BEFORE YOU FILE
Bankruptcy is, and should be, a last resort.
After you file, you can pay anyone you ant. If you win the
lottery, you can pay everybody, but, what are you able to
do now?
Most of my clients want to pay all their debts. Can you do
that and still take care of your family?
What is your highest priority?
The Constitution directs that Congress establish uniform
laws of bankruptcy. My home page links to some thoughts on
the Bible and Bankruptcy.
It is NOT a punitive process. You are not put in the stocks
so the townsfolk can throw rotten tomatoes at you.
The hearing room will be full of nervous, honest people,
like you, and their lawyers, like me; a Trustee, who is not really mad at you,
because that is how she makes her living, and,
possibly, a creditor lawyer, or two, who are not there
just to see you, but live there, all day, with files
for all of their clients, usually credit unions or
vehicle finance companies. They are just making a
living, too.
If you are uncomfortable about the prospect of filing
bankruptcy, that is good. It means you are an honest
person, who wants to pay your bills. Bankruptcy laws are
there for those who cannot pay, even if they want to.
Bankruptcy is about RELIEF for you.
You are not alone.
The declining economy is producing tens of thousands of new
cases each month.
The only way to move forward is to face the truth of
wherever you really are today.
What is your real income? Real living expenses?
How much do you have left for your creditors?
An enormous amount of information is needed to file.
An attorney's opinion is only as good as the facts he has.
To give good advice, I need good information.
There are links on this site to sources for some
information you may not have.
The starting point is, your real income now and going
forward, and what it costs you to live, not counting the
creditors you want to get rid of.