As an Asheville bankruptcy lawyer, I have witnessed firsthand the damage financial stress can do to a marriage. Senator Elizabeth Warren did a study which concluded that divorce is one of the three main factors which force consumers to file for bankruptcy protection. Indeed, according to the study, over 90% of bankruptcy cases are linked…
DetailsFiling for bankruptcy protection can be a difficult decision. Many clients I’ve spoken with as an Asheville bankruptcy lawyer tell me that they have tried everything to avoid filing. Though well-intentioned, many consumers who file bankruptcy after struggling for a long time would have gotten a better result had they reached out for professional help…
DetailsNo, you must first be served with a Notice of Right to Claim Exemptions in North Carolina before any property is taken from you to satisfy a money judgment on a general, unsecured debt. Further, supplemental proceedings (court hearings) are required under NCGS 1-352 before a consumer’s bank account can be drained by a judgment…
DetailsAs an Asheville bankruptcy lawyer, I advise consumers to protect the things they own by using their available exemptions. In over 95 percent of the Chapter 7 bankruptcy cases filed in Western North Carolina, all of the property a consumer owns fits within the North Carolina or Federal Bankruptcy exemptions. Consumers get to keep all…
DetailsThe most expensive place in the world to get sick is the United States. According to a new study by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the New York Times, 20% of people who own health insurance policies have still had difficulty paying a medical bill within the past year. 53% of people who do not…
DetailsAs an Asheville bankruptcy attorney, I sit down with potential clients who give various reasons for why they had waited for a long time before sitting down with me to discuss their financial situation and relief options. One common explanation I’ve heard many times is that “I would have called you last year, and have…
DetailsMany potential bankruptcy clients schedule initial consultations because they have felt overwhelmed by debt problems for a long time. Generally, they have tried just about everything they know of to fix their financial issues and call my Asheville bankruptcy law office as a last resort. They’ve been struggling to make minimum payments on credit card…
DetailsFrequently, all of it. The same North Carolina exemptions which protect certain property in a bankruptcy filing also protect a consumer’s property if they never file a bankruptcy case. This renders many consumers “judgment proof,” meaning that the judgment creditor may not seize their property and sell it in order to pay off the debt. …
DetailsProbably not. During initial consultations, I usually ask clients to tell me about what debts they owe so we can create a plan to deal with them efficiently. Many clients tell me about some of their debts, and then explain that the rest of their debts have been “charged-off.” A “charge-off” usually means the original…
DetailsAs an Asheville bankruptcy attorney, I frequently meet with folks who have been turned down recently by their bank for a mortgage loan. After speaking with the bank, and being rejected because of old debts clouding their credit report, they call me to assess how they can get their financial lives in order. Many times,…
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