Disclaimer

Attorney advertising. This website is an advertisement for legal services offered by The Merna Law Group, P.C., a Virginia professional corporation doing business as Merna Law. The Merna Law Group, P.C. is a debt relief agency. We help people file for bankruptcy relief under the Bankruptcy Code.

Not Legal Advice

This website does not constitute legal advice or the provision of legal services. The information here is intended to educate the public generally and is not intended to provide solutions to individual problems. You should not act or rely on any information on this website without first consulting an attorney about your specific circumstances. Use of or reliance on information on this site, without consulting our attorneys in advance, is at your own risk.

The Merna Law Group, P.C. does not warrant the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site. The site is made available “as-is.” Laws, court rules, filing fees, exemption amounts, and means-test figures change frequently, and content on this site may not reflect the most recent changes.

No Attorney-Client Relationship

Transmission of information through this website — including through any contact form, intake form, chat feature, or automated tool — is not intended to create, and does not create, an attorney-client relationship with The Merna Law Group, P.C. or any member of the firm.

An attorney-client relationship is formed only after the firm has checked for conflicts, you have signed a written engagement agreement, and the firm has agreed to represent you. Until that occurs, the firm is not responsible for any deadline, statute of limitations, foreclosure sale date, garnishment, repossession, hearing, or other time-sensitive matter affecting you.

Nothing you submit through this website is confidential or protected by the attorney-client privilege. Please do not send confidential, sensitive, or time-sensitive information through this site. If you have an urgent matter — a scheduled foreclosure sale, an active garnishment, a hearing date, or a pending repossession — call 1-800-662-8813 rather than relying on a web form or email. The firm is not responsible for the failure, delay, interception, or misdelivery of any electronic communication.

Consultation Fees

Most initial bankruptcy consultations at The Merna Law Group, P.C. are provided free of charge. Some matters require a paid consultation, and a fee will apply.

Whether a consultation is free depends on our intake criteria. Matters that commonly require a paid consultation include, but are not limited to:

• A prior bankruptcy filing that may affect eligibility or discharge
• Business, self-employment, or investment-property debt
• Pending litigation, judgments, or collection actions requiring analysis
• Unfiled federal or state tax returns
• Recent transfers of property, or significant non-exempt assets
• Questions that fall outside bankruptcy, or where the person is not presently considering a bankruptcy filing
• Insufficient information provided in advance to permit meaningful analysis
• Circumstances that are complex, unsettled, or still developing

If a fee applies to your matter, we will tell you the amount before anything is scheduled. No one is charged for a consultation without being told the fee in advance and agreeing to it in writing. Where a consultation fee is credited against attorney fees upon retention, the terms and time limits of that credit will be stated in writing when the consultation is scheduled. A paid consultation is earned when the consultation is provided.

A consultation — whether free or paid — is not a guarantee that the firm will agree to represent you. The firm does not accept every matter.

No Guarantee of Outcome

The Merna Law Group, P.C. does not guarantee any particular result in any bankruptcy case or other matter. Past results do not predict or guarantee future outcomes.

Whether you receive a discharge, retain particular property, qualify under a particular chapter, or obtain confirmation of a Chapter 13 plan depends on your individual facts, on the accuracy and completeness of the information you provide, and on determinations made by the bankruptcy court, the trustee, the United States Trustee, and your creditors — none of which are within the firm’s control.

Any analysis, chapter recommendation, eligibility assessment, or fee quote given during an initial consultation is preliminary, is based solely on the information you provide, and is not final until confirmed after a full document review. Statements on this website about timeframes, costs, or likely outcomes are general and do not apply to any specific case. Fee and cost figures appearing on this website are estimates for general reference and are not an offer. Actual fees and costs are set in a signed written agreement.

Where We Practice

The attorneys of The Merna Law Group, P.C. are licensed in the Commonwealth of Virginia and practice before the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, with offices in Virginia Beach, Newport News, and Richmond.

By posting and maintaining this website, the firm does not intend to solicit legal business from persons located in states or jurisdictions where the firm or its individual attorneys are not licensed or authorized to practice law, and does not wish to represent anyone seeking representation on the basis of this website in any jurisdiction where this website fails to comply with applicable law and ethical rules.

Referrals

The firm does not accept every matter. If we decline your matter, or if it falls outside our practice areas, we may suggest that you consult another attorney or organization. Any such suggestion is a convenience only. The firm does not endorse, supervise, or accept responsibility for the services of any attorney or organization to whom you are referred, and the firm receives no compensation for any referral.

Links to Other Sites

Some links within this website may lead to other sites. The Merna Law Group, P.C. does not necessarily sponsor, endorse, warrant the accuracy of, or otherwise approve of the materials appearing on such sites.

Related Policies

This Disclaimer should be read together with the firm’s Terms of Use, Bankruptcy Disclosures, and Cookie Policy.

Responsibility for Content; No Waiver

Attorney John G. Merna is designated as the person responsible for the content of this website in compliance with the Rules of the Virginia State Bar.

In the event an attorney-client relationship is established, nothing contained in this Disclaimer, the Terms of Use, the Bankruptcy Disclosures, or otherwise advertised on this website shall constitute a waiver of liability for legal malpractice or of the application of the Virginia Rules of Professional Conduct.

Last updated: September 13, 2026

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