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Don’t put up with illegal debt collector harassment!  Debt collection agencies can be mean, vicious and unprofessional when trying to get a payment from you. Those agencies may not be willing to compromise with a debtor, and often simply do whatever they can to get money out of you, such as intimidation and harassment. You […]

You can lower your total debt payments, like credit card and medical debts, by consolidating your debts with a chapter 13 bankruptcy.  There are many debt consolidation companies, and a lot of them will rip you off.  However, you can use chapter 13 bankruptcy as a debt consolidation without the fear of being ripped off by a […]

Are you being hounded by debt collectors?  There are ways, such as bankruptcy, to get out of debt without fearing or suffering the consequences that some debt collectors threaten.  Let’s look at some of the common threats, whether they’re real, and what a creditor can or cannot do to you. Creditors often tell people behind […]

If you receive unemployment, Social Security, disability, or other government benefits, keep your benefit money separate!  This will allow you to protect those benefits in certain instances, such as filing bankruptcy or being sued by a creditor. A person I’ll call Ted (not his real name) with debt problems recently contacted me for help.  Ted […]

Have you gotten over your head in debt because of coronavirus? If so, bankruptcy might be the solution for you. You can eliminate your debts with a chapter 7 bankruptcy, almost always without paying anything for those debts. Many people have lost all or a great deal of their income because of the coronavirus. Or […]

Fixing your debt problems with bankruptcy will not ruin your credit, contrary to popular opinion.  In fact, filing bankruptcy can actually fix your credit in addition to its main benefits of getting rid of your debts and protecting you from creditors. First, if you are behind on your bills, your credit is not your biggest […]

Are you negotiating with a creditor to try to lower your debt?  Some people do this because they can’t or don’t want to file bankruptcy.  However, negotiating yourself without an attorney can cost you a lot more money than an attorney would cost. A current client who I’ll call Barb (not her real name) wanted […]

Abusive debt collection practices are common.  However, most of this is illegal and you can fight back! There are both California and federal laws that protect you against this abuse. Most of the abusive debt collection is committed by debt collectors who are hired by your creditors to collect from you, because they don’t get […]

Legislation for student loan debt relief has just been introduced in the U.S. Senate.  The legislation was introduced by Democrat Dick Durbin from Illinois, and Republican John Cornyn from Texas.  The FRESH START Through Bankruptcy Act of 2021 will reinstate bankruptcy discharges for federal student loan debt.  This is huge! Since 1998, federal student loans […]

If you are going to be filing a separate bankruptcy while you are married, be sure that your spouse is willing to sign a waiver.  If you are married, you may file a joint or separate bankruptcy, just like you may file a joint or individual tax return.  For this purpose, it does not matter […]