About Lee Legal

Lee Legal is my bankruptcy and debt relief law practice, based in Washington DC and serving clients throughout the DC metro area, including Maryland and Northern Virginia.

I’ve spent more than two decades helping individuals, families, and business owners solve serious debt problems. That means stopping foreclosures, defending debt lawsuits, eliminating debt through bankruptcy, and protecting clients from aggressive creditors and collectors.

Every case starts the same way: I learn what’s actually happening in your life, not just what shows up on a credit report or a court filing. Then I build a strategy around it.

I help people solve debt problems. My practice covers three areas: bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and debt lawsuit defense.

Bankruptcy can eliminate qualifying debts, stop collection actions, and give you a fresh financial start. Chapter 7 wipes out credit card debt, medical bills, personal loans, and other unsecured debt, often within a few months. Chapter 13 reorganizes your debt into a structured repayment plan and is a common tool for stopping foreclosure and catching up on missed mortgage payments. Chapter 11 and Subchapter V serve individuals and businesses with more complex finances.

Foreclosure defense means taking legal action to stop, delay, or resolve a foreclosure. Once you receive a foreclosure notice, time matters. Depending on your facts, your options might include bankruptcy, a loan modification, a repayment agreement, litigation, or a negotiated resolution with the lender.

Debt lawsuit defense means fighting back when a creditor, debt buyer, or collection agency sues you. Being sued is not the same as losing. Creditors count on people doing nothing so they can win by default. With the right representation, many debt lawsuits get defended successfully, settled on better terms, or dismissed outright.

Whatever brought you here, my approach stays the same: understand the facts, lay out your real options, and build a strategy around your goals.

I serve clients throughout Washington DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia.

In Maryland, I represent clients in Montgomery County and Prince George’s County, including Bethesda, Silver Spring, Rockville, Gaithersburg, College Park, Bowie, Greenbelt, and Hyattsville.

In Northern Virginia, I represent clients in Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax County, Loudoun County, and Prince William County, including Falls Church, Reston, Herndon, Manassas, Woodbridge, and Tysons Corner.

I’m admitted to practice before the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Columbia, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland, and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Distance rarely matters. I handle most consultations and case communication by phone, video, or secure document sharing. What matters is that I know the law and procedure in your jurisdiction, because bankruptcy exemptions, foreclosure timelines, and debt collection rules differ across DC, Maryland, and Virginia.

If you’re not sure whether I serve your area, call (202) 448-5136 and ask.

I handle a wide range of serious debt problems, especially the kind where legal action is necessary or already underway.

Credit card debt, medical bills, and personal loans are the most common issues I see. When these debts pile up beyond what you can manage, bankruptcy can wipe out qualifying balances and stop collection activity for good.

Foreclosure is another major focus. When you fall behind on mortgage payments, your lender moves fast. The right legal help can be the difference between losing your home and keeping it.

Debt collection lawsuits get filed by the thousands every year in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Banks, debt buyers, and collection agencies sue consumers regularly, often betting you won’t respond. Proper legal defense changes that outcome.

Wage garnishment and bank levies usually follow an unpaid debt that turned into a court judgment. Bankruptcy can stop garnishment immediately in most cases.

Business debt, SBA loan obligations, and personal guarantees create hard choices when a business runs into trouble. I help business owners understand their personal exposure and map out strategies for both the business debt and the personal debt behind it.

Federal employee and government contractor debt issues come up often in this region. I understand the concerns specific to that workforce, including security clearance implications and payroll allotment issues.

If your situation isn’t listed here, call me anyway. Most debt problems share more in common than people think.

I’m Brian Lee, the founder and sole attorney at Lee Legal.

I’ve practiced bankruptcy and debt relief law for more than 20 years, representing clients throughout Washington DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia. Before starting this practice, I worked in the federal system at the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division.

I’m a member of the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys, the American Bankruptcy Institute, and the American Bar Association. I’m admitted to practice in Washington DC and Virginia, and admitted to the U.S. Bankruptcy Courts for the District of Columbia, the District of Maryland, and the Eastern District of Virginia, plus the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court.

My practice stays focused. I don’t take on every type of legal matter. I concentrate on bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and debt lawsuit defense, because that focus lets me stay current, think creatively, and serve clients better than a general practitioner can.

What drives my work is simple. Debt problems affect families, homes, businesses, and futures. My job is to give every client clear advice, a realistic strategy, and real advocacy. That’s what I’ve done for more than two decades.

Hire Lee Legal if you want experienced, focused representation from an attorney who takes your situation seriously and takes the time to understand it before recommending anything.

Experience matters here. Over 20-plus years, I’ve handled nearly every type of debt situation: straightforward Chapter 7 cases, complex foreclosure defense, business bankruptcies, and contested debt lawsuits. That history helps me spot risks and opportunities that less experienced attorneys miss.

