Is A Bankruptcy Lawyer Worth The Money?
Lewis Phillips
When debts get to the stage where all normal avenues to resolve the situation have failed, most people turn to a bankruptcy lawyer for advice; these specialist lawyers can help their clients through a particularly difficult time.
As the changes in the law have meant that filing for bankruptcy is now more time consuming, it means that a number of people have found themselves struggling with the process. Using an attorney can make this much easier. Despite all this extra paperwork for debtors, once it has been completed, the bankruptcy petition can proceed in the same way as it did before the changes in law.
Insolvency laws in the United States have a certain bankruptcy protection built in, whereby the individual filing for bankruptcy will not, under most circumstances, lose his or her home. In addition to this, there are extensive exemptions for clothing, furniture, and personal property.
In addition, some states have exemptions available that go beyond those provided by the federal statute and a local bankruptcy lawyer will be aware of these differences. The Insolvency law is designed to protect certain things like your house and car. This enables individuals filing for bankruptcy to live and work. There are exceptions if high value items are available that can be used to help clear debts.
The unfortunate aspect to this is your credit rating will be affected and on your record for up to a decade. You see, the majority of your credit score rating is made up of more recent financial activities and not so much about past ones, but your lawyer should warn you about certain financial companies that contact bankrupt people and offer credit. Extreme caution is required here.
Your bankruptcy lawyer will tell you to be wary of these offers at this time as many companies specialize in approaching these types of cases and offer loans at extortionate interest rates or conditions. Such credit could put you back in the position you were before. The answer is to only deal with reputable companies and only take on the credit you know you can comfortably live with. Always ensure that you pay more than the minimum payment required.
For careful individuals, this credit rebuild can be as little as two to four years, providing everything is kept up to date. That said, your bankruptcy will still be on your record but will probably not be used to prevent the purchase of a new home or prevent the acquiring of an unsecured loan.
There is now and probably always will be a stigma to bankruptcy. The credit industry quietly fuels this notion as it makes people reluctant to pursue bankruptcy. Bankruptcy is generally seen as a last resort, but as legislation continues to add changes, it will become harder for individuals to apply for bankruptcy.
While there are obviously some people that want to take advantage of the bankruptcy protection system, your bankruptcy lawyer will probably try to assure you that you are just a victim of misfortune who is being given a second chance. Hopefully, that is the case.
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