Many times I meet with clients who simply cannot afford to remain in their underwater homes inside or outside of bankruptcy. Not knowing what is going to happen next is often the worst part. Here is a first hand account of what happens when you walk away.
Often times, people come into my office asking for a solution which helps them “pay all their bills.” Their sense of self-worth is strongly related to keeping their word, and they feel as though they promised to pay credit card companies back when they made purchases. Talking to a bankruptcy attorney feels like giving up.…
Many clients are amazed at how quickly and easily they are able to obtain their discharge in a bankruptcy case. They were scared of their neighbors finding out, their employers finding out, and all of their creditors showing up in an angry mob against them. When none of those things happen, and their discharge arrives…
If you are suffering from the current economic conditions, you are not alone. The unemployment rate has risen in Western North Carolina again, as reported here. If you find yourself in financial trouble, one of the keys to success is figuring out your options early. At an initial consultation, we can talk about the steps…
When I meet with someone to determine what options they have after falling behind on mortgage payments, we generally look at a couple simple questions. First, we determine if there is any equity in the home. Although this can be a challenge in the current market, websites such as zillow.com help paint a general picture…
If you are feeling stressed out and worried about your finances, you are not alone. Tying Health Problems to Foreclosure is an article which describes a phenomena that I see in my office frequently. As the article points out, when you are worried and don’t know what to do, that anxiety can cause serious health…
Many times I speak with people during an initial consultation for bankruptcy, and they explain how they have done everything in their power to pay their bills. Coming to see me was the last thing they ever wanted to do. Bankruptcy should not be as scary as it is for many people. It is certainly…
Very often, the advice I give to a prospective client at an initial consultation is to stop paying their credit card bills immediately, whether they plan on filing a bankruptcy case or not. “Will I ever be able to get credit again? But they’ll keep calling me until I pay, right?” These questions are asked…
I spoke with a potential client who was behind on her mortgage payments last week. She told me, “I know I have to file for bankruptcy, but I was trying to avoid it to save my home.” Of course, I then explained to her that filing a bankruptcy case was one of the few ways…
The following article published by the American Society of Clinical Oncology illustrates how contracting cancer pushes people into personal bankruptcy at alarmingly high rates. Bankruptcy & Cancer Still, many people in Western North Carolina with medical debt are not getting the help they need. They work hard year after year trying to pay back these…