDNY who appears in front of the local trustees and judges regularly. We work cooperatively with referring counsel, keep them informed of case developments, and respect prior attorney-client relationships. We are happy to discuss co-counsel arrangements where appropriate.

Conflicts and Confidentiality

Every prospective client is screened for conflicts at the consultation stage against our active and prior client database. The initial consultation is held in confidence whether or not you decide to retain us. Communications with the firm, both before and after engagement, are protected by the attorney-client privilege and the New York Rules of Professional Conduct.

What We Do Not Do

We are a bankruptcy boutique. We do not handle personal injury, criminal defense, immigration, or general civil litigation. When a client's situation calls for those services, we refer to attorneys we trust in those practice areas and coordinate with them as needed. Concentrating exclusively on debtor representation lets us go deeper on the issues that come up repeatedly in bankruptcy practice — exemption planning, lien-stripping motions, non-dischargeability defenses, lift-stay practice, and the means test — rather than spreading attention across unrelated practice areas.

Our Caseload Philosophy

The firm deliberately keeps its active caseload small. A high-volume bankruptcy practice can file dozens of new petitions a month and still survive economically — but that volume comes at a cost. The clients in those practices typically meet their attorney for the first time at the 341 meeting, if then. The petitions are assembled from template software by paralegals who never see the full picture. Errors that should have been caught at the schedule-review stage make it into the filing.

We take the opposite approach. Albert personally meets with every prospective client at the consultation stage, personally reviews the petition before filing, personally attends every 341 meeting, and personally handles every contested matter that arises in the case. The number of new matters the firm takes on each month is bounded by the number Albert can personally see through to completion at this level of attention.

What Clients Tell Us They Value

The recurring themes in feedback from prior clients:

• Direct attorney access. Clients want to talk to their lawyer when they have a question, not a paralegal who has to "check with the attorney and call you back."
• Plain English. Bankruptcy is full of jargon — means test, automatic stay, 341 meeting, reaffirmation, lien stripping, cramdown, absolute priority rule, fraudulent conveyance. A good consultation translates the jargon into the practical decisions the client actually has to make.
• Honesty about the trade-offs. Every chapter has costs and limits. The client deserves to hear the limits as clearly as the benefits before deciding what to do.
• Flat-fee predictability. Hourly bills create incentives that misalign with what clients want. A flat fee aligns the firm's interest with finishing the case efficiently.

To schedule a free consultation, call 212-233-1233 or email [email protected]. Calls during business hours are answered directly by Albert — you will not be routed to an intake screener or asked to leave a message with a non-lawyer.