Bond & Botes, PC

This episode of the Next Lawyer Up podcast features attorney Cary Flitter. When I first had the idea to do this podcast, I had in the back of my mind to do a segment with attorney Cary Flitter who practices in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and throughout the country with the law firm Flitter Milz. I first met Cary as a speaker at a consumer law conference several years ago. Cary has an engaging, straight forward speaking manner and, as a result, is a much sought after speaker on many areas of consumer law. True to form, Cary spoke on…Read   More

This episode of the Next Lawyer Up podcast features attorney Scott Berry. I first met Scott a number of years ago as a worthy adversary in Jackson County, Alabama. Scott practices in Scottsboro, Alabama and it seems like every time I have a case in court there, Scott is, unfortunately for me, on the other side! Scott is a very talented lawyer and he knows his stuff so I would prefer that he not be on the opposite side to mine! In any event, we have become good friends over the years and I think of Scott anytime the town…Read   More

Bond & Botes, P.C., is pleased to announce the winner of our undergraduate Financial Hardship Scholarship for 2016. Monica D. Penny, a 2016 graduate of Brewbaker Technology Magnet High School, is starting her collegiate academic journey at Alabama State University, Montgomery. The $2,000 Bond & Botes scholarship will go toward Penny’s first-year tuition. The law firm honored Penny’s academic achievements in an award ceremony on Oct. 21 at the Bond, Botes, Shinn & Donaldson, P.C., office in Montgomery. Attorney Bradford W. Botes extended congratulations from all the firm’s attorneys and staff members. “You have really worked hard to achieve all…Read   More

On May 27, 2015, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve released a survey regarding the financial health of the U.S. Economy.  The report, titled the “Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2014” focused on the current state of the U.S. Economy from the perspective of its citizenry.  The report is full of very useful and insightful information concerning the financial health of its citizens. However, one item in particular stood out for me.  In a category titled “Economic Fragility”, the survey found that forty-seven percent of all respondents could not cover an unexpected $400.00 expense…Read   More

Many people hear the word Bankruptcy and immediately have a picture in their minds of what that means.  In fact, there are several different kinds of bankruptcy, called chapters. Chapter 7 Chapter 7 is the most common type of bankruptcy and it is usually what everyone imagines when they first think about bankruptcy. This is also known as a Straight Bankruptcy or Liquidation Bankruptcy. If you have a lot of debt, but very little income and few assets, then Chapter 7 is probably going to be the best option for you. Chapter 13 Chapter 13 is the next most common…Read   More

After a debtor completes a Chapter 13 plan and makes all payments to the bankruptcy Trustee, he will receive a discharge of debt which basically frees him of the obligation to pay his debts.  There are certain limited circumstances in which a debtor can receive a discharge even if he or she has not completed the payments to be made under the Chapter 13 plan.  This is called a “hardship discharge.”  A hardship discharge may be granted if certain criteria are met. Conditions of a Hardship Discharge The criteria for a hardship discharge can be found in Section 1328 of…Read   More

As it happens there is a significant difference in being delinquent in repaying a student loan and being in default in the repayment of a student loan.  There is a further difference between delinquency and default for federally issued or guaranteed student loans and private student loans originating from commercial lenders, as well as for the methods of collection available between federal and private.  For most federally issued or guaranteed student loans, delinquency begins the day after the failure to make any timely monthly payment under your repayment plan.  If any regular monthly payment remains delinquent fifteen (15) days from…Read   More

This is a very legitimate question which is frequently posed by people who consult with me about their debt relief options. I want to provide the best possible advice to those people and to my existing debt relief clients as well. The answer to this question is potentially yes and the effect on your bank accounts is never favorable to you. By this I mean that, in certain circumstances, the financial institution where you have your accounts may be able to take some or all of your money out of those accounts. Often, you are counting on having this money…Read   More

Although I have gotten out of the habit over the years of discussing this very important point with clients, I was recently reminded that perhaps pulling out old volumes of legal advice from days gone by and dusting them off might need to be considered. I was discussing debts with someone the other day and found myself listening to the following scenario: “I have tried very, very hard to get my credit score back up during the last few years. I have scraped and scrimped everywhere I could in order to pay off many of the creditors that had been…Read   More

This is another very common question that I answer almost every day.  The short answer is “Yes”, at least one court appearance is required in every Bankruptcy case.  But don’t worry! These hearings are usually low-key and don’t take all day. When is my Court Date and What Happens There? Your court date will be within 30 days of the date your case was filed.  The Court will mail you an official notice of the date, time, and location of the meeting. These notices are usually mailed the day after you file, so you should get that notice in the…Read   More