BankruptcyLawNetwork

Why Collection Abuse Lawyers Aren’t Lawsuit Mills

03/03/11

Lawyers who represent consumers in foreclosures, collection abuse or civil lawsuit defense matters often refer to attorneys on the other side as “mills.”  In my experience, that’s not too far off the mark; when law firms file huge numbers of lawsuits at a clip without any meaningful involvement by the attorneys allegedly in charge, that’s [...]

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God and Bankruptcy

03/03/11

Bankruptcy is in the Bible.  In fact, there are plenty of blog posts here on Bankruptcy Law Network about what the Bible says about debt.  Kurt O’Keefe’s “Is Filing Bankruptcy a Sin?” is just one of many posts.  Most of these posts discuss the Bible and the mortality of bankruptcy or apply particular Biblical principles [...]

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Bankruptcy Means Test Figures Changing March 15, 2011

03/03/11

The Bankruptcy Means Test figures are changing again on March 14, 2011 and I am once again reminded of how absurd the means test is.  When the US Trustee posts new means test figures, I alway take a careful look at the numbers and compare them to  determine how it will affect my clients.   Increases in [...]

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3 Ways The iPad 2 May Help Lower Your Bankruptcy Legal Fees

03/03/11

The powers-that-be over in Cupertino announced the iPad 2 today, and consumers around the country are sure to line up as soon as pre-ordered begin on March 11. As with just about every product put out by Apple, the iPad 2 is just about guaranteed to blow the doors off the place. Personally, I’ve been [...]

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Cross Collateralized Loans And Bankruptcy

03/03/11

What is cross collateralization and how can it affect your Bankruptcy? When a loan is cross-collateralized it means that you have made an unsecured creditor into a secured creditor. How does this happen? When you purchase a car, it is common for the documents you sign to give the lender a security interest in the [...]

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How Should I List My Bankruptcy Exemptions in Light of the Supreme Court Case of Schwab v. Reilly?

03/03/11

The recent Supreme Court decision of Schwab v. Reilly dealt with a rather technical question of just what are debtors protecting when they claim an exemption in their bankruptcy? The Court said that a debtor must indicate that they are claiming an exemption for the full value of the item not just a portion of [...]

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How Can Bankruptcy Help Me?

03/03/11

As a Consumer Bankruptcy Attorney, I meet quite a few people who are investigating what bankruptcy can do for them.  Often the question will arise:  How Can Bankruptcy Help Me?  I think it is a great question, and it is one that I try to answer for each and every individual that walks through my [...]

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NACBA Goes to Washington

03/03/11

The National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys (NACBA) meet in Washington, D.C., in April.  The deadline for discounted “early bird” registration is Friday, March 4, 2011. The 19th annual NACBA convention on April 15-17, 2011, is being combined with the annual members-only Capitol Hill meeting on April 13-14, 2011.  Meeting headquarters is the Washington Marriott [...]

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Can I Get Out of a Bad Oil and Gas Lease If I File Bankruptcy?

03/03/11

Many landowners, particularly struggling farmers in Upstate New York, are trying to get out of gas leases they signed several years ago and replace them with new gas leases. It could make a difference of over $1,000,000 to the landowner. Filing bankruptcy could be the tool they need. For several years gas companies have known [...]

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Mortgage, Car Payments Not Reported After Bankruptcy

03/03/11

You’ve made your mortgage or car payments after bankruptcy.  Your credit report says “zero payments made”.  That’s as it should be, and it’s for your benefit.  (Your credit will rebuild anyway.  Here’s more, and here’s even more.  But it’s not all roses.)  Here’s why. A mortgage consists of two parts, the personal obligation that you [...]

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