Need legal help ASAP!! (Bankruptcy)

[travisleit01]

If anyone has any knowledge regarding bankruptcy and the law, please PM me if you could. I am sorry to reach out to DUers here, but I am in a situation that could break up my family and cause harm to a lot of people - and I would do anything for some guidance. Thank you.

[KissMyAsscroft]

1. Divorce Her.

Kidding.

Call a bankruptcy lawyer and they will chat with you for free.

[travisleit01]

2. Hehe...

I wish it were that simple - but it doesn't involve a marriage (kind of).

DUers - I've been here for over a year now, and would do whatever I could for a fellow DUer. I'm in Washington, D.C. now lobbying for nuclear accountability with Rocky Flats' whistleblowers, trying to make a difference.

I beg someone to PM me to help a little with a situation that is tearing my family apart.

[brook]

3. I second that...

get the name of a good bankruptcy attorney from someone you trust to know good from bad, if you can. Otherwise, call your local legal aid society or Bar Association office and get some recommendations- and start calling them. There are different kinds of bankruptcy - you need to see which one is best for your circumstance. You might want to do some on-line research as well.

[travisleit01]

5. Thanks Brook.

Actually someone in my family is already in the middle of the proceedings, but we've hit a roadblock that is creating a division in our family that may mean some people don't ever speak to one another again :( . i can't stand to see that happen over money.

[GOPisEvil]

4. I went through a personal bankruptcy 5.5 years ago...

...but I'm far from an expert.

[amazona]

6. bankruptcy laws vary somewhat from state to state

I'm afraid I don't see any alternative to talking to a lawyer in your state who specializes in bankruptcy. Unfortunately, they generally expect to be paid several hundred dollars in advance for walking you through a bankruptcy, and can you blame them? Once the bankruptcy goes through, the creditors can't collect, so to specialize in this area, you have to be a little bit hard-nosed about getting your money first. I'm not understanding how bankruptcy could cause harm -- several of my friends have declared bankruptcy (one had to twice) and it was extremely beneficial in the long wrong. If a family member is upset because he can't get blood from a turnip, this is a psychological issue and there is little you can do about it in my humble opinion. But I'm really fumbling in the dark here for lack of information.

Have you had any luck on findlaw.com ?

As a tiny note of hope, the friend who declared bankruptcy twice owed his family (mostly his mom) $50,000. His third business has been extremely successful and he has since been able to give her money times that amount. THis would not have been possible if he had been tied down to his huge debts and unable to start another business when his other efforts failed. I hope things work out so well or better for you but it just takes time.

[travisleit01]

7. Thanks.

Things are better now - but back in the mid 90s a mother and daughter I know opened 3 credit cards with a balance of about $20,000. Short story - with paying only the min., they have gone down practically ZERO, and being that the mother is 80, decided to file bankruptcy. If the mother's husband found out - he'd kill her (almost literally), or have a heartattack and die hating the daughter for what he would consider one of the most horrible things one can do in life. The mother is now freaking out over the bankruptcy, and told another sibling about it, who is threating to tell the 2 other siblings should the mother/daughter not somehow withdraw the bankruptcy petition. He thinks that the father will find out.

I personally don't think it's that big of deal, or that much money in the long run. Hell - it's just money afterall. But it's causing huge problems right now, and I'm worried that the daughter will end up having a heartattack herself because of the stress of something that happened over 9 years ago, and still continues to haunt her. we all thought that in a few months when the bankruptcy was finalized this would be over, but it doesn't look like that is going to happen.

[SoCalDem]

My friend declared a few yearsago.

We are in CA.. It was EASY.. no more debt and as long as she makes payments on the house, she's ok there.. There is a limit on how new of a car you can have, but that's about it.. Sears & Discover are the only agressive credit cards.. That's what her lawyer told her, but she did not owe them any money..

Watch out though.. in about 6 months she started getting "pre-approved" credit card apps in the mail.. She tossed them, but if your family has members who can get to granny's mail, you might need to watch for that stuff..

[SoCalDem]

8. oops...duped

:(