Frequently Asked Questions

A Virtual Bankruptcy Assistant (VBA), also known as a Bankruptcy Petition Specialist^™, prepares bankruptcy paperwork for attorneys and their clients — entirely remotely from home. When someone files for bankruptcy, they submit a detailed collection of legal documents to the court called a bankruptcy petition. It contains financial information about the filer: income, expenses, assets, liabilities, and creditor claims.

Preparing that petition accurately and completely is a specialized skill in high demand. VBAs handle that work on behalf of attorneys, freeing up the law firm to focus on legal strategy and client relationships.

No — and that is one of the most exciting things about this career. No college degree, paralegal certification, or prior legal experience is required. Some of the most successful VBAs never attended college. The training at 713training.com is built from the ground up for complete beginners.

You need to complete a bankruptcy petition drafting course. The 713 Training courses cover everything from the basic bankruptcy concepts to mastering the drafting of Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy petitions.

Most students complete training in a few weeks to a few months, studying in their spare time. The courses are available online 24/7 so you can move at your own pace. Many students begin working with attorneys before they have even finished training.

NAVBA members receive a 10% discount on all 713 Training courses.

Chapter 7 (liquidation bankruptcy) is the most common type. The petition is shorter and typically takes 3 hours for an experienced VBA. It is generally the best starting point for new bankruptcy assistants.

Chapter 13 (reorganization bankruptcy) involves a repayment plan and requires additional forms and schedules. Chapter 13 petitions take longer to prepare but also pay more per case. Experienced VBAs who handle both types significantly expand their client base and earning potential.

In partnership with 713 Training, the NAVBA offers separate certification exams for Chapter 7, Chapter 13, and a combined Chapter 7 + Chapter 13 certification. See the Chapter 7 and 13 Certification Exam page for details.

Training timelines vary based on your schedule and how quickly you study, but most students complete their 713 Training course in a few weeks to a few months studying part-time.

Certification exams are open-book and based directly on the 713 Training course materials — completing the training is the best and really the only preparation you need. Many students pursue certification shortly after finishing training.

As a NAVBA member, you get a free listing in the VBA Directory — a public-facing page that attorneys visit to find trained and certified bankruptcy petition drafters. Your listing can include your name, business name, location, phone number, email, website, and a short description of your services.

Attorneys browse the directory and reach out to you directly — there is no middleman and no staffing agency taking a cut. Once an attorney contacts you, the relationship is yours.

Your listing is active as long as your NAVBA membership is current.

Both — and that flexibility is one of the biggest advantages of this career:

• 1 petition/month (3–5 hours of work): ~$400/mo — a solid side income
• 5 petitions/month (~5 hrs/week): ~$2,000/mo
• 10–15 petitions/month (10–20 hrs/week): $4,000–$5,000/mo
• Full-time: Many VBAs have built six-figure income businesses

Most people start part-time alongside their current job and grow from there. The faster you get, the more you earn per hour.

Use the income calculator at 713training.com to estimate your earnings based on how many petitions you want to handle each month.

You use whatever bankruptcy petition software the attorney or law firm uses. Common platforms include Best Case, Jubilee and others — all use the same standardized federal bankruptcy forms and schedules, so the skills transfer across all platforms.

Beyond that, all you need is a computer with internet access, an email address, and a phone. No special office setup, no expensive equipment, no commute.

There are several ways to land your first attorney client:

• VBA Directory listing — attorneys actively search the NAVBA directory for trained drafters
• 4,000-attorney marketing list — included with your NAVBA membership, this is a targeted list of bankruptcy attorneys you can reach out to directly
• Attorney leads — The NAVBA shares direct leads with the three geographically closest VBAs to the attorney seeking to outsource petition drafting.
• Local outreach — many VBAs start by contacting bankruptcy attorneys in their own city or state
• Referrals — once you have one satisfied attorney, word of mouth often takes care of the rest

The attorney marketing list is a curated database of over 4,000 bankruptcy attorneys all across the United States. It is included with your NAVBA membership and is one of the most practical tools for building your client base quickly.

We recommend that you use affordable online resources to create and mail postcards to attorneys in your home state and surrounding states, or anywhere you want to do business or travel/vacation to.

Membership is not required to work as a VBA — you can take the 713 Training courses and start working with attorneys without joining. However, NAVBA membership gives you tools and visibility that make it significantly easier to find clients and build your business: a directory listing that attorneys search, a 4,000-attorney marketing list, attorney leads, the NAVBA certification credential, and a community of fellow VBAs. Most serious VBAs find that membership pays for itself many times over.

The 713 Training courses teach you how to draft bankruptcy petitions. NAVBA membership is what helps you build a business doing it. Every NAVBA membership tier includes the same full set of benefits — pricing is based only on the term you choose:

• 10% discount on all 713training.com courses
• Free listing in the NAVBA VBA Directory
• Access to the 4,000-attorney marketing list
• Attorney leads (when available)
• The VBA Toolkit ($300 value)
• 4 years of legacy recorded teleconferences
• PACER training
• Free marketing ebook
• Free email petition support
• Growing community of bankruptcy petition professionals

Yes — and many members do. Joining before you finish training lets you take advantage of the 10% course discount right away, access the VBA Toolkit and legacy teleconferences while you are learning, and start building community connections early. Your VBA Directory listing can be activated once you are ready to take clients.

NAVBA membership is available on four billing schedules:

• Monthly: $29.95/mo
• 3-Month: $84.95 (~5% savings vs. monthly)
• 6-Month: $159.95 (~11% savings)
• Yearly: $297 (~17% savings)

All tiers include every benefit — the only difference is how often you pay and the savings on longer terms. See the Join NAVBA page to choose your plan.

Your NAVBA membership automatically renews at the interval you chose when you joined — monthly, every 3 months, every 6 months, or every year. You will receive a renewal notice before each billing date.

To cancel or update your membership, open the invoice/receipt you received when you joined and use the link to “Click here to manage your billing details and view purchase history”. You can also call us at 1-800-535-9984 or email us at info@navba.org.

Open the invoice/receipt you received when you joined and use the link to manage your billing details. You can cancel at any time — your access continues through the end of your current billing period, and you will not be charged again after that. If you have questions, contact us at info@navba.org or call 1-800-535-9984.

VBAs work under the direction of licensed attorneys. The attorney is the professional of record — they review, approve, and electronically file every petition with the bankruptcy court. You prepare the petition; the attorney is responsible for its accuracy and filing.

This means you do not need a law license, paralegal certification, errors and omissions insurance, or any other liability coverage. You are performing skilled administrative work on behalf of a licensed attorney, not practicing law independently.

Yes — 100%. Because the work is entirely remote, you can draft petitions for attorneys anywhere in the United States. Most VBAs work with attorneys both in their home state and across the country, dramatically expanding their client base and income potential. Bankruptcy law is federal, so the forms and process are the same nationwide.

All members can help NAVBA grow by spreading the word through email, blogs, and professional networks. One easy way is to share NAVBA articles and announcements with others in your network, or post on legal-related forums along with your own experiences as a member.

NAVBA also welcomes member feedback, success stories, and suggestions. The organization is built by and for its members — your input directly shapes what we offer and how we serve the VBA community.

When telling others about NAVBA, always include our website: www.navba.org