As an Asheville bankruptcy lawyer, one of my primary functions is to help potential clients focus on their best financial options in order to speed up a recovery. One of the options I commonly discuss at first client meetings is protecting assets by utilizing exemptions without using bankruptcy. Unfortunately, this asset protection strategy is under…
As an Asheville Bankruptcy Lawyer, I speak to potential clients on a daily basis who are having difficulty paying their bills. Once behind, consumers grow concerned about the assets most precious to their family’s health and well-being: their house, their retirement accounts, and the money they had planned to leave behind for their children. At…
As an Asheville bankruptcy lawyer, I frequently sit down with people who own a small business which is struggling to make ends meet. It is important for the small business owner to understand their rights both in bankruptcy and outside of bankruptcy before calculating their next best financial move. How is the business organized? If…
As an Asheville bankruptcy lawyer, I hear it most days from potential clients: “I’m working hard every single month, but after I pay my bills, there never seems to be anything left.” Everyone I meet with during a free, initial Asheville bankruptcy consultation is living on a budget. Some folks, like my amazing co-worker Michelle,…
One of the reasons I became an Asheville bankruptcy lawyer is that I believe the debt collection industry is unfair. Frequently, the debt collectors know that their targets are judgment proof, meaning the collector can only receive money voluntarily from the borrower – not through the legal process. Still, their approach is to continue calling.…
When I sit down to discuss a person’s financial situation at a free, initial bankruptcy consultation, they are usually nervous about the prospect of dealing with bankruptcy judges, trustees, and their creditors. Many people are nervous just sitting down with a bankruptcy lawyer. Most of the time, for those who decide to file bankruptcy, their…
Yes. In bankruptcy, there are a couple strategies regularly employed by clients to help with their monthly car expense. First, clients can “cram-down” their car payment through a Chapter 13 bankruptcy case. Another commonly used strategy is to eliminate liability on the car note in a Chapter 7 bankruptcy case. The Expensive Car Problem I’ve…
Many creditors have a systematic approach to collecting money from customers who can’t pay them back. In my Asheville bankruptcy law practice, it is common for potential clients to schedule an initial consultation with me immediately after receiving a summons for a collection lawsuit from the sheriff. Others have had a default judgment hurting their…
You’ve done it. After a long struggle with household budget issues, debt crisis, and some purchases that didn’t turn out as planned, you’ve decided to get your finances fixed once and for all. You are even willing to file a bankruptcy case if that’s what it takes. As a bankruptcy attorney in Asheville, NC, I…
No, only the person who files a bankruptcy case will have the filing reported on their credit history. Under the bankruptcy code, a person has a right to file a case without their spouse. As a bankruptcy attorney in Asheville, NC, a common question I receive from stressed out consumers is whether they should file…