Bankruptcy

Guilt, Shame and Bankruptcy

By Joseph McDaniel, Esq.

And there I am, amazed and befuddled when they burst into tears.

Here's why. I'm sometimes too far ahead, because I'm working on the "how" of the process almost from the moment that the clients show up in my office. Because I know the goal of the endgame: the clients keep their stuff (mostly) and lose their debt (mostly). With fairly few speedbumps (mostly).

The clients, sometimes, are still at an earlier phase of the process: dealing with the guilt they're feeling about being unable to pay their bills.

And, dear reader, you know they've also spent their 401(k) down to the last cent, and that makes me sad because it would have made their post-bankruptcy life so much easier.

NOTHING HERE CONSTITUTES LEGAL ADVICE RE A CHAPTER 7, CHAPTER 13, CHAPTER 11, OR CHAPTER 12. FIND AN ARIZONA BANKRUPTCY LAWYER WHO IS BOARD CERTIFIED IN BANKRUPTCY LAW, AV RATED, AVVO 10 RATED, ON SUPERLAWYERS, OR JUST VERY EXPERIENCED AND A FORMER CHAIR OF SOME BANKRUPTCY SECTION OR COMMITTEE. NOTHING HERE MAY BE USED AS LEGAL ADVICE IN CONNECTION WITH ANY BANKRUPTCY, WHETHER THAT BANKRUPTCY IS IN PHOENIX, GLENDALE, TEMPE, MESA, SCOTTSDALE, OR ANYWHERE ELSE.

Full post as published by Arizona Bankruptcy Attorney Blog on June 27, 2009 (boomark / email).