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Todd Morse
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Todd Morse
Morse & Associates, LLC
910 16th St.
Denver, CO 80202
Phone: (303) 300-6684 | Fax: (720) 941-2755
http://www.morsebankruptcy.com
Large Firm, Personable Service
Legal Topic
Bankruptcy
Preferred New Clients
I prefer to take on Consumer Bankruptcies - Chapters 7 & 13 - Debtor's Counsel.
Sub-Categories
Bankruptcy
- Chapter 13
- Chapter 7
- Debt Relief
- Garnishments
- Personal Bankruptcy
- Foreclosures
Bar Admissions
CO, May 2005
Bar Number: 36421
Other Court Admissions
The Colorado State Court, and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court - District of Colorado.
Association Memberships
The Colorado Bar Association and the Denver Bar Association.
Continuing Education
I complete my CLEs through seminars and through topic readings.
Example Cases
The most common type of cases that I handle, of late, involved a couple who want to save their home, on which they are a few payments behind. We were able to roll their missed payments into a Chapter 13 plan, save their home and remove the unsecured debt, which was weighing them down and making the mortgage payment impossible. Another typical case involved a Chapter 7 client who had gone through a medical situation and could not overcome the hospital bills. This client was able to have a Chapter 7 filed on their behalf and, by doing so, had all of their medical debts removed - allowing them to concentrate on recovery, not debt. Another common Chapter 7 case pulled a young client out of a divorce situation that had left them in financial dire straits such that they could get on with the business of rebuilding the rest of their life.
Education
Degree:
Juris Doctorate
School:
Thomas Jefferson School of Law
City:
San Diego
State:
CA
Year:
2003
Honors:
Dean's List - Graduated with Honors
Focus and Accomplishments:
Focus on Financial Law, Real Estate Law and Constitutional Law
Degree:
B.A.
School:
Baylor University
City:
Waco
State:
TX
Year:
1998
Focus and Accomplishments:
Political Philosophy
Number of Attorneys
3
State Licensed In
Colorado
Firm Focus and History
My name is C. Todd Morse, founding attorney of Morse & Associates, LLC. I worked commercial real estate in Southern California during law school. Upon graduation I began negotiating taxes on behalf of citizens against the IRS. The field of Consumer Bankruptcy always played a role in each of these practices, but as time passed, it played an ever increasing role. As my exposure to bankruptcy increased, so did my interest. I began to work on Consumer Bankruptcies with increased frequency and shortly thereafter, became the managing attorney for a large Denver consumer bankruptcy law firm. While managing this firm, I worked thousands of consumer bankruptcies and formulated what I believe to be a "better way" to approach the practice of bankruptcy law: That is a law firm that wishes to practice Consumer Bankruptcies should only practice Consumer Bankruptcies. Subtleties and nuances in the Bankruptcy Code require too much attention for part-time attorneys or firms wishing to dabble in several different fields. Also, that firms must be responsive to their client. This means that they must be organized such that clients have access to the answers that they need, when they need it. I began Morse & Associates, LLC on the first day of the New Bankruptcy Code (October 17, 2005) with the singleness of purpose to provide consumers protection under the New Bankruptcy Code at an affordable rate, with straight forward pricing and service. To date, I believe that we have achieved this, but we are always looking forward, ever refining our process, in order to serve our clients interests even better. With this philosophy, we currently find ourselves one of the largest firms in Colorado having filed and discharged debt in literally thousands of bankruptcies.
Morse & Associates, LLC was founded on the first day of the New Bankruptcy Law specifically to handle Consumer Bankruptcies under the new law as Debtors' Counsel. We exclusively practice in the area of consumer bankruptcy as debtor's counsel. We specialize in Chapter 7 Liquidation "Fresh Start" bankruptcies and Chapter 13 "Repayment" Bankruptcies.
Previous Employment Summary
Marcus & Millichap Commercial Real Estate Brokerage - San Diego, CA
Independent tax Negotiation
Macey & Aleman - Managing Attorney for Colorado
Founding Attorney - Morse & Associates, LLC
What is your opinion regarding clients educating themselves on legal issues?
Clients should educate themselves as much as possible before filing for Bankruptcy. When someone makes the decision to seek counsel regarding their finances, it is usually after all other avenues have expired and they generally are nervous, confused, or simply worn out by their circumstances. The best way to overcome these uncertainties is to know where you are and what you can do. If clients can obtain this peace of mind through self education then it's worth it. We strive to educate our clients on their options/solutions and try to use their familiarity of the process as a bedrock from which we can relay a solution to them. There is little worse than someone who has hired a professional and has no idea what is going on in their case. Attorneys can get a bankruptcy completed without their clients knowing much about bankruptcy at all, but in practical experience, clients seem to obtain a great deal more relief when they are aware of what is happening in their case, and of course, how the legal issues transpiring will affect them.
Are you willing to review documents prepared by clients?
We ask all clients to write down their debts and concerns prior to coming in for their consultations. We do not have clients draft their own legal documents. There was a time when consumer bankruptcies could be filled out by lay people - they were originally designed to be filled out at the courthouse with a ball point pen, but those days are long gone. We piloted and received special permission from the Court to implement a program, whereby simple Chapter 7 cases are written by our staff and then filed by our clients. But even with this program we have to be very careful to review the case for any complicating issues that could require counsel down the line. There is simply no advantage to the client to save them a penny today, only to set them up to pay a dollar tomorrow.
