Monthly Archives - September 2012

Once you have made the decision to file for bankruptcy, you may find yourself as overwhelmed with laws and technicalities as you are with credit card debt. One of the points of bankruptcy is to make your life less stressful by giving you a fresh financial start. Filing for bankruptcy should not add to your stress; it should only alleviate it. That is why choosing the right bankruptcy attorney in Los Angeles that can work with you own individual needs are of the utmost importance.

The first thing you need to do is find a Los Angeles bankruptcy lawyer, but do not just choose one out of the Yellow Pages and go with it. Ask around. Bankruptcy is more common than you realize and you may have a friend of acquaintance who has been through the same thing. You can also check with the California bar association for Los Angeles bankruptcy lawyers and their credentials. Once you have made a short list, call these lawyers and briefly explain your situation. A good attorney will offer you a free consultation to learn more and help guide you. If you feel a rapport with one or more of the lawyers you talk to, set up an appointment to meet with them.

Remember to look for experience first and foremost. You want an attorney who knows the ins and outs of bankruptcy law, and that includes the new federal laws that were put in place with 2005 legislation. A bankruptcy expert will be able to get the job done right and alleviate much of the stress that goes along with filing and closing your case. Look for up front honesty as well. An attorney who promises the moon may not be what you are looking for. An attorney who will explain that this is not always an easy process and is realistic with you is.

Of course, the fee a bankruptcy lawyer in Los Angeles will charge needs to also be considered. You are doing this because you are in financial trouble. A lawyer who understands this will not charge you outrageous prices, but instead try to charge something reasonable and affordable.  An attorney who is not in practice by himself is also something you should look for. A practice with several lawyers will help ensure that when you need advice or paperwork done, someone will be on hand to meet your needs. Most of all, you want a lawyer you can feel confident with so that the fresh start you are aiming for is as smooth and stress-free as possible.

Bankruptcy is not the fearsome thing people many people believe it is. It will not ruin your life forever, either financially or personally. In fact, in many cases it improves your life enormously. It allows you to make a fresh start and get back on track without constraints of heavy debt that could take the rest of your life to pay off. If you are buried under a mountain of bills, let a Los Angeles bankruptcy attorney help dig you out.

When behind on credit card payments by only a few days, your phone may begin ringing off the hook. You may get harassed by bill collectors who give you worst case scenarios unless you make a payment right then and there. Often, you don’t have the money to make a payment with, which is why you are late to begin with. Your balances will begin to increase with every late fee that can then bring you over the limit, which in turn increases your balances with over the limit fees. It is a vicious cycle and a catch-22 at the same time. You do not have the money to pay credit card debt, and therefore you end up in more credit card debt without even making any purchases.

A Los Angeles bankruptcy lawyer can help you out of this mess by advising you on what type of bankruptcy will work for you best, and then use their professional knowledge to file bankruptcy for you, without you having to worry about making mistakes if you were to file on your own. If you file Chapter 7 bankruptcy, your debts will be wiped clean and you can re-start your financial life with a clean slate. The bankruptcy will be a smudge on your credit for 10 years, but that will not stop your credit score from rising. The debt that kept your score low will be wiped away, so with no more late payments or defaults, you can begin rebuilding credit by opening up secured high interest credit cards. As long as you do not build up a high balance and can make the monthly payment in full, interest rates do not even need to be a concern.

Most of all, when you make the decision to start over with the help of a bankruptcy attorney in Los Angeles, you can breathe a sigh of relief. The phone calls and threatening letters will stop and you no longer need to worry how to pay your debt back. If you are ready to start living life again free of debt stress, call a bankruptcy lawyer in Los Angeles today.