Blogs

Having your car repossessed can be catastrophic. When repossession happens, it’s usually because you’re already struggling financially. Suddenly, you may find yourself without the transportation you need to keep income flowing, whether that means driving to work or going on job interviews. And, depending on where in Alabama you live, you may also need your vehicle to take your children to school, grocery shop, get to medical appointments and more.

If you’ve ever been pursued by a debt collector, chances are good that you felt harassed. But, “debt collector harassment” has a specific legal meaning. And, when that line is crossed, the law protects consumers and creates a framework for fighting back. A consumer who has been harassed by a debt collector may even be entitled to statutory damages of up to $1,000, in addition to any actual damages suffered. In some cases, punitive damages may also be appropriate. 

Many people who are struggling financially hesitate to consider bankruptcy because they have heard that they will lose their homes if they file for bankruptcy protection. "Can I keep my home if I file for Bankruptcy" is one of the most common questions we hear in our office. The truth, though, is that most bankruptcy filers are able to keep their homes. In fact, some people who have fallen behind on mortgage debt can use the bankruptcy process to help save their homes. 

If you’re worried about identity theft, you’re in good company. More than ⅔ of U.S. adults responding to a 2018 survey by Harris Poll and NerdWallet said they were increasingly concerned about the security of their financial information online. According to the same survey, fewer than half believe that credit reporting agencies or the U.S. government are doing enough to protect their financial information, and just 51% said banks were doing enough.

Most consumer bankruptcy filers have been struggling with debt for at least two years before filing, and a significant percentage report ongoing financial problems for five years or more. If you’re among those who invested months or years in attempting to catch up on debts and find another solution before filing bankruptcy, creditor preferences have probably become a way of life for you.

When you file bankruptcy, you have a right to expect relief from collection harassment. The automatic stay prevents most creditors from pursuing ALL collection actions immediately upon filing in most bankruptcy cases, and the bankruptcy discharge order makes that prohibition permanent--at least, as to debts that were discharged in the bankruptcy.

Unfortunately, some people who have successfully completed their bankruptcy cases still have problems with past creditors, including:

It has been discussed for a long time but now the long-awaited changes to the security clearance process are here.  An Executive Order (EO) was signed by the President on Apr

Financial stress is one of the leading causes of divorce, and divorce increases financial strain by splitting income and assets into two separate households. So, it’s no surprise that divorce often follows bankruptcy or vice versa. Unfortunately, when marital stress is coupled with financial stress, decisions about how best to address the more practical issues are often influenced by emotion. Too often, that leads to faulty decision-making that comes back to haunt one or both partners.

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, What are you doing for others?” 

— Martin Luther King, Jr.

Life is hectic. It seems like we are always busy. We have jobs. We have family obligations. We have meetings to attend, shopping to do, clothes that need to be cleaned and a never-ending string of chores that need to be completed. With all of this going on it is hard to find time for ourselves. Time to rest. And when an opportunity does come along to do so, our natural impulse is to find a comfortable couch and seize the moment!  

We often get asked what at face value seems like a relatively simple question: how many times can you file bankruptcy? There is no hard-and-fast rule limiting the number of times an individual can file for bankruptcy protection. However, there are limitations and practical considerations that effectively limit the number of times a person can benefit from consumer bankruptcy.