Focus matters too. I don’t represent creditors on the side, and I don’t dabble in debt collection work. Bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and debt lawsuit defense are all I do.

You also get direct access to your attorney. When you hire me, you work with me, not a paralegal or case manager. You’ll always know where things stand and what comes next.

Most importantly, I understand what’s at stake. People rarely call my office on a good day. They’re facing the loss of a home, a judgment that threatens their paycheck, or debt that’s taken over their life. My goal isn’t to process your case. It’s to map a real solution, protect your interests, and help you reach something more stable.

What makes Lee Legal different is the combination of focused experience, direct attorney access, and individual attention every client gets.

Many debt relief firms run on volume. You meet one person at intake, someone else prepares your paperwork, and a third person answers your questions. Clients often feel like they’re moving through an assembly line. That’s not how I practice.

At Lee Legal, you work with me from start to finish. I handle the consultation, the strategy, the paperwork, the court appearances, and the communication. There’s no hand-off and no gap between the person who evaluated your case and the person handling it.

My practice is genuinely focused. Bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and debt lawsuit defense aren’t side services here. They’re the whole practice.

I also believe education is part of representation. Most people arrive at their first consultation overwhelmed, after hours of reading conflicting information online. My job is to replace that confusion with clarity: plain English, honest answers, and informed decisions instead of pressured ones.

And I never forget that behind every case file is a person dealing with something stressful, often deeply personal. You deserve an attorney who treats it that way.

Yes. When you hire Lee Legal, you work directly with me from your first consultation through the end of your case.

Lee Legal is a solo practice. I’m the only attorney. I personally handle every consultation, build every legal strategy, prepare and review every filing, appear at every hearing, and manage every client relationship. Your case never gets handed off to a paralegal, a junior associate, or a case manager.

That’s intentional. One of the most common complaints people have about law firms, especially high-volume bankruptcy mills, is that they meet someone at intake and then never hear from an actual attorney again. Documents get filed. Questions go unanswered.

That’s not how I operate. When you call or email with a question, you hear from me. When something develops in your case, I tell you directly. When a decision needs to be made, you and I make it together. My clients consistently rate the firm highly: a 4.9-star Google rating and an Avvo rating of 10.0 Superb.

Direct attorney access isn’t just about service quality. In bankruptcy and debt defense, facts matter enormously, and the gap between a good outcome and a bad one often comes down to details that only surface through ongoing, careful communication.

If you want to work directly with an experienced attorney throughout your case, that’s exactly what you get here.

Contact a lawyer as soon as you realize you have a serious debt problem, and ideally before it reaches a crisis point.

Almost every debt situation comes with a deadline. If you’ve been served with a lawsuit, you typically have 20 to 30 days to respond, depending on the court. Miss that deadline, and the creditor can win a default judgment, which gives them the legal right to garnish your wages, freeze your bank account, or place a lien on your property. If you’ve received a foreclosure notice, your timeline to a sale date may be shorter than you think, and some options disappear once certain deadlines pass.

Even if you haven’t been sued yet, early contact matters. The sooner I understand your situation, the more options I can find and the more time I have to build a strategy that actually fits. Waiting almost always narrows your choices.

There’s a practical reason to call early too: some debt relief strategies take time to set up correctly. A well-built Chapter 13 plan works better when it’s planned carefully, not rushed.

If debt is keeping you up at night, the right time to call is now.

Yes. Every new client gets a free, confidential initial consultation with me personally.

The consultation gives you a chance to explain your situation and gives you an honest assessment of where you stand. You won’t talk to a receptionist filling out an intake form or a salesperson trying to sign you up before you understand what you’re signing up for. You’ll talk to me, the attorney who would actually handle your case.

I offer free consultations because people facing serious debt are already under enough financial pressure. The last thing you need is a barrier to getting the information you need.

The consultation is also fully confidential. What you share is protected by attorney-client privilege, even if you decide not to hire me. Speak freely about your debts, your assets, your income, and your worries.

There’s no obligation at the end. My goal is to give you the information you need to decide, not to pressure you into anything. Many clients tell me they feel better just from understanding their options. Uncertainty makes financial stress worse. Knowing what can be done is itself a form of relief.

Call (202) 448-5136 or send a message through this site to schedule your free consultation.

The more information you bring, the more specific my advice can be. But don’t let missing paperwork stop you from calling. I can help you gather more information after you call.

If you have them, bring any legal papers you’ve received: lawsuits, summonses, court orders, garnishment notices, foreclosure notices, or default letters. These are time-sensitive, and I want to see them right away.

Run a credit report if you done so recently. You can get a free copy at www.annualcreditreport.com. It helps me see the full picture of your debts and creditors.

