A client recently called me to express his frustration at how many car dealerships were soliciting him to buy a car while he was in Bankruptcy proceedings. He thought nobody would lend to him after the Bankruptcy, and in truth, the opposite is actually true. Why is that? Well, first of all, ...
When you file for Bankruptcy, you have to make a lot of hard choices. One of the hardest choices is whether or not to keep your existing car. There are several factors that come into play here. First, you have to remember that, in most cases, if you want to keep your car, you are going to have...
Hi Folks. We get this question all the time. Many 401(k) (and other retirement plans) make it super easy to borrow against them for all sorts of personal needs. Right now, the average working age American (aged 25-40) is carrying $27,251 in non-mortgage debt. So when you are looking at those ...
If you are not working, resist the temptation to get into more debt. Once upon a time getting a credit card was a big deal. I remember my Dad getting a Diner's Card in the 1970's and he was very proud that the qualified for a card that was of extremely limited use. Today, we read about stories...
When you file for Bankruptcy, the case can last several months (e.g. Ch. 7) or several years (e.g. Ch. 13). During that period of time, your circumstances can change. Specifically, it is not unusual for you to want to find a new place to live. So, this can present a problem. The internet is a...
As life begins to get back to normal after the years of life altering affects of Covid-19, we have to start figuring out solutions to the financial damage that many people experienced.Many people faced serious financial issues as a result of the pandemic that are often not being felt until now.Ye...
Hi Folks, So, let's face it; nobody wants to admit that they are in financial distress, and nobody wants to think that Bankruptcy is the best option for them. In over twenty years of Bankruptcy practice, the vast majority of people wait until the last minute, when all other options have been ex...
Hi Folks, So, this morning I got a call from a long-time friend and he said that he got a call from a collection agency claiming that he owed a debt from many years ago and they were pursuing legal action against him. This particular friend has really cleaned up his financial situation of the p...
When you are looking for a Bankruptcy attorney you typically go to your web-based search engine and type in “Bankruptcy attorney near me”. The irony of this search term is that, more often than not, it will send you to the web site of a Bankruptcy attorney who is NOT near you. Bankruptcy is a v...
This is probably the #1 question that I get at some point during my representation of a client. Here is the short answer: YES. You can buy a home after filing for Bankruptcy. In fact, you can both sell or purchase property while you are in Bankruptcy (with prior court approval), so by definit...
So, the last two years have seen record low Bankruptcy filings, primarily because there have been a number of government programs that have helped consumers to stave off collections and assist with gaps in employment. As the effects of Covid-19 has receded these programs have been coming to an e...
Hi Folks, So I got the following email from Google the other day regarding “ad words” that will be rejected because these industries have been related to scams: In June 2022, Google will update the enforcement procedures for repeat violations with the addition of nine more policies in s...
When I first started as a Bankruptcy attorney over 20 years ago, I used to advertise in a small free community newspaper call the Little Nickle. Most of my clients came to me because of an old-fashioned newspaper ad, or word of mouth. Today, the internet dominates how we find goods and services...
One of the great frustrations of filing for Bankruptcy is that many of the rules are counter-intuitive. People want to do the right thing and in the case of debt that means paying off bills. When people pay debts, it is a function of having money and who you want to pay. Obviously, people clos...
Many people come to my office after having suffered through one, two, or even three garnishments. The truth is that the vast majority of people would prefer to pay their bills instead of filing for Bankruptcy. Therefore, despite how disruptive a wage garnishment can be, many people accept the gar...
Fairly soon, most people will be receiving their W2 forms and they will be running to their local tax preparer in anticipation of that tax refund. As nice as a tax refund is, it can present some problems if you are planning on filing for Bankruptcy. As always, the best course of action is to ta...
Hi Folks. So as we emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic issues, rent and finding a place to live are taking center stage for many people. The big problem here is deciding where to live, and when to move in. If you have a place that you like and are behind in rent, you need to immediately speak to...
Have you ever been at home and on the TV a good-looking spokesman comes on and asks “are you overwhelmed by debt?” The pitch sounds great. Nobody wants to talk to their creditors on their own, and filing for Bankruptcy can be intimidating, so the idea of hiring someone who will reduce your bala...
Hi Folks. So as we are getting out of the Covid-19 shut downs, there are certain economic realities that many local city councils are having to deal with. Because of the supply chain disruptions from Covid and the recent increase in inflation in building materials, the number of rental units in...
As the Covid-19 moratoriums on collections, evictions, foreclosures, and lawsuits are all going away, people are starting to evaluate their financial situations. For some folks who have been out of work for more than a year, accumulating tens of thousands of dollars of unsecured debt is not unusu...
I think that we can all agree that the pandemic has been an awful experience. Besides the serious life & death issues, we have all had to deal with serious complications to our daily lives, such as kids not being able to go to school, business closures, masks, and product shortages. Notwithstan...
Unless you are old enough to remember the economics of the 1970's, inflation might seem like a nerdy term that really has no relevance to your life. This is why you need to understand how inflation affects your life and what adjustments you may need to make as a result. Imagine that one day, yo...
So when people come to my office to inquire about a Ch. 13, I always tell them, that there needs to be a good reason to do a Ch. 13 over a Ch. 7, because the process is much more complex and costly. Some of the good reasons to file a Ch. 13 are saving a home from foreclosure, the inability to fi...
As we are coming out of our Covid downtime many people have serious decisions to make. Life returning to normal means that many of the moratoriums will be coming to an end, student loans will soon become due, forbearances will end, evictions and foreclosures will start again, and choices will hav...
If you were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, and you were in a Ch. 13 plan that was confirmed prior to March 27, 2020, then you could be eligible to extend your Ch. 13 Bankruptcy to 7 years instead of the normal 5 years. This is a decision that requires some deliberate consideration between y...
Are creditors harassing you? Unexpected job loss? Increasing medical bills? Using your credit cards to buy groceries? We understand the stress that financial hardships can cause to you, and the confusion about choosing the right solution. As experienced Bankruptcy attorneys, Brian and Diem Hallaq can help you regain control over your finances. We help clients who want to file Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 Bankruptcy petitions.
