Consumer Bankruptcy

WSJ: Personal Bankruptcy Filings Skyrocket in States Hit Hardest By Housing Downturn

Sara Murray wrote an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal discussing the high rate of bankruptcy filings in the states hit hardest by the housing crisis.

Free Tool to Calculate Your Median Income for Bankruptcy Purposes

As you probably know, your eligibility for bankruptcy protection is determined in part by your household income.  The Bankruptcy Code requires us to calculate your median income by looking at gross income earned by you, your spouse and any other working member of your household during the 6 months prec

Pro No No? How Often Should Bankruptcy Attorneys Represent Clients Pro Bono?

Just got off the phone with a criminal defense attorney friend of mine in

Jump In Personal Bankruptcy Filings.

A recent Wall Street Journal article titled, “Personal Bankruptcy Filings Rising Fast” from Tuesday, January 5, 2010 discusses the state of bankruptcy filings in the United States. The article indicates the number of Americans filing for personal bankruptcy rose by nearly one-third in 2009. The reason for the increase in bankruptcy filings is related to foreclosures and job losses. The Wall Street Journal reports that personal bankruptcy filings hit 1.41 million in 2009 which is up 32% from 2008. This number is the highest level of consumer bankruptcy filings since 2005.

Going Solo: My New Practice

How Can We Sleep When Rule 2019 Is Burning?

Use Online Access Keep Track of the Disbursements in Your Chapter 13 Case

Once you file a Chapter 13 bankruptcy and begin contributing monthly to the payment plan, you may wonder where your money is going, who’s being paid and how much money you still owe until you get your Chapter 13 discharge. As a Chapter 13 debtor, you can have access to much of the same information that the Trustee and your attorney have.

Review of 9th Circuit Cases for 2009

Central District Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys Association Fourth Annual Review of 9th Circuit Published Decisions and Selected Other Cases on Bankruptcy for 2009 January 30, 2010 Speakers: Hon. Erithe Smith Bankruptcy Judge, Central District of California, Santa Ana Division M. Jonathan...

Has "Financial Repression" Stopped You from Filing Bankruptcy?

Editors note:  In this compelling guest post, Charleston bankruptcy lawyer Russ DeMott describes what he calls "financial repression" – the tendency of honest, hardworking men and women to delay or forego bankruptcy protection because of the administrative and expense burdens added to the bankruptcy filin