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Bankruptcy Lawyer
You
have medical bills, child support payments and are receiving your eighth
phone call today about your utility bills. Bankruptcy is becoming as
heavy on your mind as the debt collectors are on your back. Though
bankruptcy will relieve you from your debts and provide you with debt
collection freedom, you should be aware of the pitfalls associated with
bankruptcy.
Credit reports will carry the details of your bankruptcy for up to 10
years in time. This information is released as public knowledge and can
be shown to your friends, family and co-workers through the newspaper.
You must have money for a down payment and secure income in order to be
qualified for a home loan after bankruptcy. Some employers require
credit reports for job position qualification. All of these concerns are
involved in bankruptcy. You may not be able to purchase a home and you
may lose out on a wonderful job position due to a single choice.
There are other options to debt freedom other that bankruptcy. Choosing
debt consolidation can save you time and money as well as relieve you
from debt credit harassment. Your credit cards and unsecured debt
(utility bills, medical bills, etc.) are consolidated into one monthly
payment that is set up according to your specific budget. This method
can lower or eliminated high interest rates and stop both late fees and
over the limit fees. You can gain your financial freedom back and not
put a large blemish on your credit report.
Though bankruptcy can be the option for some debtors, it is best to
speak to both a bankruptcy attorney and a debt consolidation
representative in order to have your financial situation reviewed by
professionals, and to have the best information available to make the
proper choice. Avoid credit woes and possible pitfalls by learning about
all of your debt assistance choices.
Many people who consider bankruptcy are afraid that they will lose their
personal possessions as a result of the bankruptcy. It is always best to
research and speak with a bankruptcy attorney regarding your specific
situation when it comes to filing. Each case is different and must be
looked at individually by a trained attorney that can clarify any rules
or regulations that are involved with your case. In most cases, you
should not have to give up your possessions as a result. Many times a
law will allow for a considerable number of property exemptions that
allow you to remain in control of your affects. The state's laws
throughout the course of the bankruptcy case protect your property.
Every case is different and each state has its own laws regarding
bankruptcy. The courts will look at your individual case and decide
whether you should be able to claim the exemptions as state or federal
exemptions, and this decision will determine the types of property that
you are allowed to remain in control of. Many states will allow you to
claim the exemptions that will allow you to keep more property, while
other states allow you make the decision as to which federal or state
exemptions that you would rather use. Since you may have the option of
which exemptions you would prefer, it is a good idea to research the
various exemptions on your own for your state and its laws, before you
start the proceedings for your bankruptcy. By researching your
possibilities, you are eliminating any chance of being surprised with
varying possibilities once you have started with the bankruptcy process.
While many people believe that
bankruptcy is their personal punishment for not being able to
responsibly handle their credit obligations, others may see it as a
way out of a problem that was not necessarily of their own creation.
Many individuals will struggle financially for years hoping to avoid
the stigma they believe is attached to what is bankruptcy.
Essentially, bankruptcy under new laws is a way for people to get out
from under a burden of debt that is preventing them from meeting their
daily living needs. It can be caused by a variety of issues such as
loss of income, unexpected high medical bills or the failure to be
responsible with their credit. Having too much available credit often
leads people down the road to what is bankruptcy and they can end up
using one credit card to make the payments on another one, until there
is no more credit available.
After they have tried to work with their creditors and possibly gone
through credit consolidation resources they find that when they pay
all of the required monthly payments there is no money left to pay for
their basic living expenses, they seek protection from creditors under
the federal bankruptcy law.
When it has been determined that they cannot pay for food and shelter
and basic needs while paying for loans, they can file bankruptcy to
eliminate all other obligations and start their life over again. Their
standard if living will need to be adjusted to meet their available
financial means, but they will not have to worry about paying any of
the debt once it has been discharged through bankruptcy.
Today's Internet has a plethora of information available simply by
typing in a few words or phrases. However, those with bankruptcy
questions will be better served by speaking to an experienced attorney
to help sort through the complicated laws. While bankruptcy is
governed by federal law, there are a few items that can be covered by
state laws, such as exemption limits on personal property and are just
one of the bankruptcy questions an attorney can quickly answer.
There may also be more bankruptcy questions about the new laws in
effect that essentially did not change the statutes, but made it more
strict about qualifying for a Chapter 7 bankruptcy as opposed to a
Chapter 13 in which the debtor enters into a court supervised
repayment plan. The benefit of a Chapter 13 is that people get to hold
onto their possessions that are used as collateral for a loan, such as
a car or a house.
Under a Chapter 7 bankruptcy petition most of the petitioner's assets,
above the exemption limit are subject to confiscation and liquidation
to offset the amount owed to debtors. How the money is divided among
creditors is subject to the rules of bankruptcy are bankruptcy
questions best left to an attorney to answer.
While information on bankruptcy is readily available, most attorneys
will offer a no-charge meeting to answer all bankruptcy questions a
potential petition may have. There may also be many questions about
the procedures used in court on the day the debtor goes into court to
finalize the process.