14 Sep 2010

Information About Consumer Bankruptcy

The American Bankruptcy Institute is an incredible organization which helps educate bankruptcy professionals and consumers with regard to current bankruptcy news and information. It’s contributors are some of the most well-educated bankruptcy professionals in the country. Although I have been a Maryland bankruptcy lawyer for almost 20 years, I learn something new every day. I […]

12 Sep 2010

New Bankruptcy Laws Not a Barrier to Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 Bankruptcy

I was looking around the web this morning for interesting articles on consumer Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy, and debt relief in general, and I found this intersting article from the Washington Post in 2008. This was written BEFORE the recession and unemployment really hit us hard, but it still applies. Some people think […]

12 Sep 2010

Personal Bankruptcy Filings

Consumer debt is consistent with bankruptcy filings. Research by the Federal Reserve indicates that household debt is at a record high relative to disposable income. Some analysts are concerned that this unprecedented level of debt might pose a risk to the financial health of American households. A high level of indebtedness among households could lead […]

12 Jul 2010

Summer Vacations and Bankruptcy

This weekend I was in Ocean City, Maryland with my family.   Everywhere I went, restaurants were packed, stores were mobbed and hotels had “no-vacancy” signs.  And as a personal bankruptcy attorney, I couldn’t help but notice that nearly everyone was using their high interest credit cards to pay for their consumer goods and services.  This, […]

03 Jul 2010

Personal Bankruptcy Filings Through June, 2010

CONSUMER BANKRUPTCY FILINGS UP 14 PERCENT THROUGH FIRST HALF OF 2010 July 2, 2010 Alexandria, Va. — U.S. consumer bankruptcy filings totaled 770,117 nationwide during the first six months of 2010 (Jan. 1-June 30), a 14 percent increase over the 675,351 total consumer filings during the same period a year ago, according to the American […]

20 Jun 2010

Why do we call bankruptcy Chapter 7?

Very few people know why the type of personal bankruptcy that eliminates a persons debts is called CHAPTER 7.  Well, here’s the answer.  There is huge volume of books that contain all of the laws that our Federal Government passes.  Those books are called the United States Code.   That Code has TITLES, and within those […]

20 Jun 2010

What is Personal Bankruptcy Discharge?

What is a bankruptcy discharge? The typical consumer files a bankruptcy case in order to obtain a “discharge” of overwhelming debt. An unfortunate word that is used to describe what for many is a life changing “event”. Why? When a debt is “discharged”, the obligation of the debtor to pay it, no longer exists. The […]

20 Jun 2010

National Personal Bankruptcy Chapter 7 and 13 for May

Personal bankruptcy filings for the month of May have increased compared with a year ago, but dropped slightly compared with a month earlier, the American Bankruptcy Institute reported last week. Here’s a breakdown of the data. Total filings: In May 2010, 136,142 personal bankruptcy cases were filed, a nine percent increase from May 2009, when […]

20 Jun 2010

Glossary of Bankruptcy Terms

Bankruptcy terms can be difficult to understand.  Below are brief definitions of the terms used in this site and in the Bankruptcy Code. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us. 410-766-4044. Adequate protection:Payment to a secured creditor to protect the value of the creditor’s lien during the bankruptcy proceeding from loss […]

17 Jun 2010

Debt Trouble Warning Signs

Think about this: Just because you can pay your minimum payments each month, does not mean you are financially fit. Low monthly minimum payments benefit the credit card company, the “minimum amount due” is cleverly calculated to keep you trapped in debt for your entire adult life. Do you really want to spend the best […]