Protecting Assets in Bankruptcy: Property Exemptions and Planning
Protecting assets in bankruptcy requires a combination of foresight and expertise. Chapter 13 bankruptcy generally allows you to keep all your property. But in Chapter 7 bankruptcy, your nonexempt assets may be “liquidated,” or seized and sold. If you do not protect your assets in Chapter 7, the trustee will convert them to cash and […]
Lee Legal Can Diagnose Your Financial Condition
If you have a medical problem, seek advice from a doctor. If you have an architectural problem, seek advice from an engineer. But if you have a financial problem, you should seek the advice of an attorney. Lee Legal can diagnose your financial condition. Every client receives a free consultation. Debt Collection. If you have […]
When You Should NOT File for Bankruptcy
Only bankruptcy will solve certain financial problems. Bankruptcy remains the first and best choice for many common cash-flow and debt issues. Avoiding bankruptcy when it is the smart course of action often does nothing more than make for more difficult outcomes. But there are certain circumstances under which you should NOT file for bankruptcy. If […]
Use Your Tax Refund to File Bankruptcy
Attorneys fees used toward bankruptcy are exempt from distribution. In most cases, your entire tax refund can be protected in bankruptcy. But if you are considering filing for bankruptcy, you should also consider how much it will cost to file. If you are ready to start rebuilding your credit and need a fresh start, you […]
Student Loans and the Means Test in Chapter 7 Bankruptcy
The Chapter 7 “means test” determines whether your income qualifies you for a Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Otherwise known as the Chapter 7 Statement of Your Current Monthly Income, the means test prevents debtors with higher-than-median income from filing Chapter 7 bankruptcy. The interaction of student loans and the means test often requires careful consideration to […]
Top 4 Tax Problems in Bankruptcy
The top 4 tax problems in bankruptcy are not particularly easy to avoid. For those facing money problems, taxes are often an afterthought. After all, paying taxes means less money in your paycheck. But the tax problems that most frequently occur in bankruptcy are actually violations of intuitive rules. Tax Problems in Bankruptcy: Chapter 7 […]
Wiping Out Parking Tickets in Bankruptcy
You can discharge only very old parking tickets in bankruptcy, after they have been sent to a third-party debt collector. Otherwise, parking tickets pass through the Chapter 7 bankruptcy discharge because they are debts owed to a “governmental unit.” Parking Tickets in Bankruptcy Unfortunately, in most cases parking tickets cannot be discharged in Chapter 7 […]
The Debt Snowball and the Debt Avalanche
I periodically review debt management books to see if there are any new methods that might be useful to my clients. I just finished the book Dear Debt: A Story About Breaking Up with Debt by Melanie Lockert. The book contains a few useful pieces of advice. But the most interesting section deals with the two […]
D.C. Means Test Unjustly Denies Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Protection
New Chapter 7 bankruptcy means test numbers take effect today for Chapter 7 cases filed on or after November 1, 2016. The D.C. means test numbers are obviously miscalculated and unfairly exclude bankruptcy debtors in the District of Columbia. Since October 17, 2005, the Department of Justice has promulgated median incomes for Chapter 7 debtors. To qualify for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, you […]