Yes. This is the main reason people file for Chapter 13. Outside of bankruptcy, the bank can refuse your payments if you are behind. They can demand you pay the entire past-due balance at once or they will foreclose.

Chapter 13 forces the bank to accept a "catch-up" plan. As long as you make the payments we propose, the bank must accept them. They lose the power to say no.

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I know you are struggling financially—that is why you are here. I have made my fees as manageable as possible. While there is a standard filing fee required by the court, in most cases the majority of my attorney fees are broken into affordable monthly installments that are included in your repayment plan.

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Chapter 7 is designed to erase debt quickly (like credit cards), but it carries a risk: the trustee can sell your assets to pay your bills. It is generally not the right tool for saving a home.

Chapter 13 is designed to protect assets. It freezes the foreclosure immediately and gives you 3 to 5 years to catch up on missed payments. For homeowners, Chapter 13 is almost always the right choice.

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No. In fact, filing bankruptcy often protects your car better than you can on your own. If you are behind on payments, we can include the past-due amount in your repayment plan so they cannot repossess it.

In many situations, we can even lower your interest rate or reduce the total balance you owe, which lowers your monthly payment.

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No. Federal Law protects your future. Your 401(k), IRA, and pension are almost always 100% safe. Lenders cannot touch them, and the bankruptcy trustee will not take them.

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No. While bankruptcy filings are public records, they are not broadcast to the community. In my experience, unless you choose to tell them yourself, it is highly unlikely anyone you know will ever find out.

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No. The only time an employer gets involved is if your wages are currently being garnished. In that case, we actually want to notify them to stop the garnishment immediately. This is a relief, not a problem.

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No. If the debts are primarily in your name, you can often file alone. However, filing together is sometimes the smarter move to protect the whole family. We will look at your specific situation and decide what is best for you.

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If you are facing foreclosure, your credit is already damaged. Chapter 13 is the first step in fixing it. I provide a specific Credit Rebuild Program to all my clients to help you get your score back up much faster than if you tried to do it on your own.

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It depends. Older income taxes can often be wiped out entirely, just like credit card debt. Newer taxes, or those where a lien has been recorded, may need to be repaid—though often without future interest or penalties.

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Not automatically. In most cases, student loans receive a portion of the payments made during your plan, but any remaining balance survives after your discharge. However, it is possible to discharge them if we file a separate lawsuit within the bankruptcy court to prove "undue hardship." We can evaluate if this strategy is right for your situation.

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Yes. In fact, many of my clients buy vehicles while they are still in the repayment plan. Buying a home takes a little longer, but it is absolutely possible.

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Almost always, the answer is no.

You will attend a "Meeting of Creditors," but it is not with a Judge in a courtroom. It is an administrative meeting to review your paperwork.

These are conducted remotely by video. You can attend from your living room, and I will be right there online with you to handle the legal questions.

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