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Have you gotten over your head in debt because of the 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. […]

A loan modification in a chapter 13 bankruptcy can be the answer to your mortgage payment problems.  Are you unable to pay your mortgage because you can’t afford the payments, or because you’ve gotten behind on them and cannot afford to make them up while paying your mortgage?  If so, a loan modification may be […]

If you are making student loan payments for federal student loans, be sure to stay current on them.  If you are unable to make the payments because of the coronavirus or for any other reason, apply for an income-driven repayment plan before you get behind on the loan payments.  You are entitled to these plans […]

Do you hesitate to file bankruptcy even if you are facing foreclosure because you are concerned about your credit?  Are you more concerned about your credit or the stigma of filing bankruptcy than about saving your home?  Don’t laugh; I actually had a case like that. Marge (not her real name) filed chapter 13 bankruptcy […]

Filing bankruptcy will probably 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 problem.  Not paying […]

If you can’t pay your debts because of the coronavirus pandemic, bankruptcy might be the solution for you. You can eliminate your credit card and other general unsecured debts with a chapter 7 bankruptcy, almost always without paying anything for those debts. Many people have lost income and even their jobs because of the pandemic.  […]

Coronavirus stimulus checks are protected from garnishment in California.  On April 23, 2020 Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order exempting the coronavirus stimulus checks from garnishments and levies.  This means that if you have a garnishment and/or bank levy order because of a judgement against you, that creditor may not intercept your stimulus check […]

You may be able to eliminate 2d & 3d mortgages with bankruptcy!  This is called “stripping” the junior lien or liens, and it changes them from secured debts to unsecured ones that can be discharged in bankruptcy without losing your home.  The junior mortgage must be completely “underwater” in order to do strip it, so […]

There are now unemployment benefits available for self-employed people in California.  If you earn 1099 wages, which means that you are a contractor, a business-owner, or are self-employed, you may now apply for unemployment benefits under a new program called Pandemic Unemployment Assistance.  You may apply for those benefits here.  Previously, you had to be […]

There is a little help for chapter 13 bankruptcy debtors in the major stimulus package known as the CARES Act of 2020.  If you cannot afford to make your chapter 13 plan payments in full because you lost income due to the coronavirus, you may change those payments to as little as $50 per month […]