Return a phone call to your client. What a novel concept. I have had two situations over the past few years where frustrated people had chapter 13 lawyers who would not return their calls. One of them posted a testimonial on my home page. Each of these poor people had different lawyers. I refer to…
Your cosigner has some big problems if you file bankruptcy. First of all let’s talk about who a cosigner is. Remember when you couldn’t get that loan unless someone signed the loan for you? Most typically this involves car loans, or if you had been arrested, a bail bond. When someone signs with or for…
You can use your 401k payroll deduction to reduce your chapter 13 plan payment dollar for dollar. It may be hard to believe, but you may be part of the community who has excess income for bankruptcy purposes. Excess income is determined in the following ways: The good-faith income test In a chapter 13 the…
A co-debtor stay will protect your cosigner if you take the proper steps. Your buddy or relative asked you to cosign so he could get a loan. He now needs to file a bankruptcy. You heard the filing can protect you. You first need to understand how it can happen. He must file a Chapter…
Should there be a bankruptcy before your wedding? You planned everything else to a tee. What about your finances after marriage? I have seen a number of situations in which one or both of the newlyweds could benefit immensely from either a chapter 13 or a chapter 7 filing before marriage. In each case the…
Your chapter 7 case is now a converted chapter 13. How did you get to this point? Normally you filed a chapter 7 case. After review the United States Trustee decided keeping your case a chapter 7 is presumed to be abusive. In English, please? After crunching the numbers on your means test someone decided…
What can you do if you have an unresponsive bankruptcy lawyer not returning your calls? Two clients had this problem with another bankruptcy lawyer. Each case involving an unresponsive bankruptcy lawyer concerned people in chapter 13 cases. Both were represented by the same attorney. What were the situations? Each chapter 13 plan had been confirmed…
Do you have current divorce obligations that you cannot pay? At one time these types of debts, so long as they were not child support, alimony or spousal support were easily discharged in a chapter 7 bankruptcy. In 2001 I filed a bankruptcy for a divorced mother. She received a business in the divorce that…
Are debts left off included in my Bankruptcy? Clients frequently call me sometime after they file for bankruptcy concerned that they left off a bill or two. Bankruptcy is an incredibly paper intensive proceeding. When you first plan to become a client you are instructed on what to bring to my office to prepare your…