Law Office of Jon G. Brooks

Our Goal-to Free You from Debt and Restore Your Dignity

This lawyer is licensed to practice in California and has no record of discipline from the California bar association.*

Firm Overview

Consumer Bankruptcy, Small Business Bankruptcy, Estate Planning, and Small Business Transactions.

Example cases

We help hundreds of clients every year stop foreclosures, strip off second mortgage liens, stop law suits and wage garnishments, discharge credit card and tax debt. Though their debt burdens may be common, every one of our clients is unique, and we treat them with individual, personal attention and respect.

Main Office

Main
941 W. Hedding Street
San Jose CA 95126

Phone

(408) 286-2766

Websites

Fees

Free Initial Consultation?

Yes. All potential bankruptcy clients are offered a free consultation without strict time limitations - generally lasting one hour.

Services Offered For Fixed Fees?

The vast majority of our services are offered on a flat-fee basis, including Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy (non-litigation), estate planning, and business formation and contracts.

Hourly Rates

In the rare cases where hourly rates apply, it is currently $325.

Office Information

Office Hours

Monday through Friday
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Office Manager

Kristine Sajan-Fencl

Emergency After Hours

Yes

Languages Spoken

Jon Brooks and Kristine Sajan-Fencl speak Spanish fluently. David Hsu speaks Korean fluently.

Is your firm willing to help a client with one discrete part of a case, without taking on the whole case?

Yes. We offer limited scope representation in business transactions routinely, but not in bankruptcy cases, which really require seeing the entire case through from start to finish if the client's best interests are to be served.

What are your policies about dividing work within the firm to make the process most cost-effective for the client?

We offer low, flat fees in bankruptcy cases. That means we don't bill by the hour for attorney time. We pride ourselves in making a skilled bankruptcy attorney available to every bankruptcy client to answer even routine questions and allay concerns. Much of this could be accomplished by a paralegal, but for just a flat fee, our clients get a skilled attorney without having to worry about the clock.

How frequently does your firm use mediation, arbitration, or collaborative law to resolve cases?

We're not litigation attorneys, and these types of alternative dispute resolution are not relevant to bankruptcy, estate planning or transactional business law.

Does your firm provide pro bono legal services or otherwise participate in your community?

We handle several pro bono bankruptcy cases every year for indigent clients.

What distinguishes your law firm from others?

Our attorneys have chosen to fight for David not Goliath. We practice consumer bankruptcy law precisely because our aim is to practice law humanely and fight for regular honest people. Sure, we could make far more money working for banks, credit card companies or insurance companies, but that's not who we are.

What is your firm's point of view regarding clients educating themselves on legal issues?

We practice law in Silicon Valley for some of the smartest, most inquisitive people in the world, and we admire our clients. Our attorneys spend hundreds of hours every year writing and publishing articles online aimed at raising the public's awareness and knowledge of bankruptcy law and estate planning with the aim of providing everyone with the tools to approach our common legal problems.

Is your firm willing to review documents prepared by clients?

Certainly. We regularly offer our thoughts and advice to clients with respect to their own documents, particularly client-drafted contracts in the context of our business transactional practice.

Is your firm willing to coach clients who want to represent themselves?

By definition, a person representing him - or herself is not represented by an attorney, having declined such representation. Because representing oneself in bankruptcy especially can result in disastrous loss of property, we actively discourage folks from taking self-representation. The risks are simply too great.

Jon Brooks

The Law Office of Jon G. Brooks was founded in March 2004 after Jon Brooks left the Peninsula law firm McGlashan & Sarrail where he was an associate attorney. The firm began practicing consumer bankruptcy law prior to the 2005 BAPCPA, the most significant changes to bankruptcy law in a generation, and ever since we have earned our reputation as one of the South Bay's most admired consumer bankruptcy law firms. In 2008 David Hsu joined our firm as an associate, and he has since established himself as an expert in all aspects of Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy.

License

Bar Number: 217930
California , 2001

Education

Santa Clara University School of Law
J.D. , 2001
Santa Clara, CA
High Technology Law Certificate; Study Abroad Participant in Madrid, Spain
University of Colorado
B.A. , 1994
Boulder, CO
Spanish & Latin American Literature; Bilingual; Study Abroad participant in Costa Rica.

* Nolo has confirmed that every member attorney has a valid license and is in good standing with the state agency that licenses lawyers. Any past disbarments and suspensions (with possible exceptions for minor violations or nonpayment of dues, in our discretion) will be indicated accordingly in the badge. Member attorneys are required to notify Nolo immediately if they become the subject of any disciplinary action by any state licensing agency.

Articles Written

Debt Settlement Can't Protect You from Being Sued by Credit Card Companies

Created On: 08/07/2012

People often turn to debt settlement or debt consolidation agencies in a good faith attempt to pay back their debts.

Does Filing Bankruptcy Affect Employment in California?

Created On: 07/12/2012

When considering whether or not to file personal bankruptcy, one of the issues consumer debtors often feel the most fear and trepidation is whether filing bankruptcy might either cause them to be fired from a present job or prevent them from getting another job in the future.