Become the legal professional
attorneys can’t live without.
VBA Academy trains Virtual Bankruptcy Assistants to prepare Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 petitions for attorneys — remotely, accurately, and under attorney supervision. We’re the only program built specifically for Minnesota and Wisconsin practice. No law degree required. Earn the CPDS credential and get listed in our attorney referral directory.
Exemptions, means-test figures, and court rules change at the state line. VBA Academy is the only program that teaches you the specifics for Minnesota and Wisconsin — not a generic national course. Choose your state to see what’s included.
Minn. Stat. § 550.37 · District of Minnesota
Wis. Stat. §§ 815.18 & 815.20 · E.D. & W.D. Wisconsin
Same core curriculum and CPDS credential for both states — only the state-specific exemptions, figures, and court rules differ.
Every module was built from real petition preparation work — not textbooks, not law school theory. You learn what a Minnesota petition specialist with CPDS Certified does every single day.
Every lesson maps directly to an official U.S. Court form or real petition field. No filler. No theory that doesn’t translate to the work.
You’ll understand exactly what non-attorney petition preparers can and cannot do, how to disclose yourself, and how to work within attorney-supervised filings professionally.
Bankruptcy filings increase during economic downturns. VBAs who do excellent petition work build long-term relationships with attorneys and recurring income.
Graduate with the Certified Petition Drafting Specialist designation — a VBA Academy credential recognized in our attorney referral directory.
All petition prep work is done remotely. Attorneys send you documents, you prepare the petition, they review and file. No commute, no office.
Every enrollment tier includes petition templates, intake checklists, the MN exemptions quick-reference, quality control checklists, attorney outreach email templates, and more.
Ready to leave your current job and build a remote legal support career? This is a skill-based specialty with strong demand.
Already in the legal field? Add bankruptcy petition prep as a specialty and command higher rates per case.
Need flexible remote income that fits your schedule? VBA work lets you set your own hours and work entirely from home.
Your organizational skills transfer directly. Upskill into a higher-paying document preparation specialty.
Two core courses cover everything you need to prepare Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 petitions. A business launch course teaches you how to get attorney clients and build your practice.
VBA Academy was built by Joe McDaniel — a licensed Minnesota Department of Commerce closing agent with over 2,000 professional real estate document closings. A perfectionist when it comes to document completion. He built this curriculum because attorneys needed trained assistants, not just informed ones.
“Every form matters. Every line matters. That’s what I teach.”
Earn the CPDS designation upon completing all required courses and passing the proctored exams at 80% or higher. Graduates are listed in the North Star Petition Services attorney referral directory.
Chapter 7 Petition Mastery (CH7-01–CH7-12) and Chapter 13 Petition Mastery (CH13-01–CH13-10)
CPDS-7 (50 questions, 80% passing) and CPDS-13 (50 questions, 80% passing). Open book allowed.
Branded CPDS certificate + listing in the VBA Academy attorney referral directory connecting you with attorneys who need your skills.
Choose a course or the Full CPDS Bundle. Get instant access to all materials.
Work through the curriculum at your own pace. Most students finish in 4–6 weeks.
Pass the CPDS exams and earn your credential. Get listed in the attorney directory.
Use the business toolkit to land attorney clients and start billing for petition prep work.
I had zero legal background. After completing the Chapter 7 course, I landed my first attorney client within 3 weeks. The quality control module alone was worth the price.
As a paralegal, I thought I knew bankruptcy. VBA Academy taught me what petition prep specialists that attorneys actually hire know — completely different level of detail.
Stay-at-home mom, no legal background. Finished both courses in 5 weeks. Now I bill 20 hours a week remotely doing petition work for three bankruptcy attorneys.
