Holiday Season and Tax Refund Time
It is the first week of February and the phones at the Maryland Bankruptcy Center have been ringing off the hook. I am a Maryland Bankruptcy lawyer. I earn my living helping Maryland residents file Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy. February is the busiest time of the year for bankruptcy filings. Why? Good question. I have two theories, and here they are. The first, and probably the best, is because January is the month that everyone receives their credit card bills from overspending during the h0liday season. The large majority of bankruptcy’s that I file are Chapter 7 bankruptcys. Chapter 7 bankruptcy eliminates credit card debt, medical bills, judgement and other unsecured debts. The large majority are credit cards. The aveage United States resident carries approximately $12,000 of credit card debt at any given time, and most cannot afford it. The other reason that so many people file bankruptcy in Maryland during February (and March and April too) is because people usually receive their tax refunds in those months. Most American citizens live paycheck to paycheck, which means they don’t have any savings. Bankruptcy filing can be expensive. At the Maryland Bankruptcy Center our fees are lower than most other law firms, but we understand that bankruptcy fees are hire for the average American. In addition to the attorney fee their is a filing fee of $299.00 that must be paid to the United States Bankruptcy Court in all Chapter 7 bankruptcy cases in Maryland. Unlike many other firms, we take payment plans. If you are not able to pay the entire fee and the filing fee up front, we will still take your case and deal with your creditors for you until you are able to pay the entire fee. Tax refund time is the one time of the year that people seem to “pay in full” during the first consultation or shortly thereafter.
If you are thinking about filing Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 consumer bankruptcy in Maryland and would like a free consultation with a lawyer, call the Maryland Bankruptcy Center today. We offer a free consultation in ALL cases. We are Maryland Bankruptcy Lawyers and Attorneys who have experience filing cases for Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, Baltimore City, Howard County, Prince George’s County and Montgomery County residents. Our main office is located in Hanover, which is our Arundel Mills office. Located just a few minutes from BWI airport, we see client’s from Glen Burnie, Pasadena, Baltimore, Columbia, Ellicott City, Jessup, Elkridge, Catonsville, Arbutus, Brooklyn, Linthicum, Severna Park, Annapolis, Silver Spring and College Park. Call us today, at (410) 766-4044 or (301) 589-8700 and we can begin eliminating ALL of your debt right away.