Blogs

The March 2014 edition of Birmingham Magazine listed my law partner of over twenty (20) years, Brad Botes, in its Top Attorneys 2014 poll in the "Bankruptcy Law" category.  I cannot think of anyone more deserving of this honor to be named among the best of the best in this city.

The National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) has recently surveyed the exemption laws of all fifty states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. What NCLC found is that NOT EVEN ONE jurisdiction’s exemption laws meet basic standards of living that would allow a debtor to continue to support themselves and their family.

 
This is a question that I am often asked.  After all, people say, if a person can’t pay his or her creditors; how can they afford to pay their bankruptcy attorney.  As with many issues concerning bankruptcy, the answer is not a simple one.

Many of the veterans that we represent lament the fact that it takes the VA so long to decide their claim and for their claim to work its way through the convoluted VA system.

Super Lawyers Magazine annually publishes a list of the top attorneys in Alabama. Super Lawyers rates outstanding attorneys from seventy or more practice areas based on peer recognition and professional achievement. The selection process is multi-phased and the lawyers are chosen by considering a combination of peer nominations, independent research and peer examinations.

In news that should both distress and outrage veterans and their families, CNN has uncovered a secret waiting list in Phoenix Arizona for veterans awaiting urgent medical care.

The Severity of Garnishments

A garnishment is a serious situation. Ignoring a garnishment can hurt you.  Generally speaking, a garnishment is a type of legal proceeding that allows someone you owe to seize your non-exempt property to satisfy a debt.

The women’s retail clothing store, Coldwater Creek, filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection on April 11, 2014 in Wilmington, Delaware after efforts to sell the company failed. The clothier has been in business for 30 years, however, they have not posted an annual profit since 2007 and the company’s sales plunged 17 percent last year.

Bankruptcy can often be a far better option than a debt settlement program. It is a process that has a defined beginning and end with protection from collection efforts from your creditors while you are in that process.

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There is no law that says you must seek any formal, legal debt relief.  For example, you can contact your creditors at any time and inform them that you’re having a hard time making ends meet and ask them to work with you. You might ask them to reduce your monthly payments.  Or, perhaps they would be willing to take less than the balance owed if you pay the reduced balance in a lump sum.