Are you willing to coach clients who want to represent themselves?
We offer an Assisted Filing Program for simple Chapter 7 cases. In this program our office drafts all of the client's documents and they take them to the Court to file them by themselves. Clients should not draft bankruptcy petitions on their own. The bankruptcy code has become too complex, especially in recent years, and minor omissions or errors in drafting can cause major headaches down the line. Simply put, the Judge is an attorney, the trustee hearing your case is an attorney, and your creditors have attorneys - you should have an attorney advocating your rights too.
Why did you decide to be a lawyer?
I made the decision to become a lawyer primarily based on my background of Political Philosophy and Debate. I have a natural ability and love for advocacy and needed to find a venue in which to practice. I chose bankruptcy because I like the clients and the challenge. When you practice bankruptcy law, you get the opportunity to represent normal people, from every walk of life. Very few fields of law allow you to lock horns daily with major credit card companies and national banks. I know from my experience that I am where I belong - between large, faceless national interests be it banks or lenders, and the every day people whose live are burdened by them.
What work experience and education helps you be a better lawyer?
I have a rather eclectic list of life experience that in great part delivered me to the practice of bankruptcy law. I have yet to meet another attorney who has the real estate, financial, or debt negotiation experience that I have had. Some have degrees in these fields, but I spent my young life working in these fields in the real world - learning how to actually get things done and building professional relationships that benefit my practice and my clients.
Why did you decide on your primary area of practice?
I chose my primary area of practice because it was the only field which would utilize all of my past financial experience. It also allows me the opportunity to practice law in a field where we get to see people actually recover in their lives. Few events in your life have the ability to deliver an impact as financial stress. The damage that it can wreak on marriages, families, job security and one's overall outlook on life is astonishing. By practicing exclusively in the field of consumer bankruptcy, I get to watch literally thousands of people every year take control of their lives again and take a new hold of a hope for a better future.
What do you like best about your career?
I enjoy the opportunity to meet new people every day and to provide for them a strategy which will allow them, to take charge of their lives. I enjoy the challenge of standing up to large national corporations who I believe unfairly burden people with excessive interest rate and penalties and use the laws of the land to advocate for the every day citizen. There is no other field of law where you can do so much good or get so many quality results for as many people.
Tell us about your law firm:
In Denver, I have a staff of two exceptional attorneys. I personally trained them both and in doing so have strove to instill my since of pride in representation. The Denver staff also holds two paralegals, who I cannot say enough about. They are both extremely well versed in the legal issues surrounding bankruptcy law and constantly are delving further into the field. I cannot tell you how many compliments I receive form clients, every week, regarding my paralegal staff. We also have several receptionists who do a wonderful job maintaining communications between the attorneys and our clients. The most common complaint that I hear from clients when they tell me about their "other" representation is that they could not talk to anyone or no one returned their phone calls. Our reception staff has only one job and that is to communicate with clients. To this effect, they answer all incoming phone calls -our clients do not leave an endless stream of unanswered phone messages. They also make sure that the attorneys who are requested get the messages that their clients wish to leave for them and that the attorneys are able to get in contact with the clients. In our other Colorado offices, we are currently in Colorado Springs and will be expanding to Ft. Collins and Grand Junction this summer; we have local attorneys with their own establish practices. We have had great relationships with these attorneys. We asked around before we hired them to see what others' experiences had been.
What are your strengths and style?
My strengths lie in my ability to communicate with everyday people regarding complicated legal issues. Nothing is worse than already being frustrated and then to have a lawyer speak legalese to you. The whole point of a consultation is to give the client a sense of what can be done to solve their current situation - not to explore the attorney's vocabulary. We keep things fairly simple at Morse & Associates. After your consult, you will know if you should file, how much it will cost to file, and what chapter you would most benefit from filing. Straight forward talk and representation is our strength.
Personal Interests:
I actually share a lot of my personal interests with my staff. On weekends, you can find most of us rock climbing or riding motorcycles. If you are ever on HWY 6 leaving Golden and see climbers on the cliffs to the right and left of the road, then give a honk - it's probably a good portion of the Morse & Associates' Staff.
Office Manager/Assistant
Jessica Howard
Fax
(720) 941-2755
Office Hours
Monday through Friday
9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Consults are taken until 6:00 p.m.
Emergency After Hours
Yes
Fixed-Price Services and Fees
All of our bankruptcies are done on a fixed or "flat" rate. This means that once your case is filed, you do not have any additional monies to pay your attorney. We do not have hidden charges (copies, paper clips, etc.) and we do not charge you by the hour. Clients are not billed for each and every phone call. You pay one fee and that is it. As with any legal representation, rates can vary based upon the legal complexities and filing timing of the case.
Hourly Rates
This not applicable.
Free Initial Consultation?
We do have free initial consultations - they last as long as they need to in order to assess the client, or potential client's, situation.
Typical Retainer
We consider ourselves retained once the client has placed a $100 deposit with the firm. At this point, many clients elect to tell their creditors that they have retained counsel, give the creditors our name and phone number so that the creditors can verify representation through our call center. Once this is done, creditors typically cease calling our clients for some time, allowing them the necessary peace of mind to pull their documents together and get ready to file.
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Attorneys have passed a licensing check. Nolo has confirmed that every member attorney has a valid license and is in good standing with the applicable bar associations upon joining the directory.
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