One of the reasons you should consider hiring an attorney to guide you through the bankruptcy process is that it can be a minefield. Just like you wouldn’t attempt a Class IV rapids or scale Mt. Everest without professional help from an experienced guide, filing bankruptcy without an attorney has the potential to get a…Read more

One of the last questions I always seem to get at my first consultations with any prospective client is, “What do I tell my creditors?” Most of my clients don’t retain me at their first consultation. In fact, our policy is to not enter into a retainer agreement until after that first consultation so that…Read more

One of the things that you’ll learn during a initial consultation with a bankruptcy attorney is whether or not you’ll be able to file Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy. Given that Chapter 7 will eliminate all dischargeable debts within about 90 days from filing and doesn’t require the debtor to repay any discharged debts,…Read more

When you file Chapter 7 bankruptcy, all of your dischargeable debts will be eliminated about 90 days after your attorney files your bankruptcy petition. When the discharge order enters, you are no longer legally liable for those debts. Notice I emphasized the word “dischargeable”. If you are considering bankruptcy, it’s important to know that bankruptcy…Read more

I’m always a little surprised by the questions I sometimes get when I tell people I’m a bankruptcy attorney. People ask things like, “Isn’t bankruptcy like stealing?” ” Do your clients go out and run up their credit cards on big screen TVs before they file?” None of these things are true, but unfortunately bankruptcy…Read more

When people come in for their first meeting with me, I ask lots of questions. One of those questions is how they’ve been making ends meet. For many, they’ve stopped paying their bills. Others have gotten help from family members. But more often than not, people tell me that they have resorted to payday loans.…Read more

I love the Internet. Ask my wife. She’ll tell you I spend far too much time Web surfing. It’s a great source of entertainment and information. But I’m sure I’m not the first one to tell you that you can’t believe everything you read online. During my first time meeting with a potential client, he…Read more

When someone co-signs a loan for you, they are promising to repay the loan in case you’re unable to pay it back. So, if you stop paying on the loan, the lender is going to go after your co-signer. If you’re thinking about bankruptcy, it’s important to consider what impact it will have on your…Read more

If you come in for a free consultation, one of the things we’ll talk about is whether or not I think you should file chapter 7 or chapter 13 bankruptcy. If you’ve just started researching the bankruptcy process, Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 are the two primary types of bankruptcy that individuals file. Other types…Read more

It might be tempting to run up your credit cards right before you file bankruptcy. Why not, right? You’re going to discharge everything anyway. Besides, credit card companies are used to it. It’s a “cost of doing business.” Think again. It shouldn’t come as any surprise that the Bankruptcy Code anticipates that filers might be…Read more