Lots of folks here in New Jersey have fallen victim to the Great Recession, and have become worse off financially as a result. Out of work for over a year, and with a home that is under water and a bank account with not much in it, screaming creditors are the least of their problems. Forget being able to pay the credit card bills, are they able to pay for food? Collection calls go to voicemail, dunning letters go into the trash, and life, such as it is, goes on.
If this sounds like you, you have probably given up on ever getting out from under, thinking that you are essentially judgment proof. You may be wondering what good a bankruptcy would accomplish even if you could afford to hire an attorney to do it?
Don't Give Up on Bankruptcy
However, this is the wrong approach for several reasons.
- Giving up on bankruptcy is giving up on a brighter future. Although you may not have much now, when things get better (and they will) those creditors will still be there ready with a wage execution, bank levy, or a judgment on your home waiting to be paid when you sell or refinance it.
- Foreclosures are taking years to get to sheriff sale, so there is no immediacy to file or come up with the money for the lawyer.
- If you have no wages to garnish or money in the bank to levy, then creditors' efforts to collect are not creating an immediacy to file, and thus you have more time to get the fees and costs together.
Just like more and more stores are doing layaway to promote sales, bankruptcy lawyers like me are working with clients to fashion affordable payment plans that allow people to get the fresh start that they need.
I Can Help!
If you live in the South Jersey area, you should feel free to give me a call at 856-432-4113 or contact me through this site to schedule an appointment in my Woodbury office. I do a free consultation, so it costs nothing to see if bankruptcy can help you and, more importantly, if you can afford it.
Don't let fear of "sticker shock" or the false security of thinking you are judgment proof keep you from getting the brighter future that a bankruptcy discharge can give you!