There are so many myths about bankruptcy that are believed by most people. We’ve been practicing bankruptcy law for over 35 years, and for all this time in nearly every free consultation, we dispel at least one common bankruptcy myth.
Often people believe they must be behind on their bills to qualify for bankruptcy. This is not true. Even if you are current and up-to-date on every debt you owe, you can still qualify for Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy (so long as you meet the criteria for eligibility).
You may be wondering: why would someone need to file for bankruptcy if they are current on paying all of their bills?
That’s a great question. It actually isn’t uncommon that our clients are current on paying their bills when they first come in to explore how bankruptcy can help. Oftentimes they have been going to great lengths to stay current, like doing balance transfers between credit cards, using home equity lines of credit (HELOC), depleting their savings account, or cashing out or borrowing against legally protected retirement accounts.
If you have been doing any of the above just to stay afloat and pay your monthly bills, it is likely time to explore if bankruptcy is the right solution for you.
Many of the actions above are short-term fixes, mere band-aids for a serious debt problem. In so many cases we see honest, hard-working people deplete resources that they would be able to protect through bankruptcy in an effort to avoid filing. Ultimately they end up filing for bankruptcy anyway and are worse off financially that they would have been if they had filed sooner.
This is why it is so important to us to dispel bankruptcy myths. The misinformation on bankruptcy is harmful to people who are truly in need of debt relief. Bankruptcy is your legal right. People who file for bankruptcy recover afterwards, and can go on to regain their financial wellbeing.
We’re passionate about busting down bankruptcy myths! Read our articles:
You may not need to file for bankruptcy, or it may not yet be the right time for you to file. But if you are juggling massive debt and taking drastic measures just to make your monthly payments, we urge you to consult with an experienced bankruptcy attorney. Too often people lose assets that would otherwise be protected through bankruptcy just trying to stay afloat and end up filing for bankruptcy months or years later anyway. If they had filed sooner they could have retained substantial assets and already be rebuilding their credit.
Call us today at (912) 351-9000 or contact us to schedule a free consultation.
The Law Office of Barbara B. Braziel has over 35-years of bankruptcy experience. We are the premier bankruptcy law firm in Savannah, GA and we practice exclusively in bankruptcy law. We invite you to get to know us here and read about the clients we’ve helped here.
We are a debt relief agency. We help people file for bankruptcy relief under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.
