The prospect of a tax refund makes most of us light up even when we haven’t even calculated what the refund might be. But if you’re thinking of filing bankruptcy before you actually see Uncle Sam’s check, take a minute to plan. Your right to that refund is property of your bankruptcy estate even if […]
Information is power….become more powerful
In the information age, we’re inundated with information about bankruptcy. Some of it accurate and much of it nonesense or worse. Half the people who’ve filed bankruptcy wouldn’t dream of telling you about it, and those who do talk are as likely to spread outdated or erroneous information as accurate, relevant information. The more you […]
Debt Can Kill You If You Let It
Debt is deadly. There is a straight-line connection between debt and health: the stress of too much debt erodes physical health. The single largest source of stress in the US, at least before COVID-19, is money. Or lack of money. Other potent sources of stress include work, the economy, family and relationships. As a bankrutpcy […]
How Long Does Bankruptcy Take?
Every client filing bankruptcy asks that question: how long will bankruptcy take? Probably, the real question is “when will this be over?” Like so many questions in the law, the answer is “it depends.” From filing bankruptcy to discharge In a Chapter 7, filing to discharge is about four months; in Chapter 13 it’s three […]
New California Homestead Numbers For 2025
It’s time to check out the California homestead numbers for 2025. The 2021 expanded California homestead not only brought the exemption closer to the real cost of housing, it provided for annual adjustments for inflation. The original legislation created a $300,000 floor on the exemption and a $600,000 cap for homeowners, based on the median […]
Bankruptcy Questions Have Few Quick Answers
The caller to my law office kept telling my assistant: I just want to ask Cathy a question. To which my assistant replied: you need to first fill out our questionnaire and make an appointment. But I don’t want a meeting, I just want to ask a question. At which point, both sides of the call […]
Resolve To Thrive In The New Year
May I suggest a 2025 New Year’s resolution? It doesn’t involve diets or workouts or commitments to huge personal transformation. Take a hard look at your financial situation. Consider whether a fresh financial start makes sense. Just getting by A life of minimum payments, minuscule bank accounts, and no retirement savings is a life fraught […]
The Secret Alternative To Bankruptcy
Looking for the secret alternative to bankruptcy which will solve your debt problems without filing? Why not? Ads for debt settlement companies and do-it-yourself books always promise to reveal the tricks to make your bills vanish for pennies, without resort to bankruptcy. (Isn’t it interesting that these “secrets” are known only by people who want […]
Smoke, Mirrors, And Budgets: Are You Missing Where Your Money Goes
Budget tricks keep lots of us from seeing where our money goes. If you don’t know where it’s going, you don’t know whether your spending priorities are sound. As a bankruptcy attorney, I hear this alot: I can’t save anything because it takes every dollar I make just to get by. Sound like a description of […]
Who Needs This Kind Of Help With Debts
Eliminate your unsecured debt sooner than you ever thought possible. That’s the promise of one debt settlement company. It’s in their contract, not just their ads. It must be so. The pitch preys on people’s profound desire to do the right thing. Most people want desperately to pay their debts and avoid the “horror” that […]
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