Download or scan your most recent pay stubs and your last two years of federal tax returns. Bankruptcy eligibility and strategy depend heavily on income, so this matters early.

Have a general sense of your monthly expenses ready, even without a formal budget: housing, transportation, utilities, food, insurance, and any installment payments.

If you own a home, bring mortgage statements or property tax bills. If you own a business or carry business debt, bring whatever financial records you have.

For the consultation itself, the most important thing you bring is an honest account of your situation. The more you tell me, the better I can help. Nothing you share will shock me, and nothing is too complicated or too embarrassing to discuss.

A consultation with me is a conversation, not a sales pitch and not an interrogation. My goal is to give you a clear, honest picture of your situation and answer every question before you leave.

Most people contact me under real stress: worried about losing a home, being sued, dealing with garnishment, or just trying to figure out whether bankruptcy makes sense. By the time you call, you’ve probably already spent weeks searching for answers online. The consultation replaces that uncertainty with clarity.

I’ll ask about your debts, assets, income, and any legal documents you’ve received. If you’ve gotten a lawsuit, foreclosure notice, or garnishment order, I’ll go through it with you.

Once I understand what’s happening, I’ll lay out your options, which might include Chapter 7, Chapter 13, foreclosure defense, debt lawsuit defense, creditor negotiation, or something else entirely. I’ll explain how each one works and what it means for your debts, your property, and your credit.

I’ll also tell you what I would do if I were in your position. Most people want direction, not just information. My goal is to give you both.

You’ll have time for every question, no matter how basic. You’ll leave knowing where you stand, what your options are, and what comes next if you decide to move forward. No pressure, no obligation.

How quickly I can help depends on how urgent your situation is, but in a genuine emergency, I can often act within days or hours.

If you’re facing an imminent threat, a foreclosure sale scheduled in the coming days, a wage garnishment already underway, or a court deadline closing in, call me immediately. Bankruptcy’s automatic stay can stop a foreclosure sale or wage garnishment the moment a case is filed, and I’ve filed emergency cases on very short timelines to prevent irreversible harm.

If your situation is serious but not yet a crisis, meaning you’ve gotten a foreclosure notice with weeks or months until the sale, or you’ve been sued but your deadline hasn’t passed, there’s still time to build the right strategy without rushing into the wrong one.

For non-emergency consultations, I typically schedule within a few days of your first contact. After that, the pace depends on the complexity of your case and how quickly you can get me what I need.

Here’s the bottom line: every day that passes in a debt crisis can shrink your options. Reach out now. I’ll tell you honestly what’s realistic for your timeline, and I’ll move as fast as your situation requires.

No. In-person meetings are always welcome, but many clients never set foot in my office.

Initial consultations happen by phone or video. For most clients, a phone call works fine. If you’d rather review documents together in real time, video works well too.

Document collection happens digitally. Scan or photograph your pay stubs, tax returns, credit reports, court papers, and mortgage statements, and send them to me through email, Dropbox, or Google Drive. I’ll review everything and follow up with questions.

Court appearances are mine to handle. You’re not required to appear in court for most routine bankruptcy proceedings. The one exception is the meeting of creditors, called the 341 meeting, required in every bankruptcy case. In many jurisdictions, that meeting now happens by phone or video, a practice that’s stuck around since the pandemic. In evidentiary hearings and in Chapter 13 cases, you may also be required to attend virtual hearings, but in most cases, I will do most of the talking.

For clients in the DC, Maryland, or Virginia area, in-person meetings are available at my DuPont Circle office if you prefer. For everyone else, there’s no disadvantage to handling everything remotely. Many of my clients finish their entire case without ever visiting my office.

Cost depends on the type of case and how complex it is. I’m transparent about fees from the start, and you’ll know exactly what your representation costs before you commit to anything.

For bankruptcy cases, you pay two things: the court filing fee set by the federal government, which is the same no matter which attorney you use, and my attorney fee. As of 2026, the Chapter 7 filing fee is $338 and the Chapter 13 filing fee is $313. My attorney fee varies based on your case’s complexity, your jurisdiction, and other case-specific factors.

For foreclosure defense and debt lawsuit defense, fees depend on how much litigation is involved and other factors specific to your case. I’ll give you a clear estimate once I understand what you’re dealing with.
I’m direct about cost because financial stress is already part of why you’re calling. You deserve to know what you’re getting into before signing anything.

One more thing worth knowing: not acting usually costs more than hiring a lawyer. A default judgment on a debt lawsuit can lead to garnishment and bank levies that cost far more over time than attorney fees would have. Losing a home to foreclosure carries financial consequences that dwarf the cost of defense. For many clients, bankruptcy resolves debts that would otherwise take years or decades to pay off.

Call (202) 448-5136 for a free consultation, and I’ll give you a straight answer on cost.