Americans now have more student loan debt outstanding than credit card debt. It’s a huge issue for consumers, and has been for some time now. As an Asheville bankruptcy lawyer, I am hopeful that Congress will take action sooner rather than later to address the limited options students have for repayment. In the meantime, I…
As an Asheville bankruptcy attorney, I’ve never met a potential client who wanted to file a bankruptcy case. Most people will do just about anything they can to avoid filing. Many times a consumer’s misguided notion about the bankruptcy process leads them to fall prey to expensive bankruptcy alternatives which make a consumer’s situation worse,…
As an Asheville bankruptcy lawyer, I frequently speak to consumers about financial stress. Without a safety net, people fear that an unexpected car repair or medical problem will make it difficult to pay for household necessities which provide safety like housing, food, or utility bills. This article in the Charlotte Observer explains that 66% of…
While working as an Asheville bankruptcy lawyer, I have spoken with people who never thought they would need help with their bills each month. According to a recent study, over 90% of families suffering from financial stress can trace their problems back to either medical issues, divorce, or a job loss. I’ve never met anyone…
Filing 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…
No, 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…
As 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…
The 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…
Many 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…
Probably 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…