When you are thinking about hiring a bankruptcy attorney, what should you consider? – besides all the regular stuff like client reviews, years of practice, cost, availability, knowledgeable, friendliness of attorney and staff etc. One thing to keep in mind is what other areas does that law firm handle and…
Most of us still use the New Year as an opportunity to review the past year and set goals for the New Year. My own practice has grown tremendously from this goal setting. We target the best strategies to grow our practice and help our clients to get back on…
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (“FDCPA”) and its Florida counterpart, the Florida Consumer Collection Practices Act, (“FCCPA”) require a debt collector or creditor to cease all collection efforts once a consumer acts to preserve their rights. But you have to ask first, and in writing by sending a cease…
There a lots of reasons a debtor needs to file a bankruptcy. However, debtors should be warned that they are likely giving up valuable rights to fight a foreclosure of their home if they do so — unless they reaffirm the mortgage. Over the last few years, many debtors elected…
Would you know what to do if the Social Security Administration mailed you a letter stating that you have been overpaid and that you owe the government tens of thousands of dollars? No problem, this oversight can be eliminated in a bankruptcy filing. My colleague, attorney Jonathan Ginsberg in Atlanta, Georgia…
Reports have been surfacing that the Department of Education is kicking borrowers out of Income Driven Plans when they file bankruptcy. It makes no difference if they are in a Chapter 7 or 13. It also doesn’t matter if the debtor is current in their payments. The National Association of…
There are a ton of people who believed their student loans were discharged when they loans were simply listed in their bankruptcy. It may have been years before the private student loan companies started to communicate with the borrowers to collect this debt which added to that impression. As it…
Are you expecting a large tax refund this year? If so, and you have had some financial difficulties this year, do NOT file your tax return if you are in default on your federal student loans OR about to file bankruptcy. Instead, some pre-planning is in order. For federal students…
The automatic stay that normally applies when a debtor files bankruptcy, does not work the same in a second or even third bankruptcy case. This has caught many debtors unaware and may cause the loss of a home. In a 2nd bankruptcy filing, the automatic stay expires after 30 days. …
All debtors must appear at a meeting called the “341 meeting of creditors”. Creditors may, but usually do not appear, and it is the Trustee asking most of the questions. This 341 must occur for a bankruptcy to be successful and applies in both a Chapter 7 and 13. The…