Legal Versus Equitable Interests in Bankruptcy

When one files bankruptcy, a bankruptcy estate is created. The bankruptcy estate consists of all legal or equitable interests the debtor possesses in any property, at the time of the filing of the bankruptcy petition [See USC 541(a)(1)]. In bankruptcy, one may have a legal interest in property, or an equitable interest in property. A legal interest is represented by ownership in property that is generally more recognizable by law. If one buys an automobile and titles the automobile in his or her name, then Read More +

Factors That Impact Your Bankruptcy Case

Are you struggling to pay your bills? Do you find that you have fallen so far behind that you think you’ll never catch up? Maybe you’re drowning in a mountain of debt. While you may be struggling to keep your head above water financially, it doesn’t have to be this way. There are solutions available for you. One of the solutions you may wish to consider is bankruptcy. This type of insolvency is a welcome source of relief for many people today. There are a Read More +

Terms of Bankruptcy Bill Addressing Student Loans

A bill, currently in Committee before the Senate may permit many debtors encumbered with student loan debt to achieve a discharge of such debts through the process of bankruptcy.  Currently, the primary avenue for the discharge of student loans in bankruptcy is through establishing such debts constitute an undue hardship. The bill, titled the “Fostering Responsible Education Starts with Helping Students Through Accountability, Relief, and Taxpayer Protection Through Bankruptcy Act of 2021” or the “FRESH START Through Bankruptcy Act” additionally provides that certain student loans, Read More +

How Bankruptcy May Affect Your Job Prospects

While bankruptcy is invaluable in that it offers you the opportunity to start over financially there are also some consequences that accompany it. One of the most important things you need to consider here is how your job opportunities, both now and in the future, will be affected. Can I be fired for filing for bankruptcy? If you live in America you typically won’t be fired if you file for liquidation. Under federal employment discrimination laws, your job will be protected. This means that even Read More +

How Bankruptcy Affects Evictions

There are a lot of bills that may pile up and cause you to be in debt. However, when you realize you’ve fallen behind on paying your rent you’re likely to find this to be more stressful than any of the other types of debt you may encounter. Unfortunately, COVID has caused many Americans to find themselves coping with the ongoing stressor of a looming eviction. In March the Census Bureau published a survey in which they discovered that around 20% of adults who were Read More +

What You Need to Know About Buying A Home After Bankruptcy

Even though we’re still in the midst of a pandemic, most people have at least one friend or family member who’s bought a home within the past year. In fact, the first few months of 2021 have reflected rapid growth when it comes to buying homes. This has been supercharged by the real estate market’s bidding wars at the end of 2020. Despite some people having issues because they made purchases quickly the market still hasn’t slowed down any. With all the talk about buying Read More +

Negotiating Debt with Your Credit Card Company

Statistics show that the average person living in the state of Florida today has over $8,000 in credit card debt. This debt can quickly become unsustainable with how high-interest rates are. Therefore many people are wondering if they can negotiate with their creditors. Unfortunately, the answer is only “maybe” since companies differ in how willing they are to negotiate depending on how far behind in payments you’ve fallen. Know What Your Goals Are Before you pick up your phone to call the credit card agency Read More +

Bankruptcy Considerations for Small Business Owners

Chapter 7 liquidation use to be the only type of bankruptcy a small business could file for. If they wanted to remain in business they’d need to file for Chapter 11 protection and fill out a lot of paperwork. However, in 2019 Congress passed a Reorganization Act entitled Subchapter V. With Subchapter V bankruptcy is streamlined. A business will get a lot of benefits for filing Chapter 11 (e.g. the ability to restructure its loans). There also aren’t as many hoops there as exist for Read More +

Procedures for Potential Clients Seeking to File Bankruptcy

PHONE OR IN PERSON CONSULTATION (DEPENDING UPON AVAILABILITY) WITH JAY WELLER IS MANDATORY. MR. WELLER WILL DISCUSS WITH THE POTENTIAL CLIENT ALL OF THE ISSUES, TYPICALLY RELATED TO BANKRUPTCY, HOW THOSE ISSUES ARE ADDRESSED IN BANKRUPTCY, THE DIFFERENT CHAPTERS OF BANKRUPTCY, AND REMEDIES OTHER THAN FILING BANKRUPTCY, AND THEIR FEASIBILITY, AND EFFECTIVENESS. MR. WELLER WILL DEMONSTRATE HOW BANKRUPTCY RELATES TO THE SPECIFIC ISSUES CONFRONTING THE POTENTIAL CLIENT. UPON A FULL ANALYSIS OF THE POTENTIAL CLIENT’S ISSUES AND CIRCUMSTANCES, THE POTENTIAL CLIENT CAN THEN MAKE AN Read More +

Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Monthly Payments Based Upon Disposable Income

[NAME OF CLIENT], THE TWO MAIN FACTORS THAT CAN DETERMINE A DEBTOR OR DEBTORS’ MONTHLY CHAPTER 13 PAYMENTS, ARE THE DEBTORS’ ASSETS AND THE DEBTORS INCOME. DEBTOR OR DEBTORS’ ASSETS IN A CHAPTER 13 BANKRUPTCY, THE DEBTOR MUST PAY HIS OR HER UNSECURED CREDITORS AN AMOUNT EQUIVALENT TO WHAT SUCH UNSECURED CREDITORS WOULD RECEIVE IF THE DEBTOR FILED A CHAPTER 7 BANKRUPTCY. WHEN A DEBTOR FILES BANKRUPTCY, THE BANKRUPTCY ESTATE IS CREATED. THE BANKRUPTCY ESTATE INCLUDES ALL OF THE DEBTOR’S INTERESTS IN ANY PROPERTY. SUCH Read More +