The distinct difference between an employee and a virtual bankruptcy assistant is that he or she is an independent contractor that owns their own service company; just like the temporary service, computer tech or runner service. A virtual bankruptcy assistant also owns their own computer system and software programs which eliminates high overhead costs for attorneys.

When did this industry begin?  Although the virtual bankruptcy assistant field concept is not new, the virtual bankruptcy assistant field itself was developed in 2001 by Victoria Ring when she started The Lawyer Assistant and began preparing petitions for attorneys nationwide. However, the field actually began booming in 2005 when the Bankruptcy Court made it mandatory for attorneys to file all their bankruptcy petitions electronically (also known as ECF).

Why would an attorney need the services of a virtual bankruptcy assistant?  First of all, due to the state of the economy, mounting medical bills, the increase in foreclosures, loss of employment, the shipping of jobs overseas and other factors, there is more work than most law firms can handle. And the numbers are growing in record proportions every day. Click here to visit the American Bankruptcy Institute website and view the current statistics.

Why doesn't an attorney use their in-house staff for petitions?  Because preparing bankruptcy petitions is not the only thing a debtor law firms does.  Secondly, no law school or paralegal program at the present time teaches the skills of preparing well detailed Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy petitions.  Instead, law schools and paralegal programs concentrate their curriculum on business bankruptcy law, not consumer; which makes up the bulk of petitions that are filed. And now, with the changes in the bankruptcy law that were implemented in 2005, the need for professional training in the area of preparing well detailed bankruptcy petitions has dramatically increased. Not only does the court now require more detail but attorneys must charge higher fees because of the time factor in gathering documents that verify statements from the debtors regarding their assets and liabilities.

Due to these increased costs, attorneys nationwide are finding it essential to reduce their overhead in order to maintain a profit.  The best way to do this is to hire virtual bankruptcy assistants who are highly skilled and professionally trained in preparing Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy petitions. Below are some additional reasons attorneys hire virtual bankruptcy assistants to compliment their law firm:

ADVANTAGES TO HIRING
VIRTUAL BANKRUPTCY ASSISTANTS

	Attorneys do not pay the standard overhead costs associated with hiring a full-time or part-time employee. Virtual Bankruptcy Assistants charge one flat fee just like the bankruptcy attorney does.
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	Attorneys do not pay for services until they are satisfied with the quality of work produced by the Virtual Bankruptcy Assistant. There are no financial risks for the law firm and the attorney can find the quality he or she is seeking.
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	Attorneys do not invest in additional computer equipment or software. Virtual Bankruptcy Assistants maintain their own and are highly skilled in using their equipment and software or they would not stay in business.
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	Paralegals and other law firm personnel are freed up to work on more complex cases. It is a known fact that the typical employee preparing petitions in a law firm is interrupted several times. This makes the information on the bankruptcy petition to not be consistent and precise, resulting in errors.
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	Attorneys eliminate the need to train new employees. Most Virtual Bankruptcy Assistants stay with the same attorney for many years. Not only does this increase efficiency with bankruptcy petitions, but Virtual Bankruptcy Assistants get to know the clients, the local bankruptcy court and the attorney which helps them build a reliable reputation.
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	Attorneys utilizing the services of Virtual Bankruptcy Assistants who have been certified through the VBA Certification Exam can be assured of high quality and professionalism. Attorneys are encouraged to download the free VBA Certification Exam to see for themselves the rigorous testing a Virtual Bankruptcy Assistant must go through in order to achieve certification status. In fact, most attorneys have told us that our trained virtual bankruptcy assistants often have more knowledge of preparing well detailed Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy petitions than their own in-house staff.
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HOW DO YOU START?

	Find out more about the virtual bankruptcy assistant industry and get most of your questions answered by downloading the free ebook. Click here
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	View the free introductory video that provides you with a complete overview of the field. This video was presented at several online seminars in the past.  Click here
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	Click here to join the National Association of Virtual Bankruptcy Assistants so you can network with others who currently work in the field. Listen to previously recorded teleconferences, participate in the Member Forum, plus enjoy a 10% savings on all training products that you purchase.
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	Research the bankruptcy links, read the articles on the bankruptcy blog, email and communicate with Certified Virtual Bankruptcy Assistants. Click here
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	When you are ready to begin your training, there is no need to purchase bankruptcy software. Instead, decide what type of training works best for you and your budget. Victoria Ring has developed a wide range of training tools for you with prices starting at only $9.99. To view the various training products, Click here
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VIRTUAL ASSISTANT REFERENCES

The virtual bankruptcy assistant field is only one small nitch in the virtual assistant arena which is not only nationwide but international. Virtual assistants perform a wide range of specialized services such as medical transcription, computer technical support, administrative secretarial duties, web design and much, much more. Baby boomers are a contributing factor to the growth of the virtual assistant industry as well as the development of new and better technologies. Baby boomers, who have a great deal of knowledge and expertise can now work from home for a variety of different companies earning much more than they did working in an executive capacity.

We hope you decide to join the world of virtual assistants; and to encourage you even more, below are links to some of the national and international organizations:
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	International Virtual Assistants Association
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	International Association of Virtual Assistants
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	Virtual Assistant Chamber of Commerce
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	Alliance for Virtual Businesses
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	Virtual Assistant Search Engine Directory
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	Search for Virtual Assistants
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	Virtual Assistant Jobs