New Law Blogs

What Happens Next? Funny You Should Ask!

Posted on November 06, 2009
Once you've paid the retainer and filing fee, your next question is predictably going to be, "what happens next?"I know that because I've done this for thirty years or so.Well, the answer around my office is this! The first phase of your case is the "pre-filing" phase...

Now That I've Filed a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, What Should I Expect to Happen?

Posted on September 17, 2009
Well, the first thing you should expect is some small amount of peace and quiet. Prior to the filing, you may have been getting a few love notes from creditors in the mail, or by way of their process servers, and phone calls telling you that your creditors miss their payments, deeply...

"Am I Going to Lose My House?" Only If You're Smart.

Posted on September 01, 2009
First, it's not your house. You get to live there until you can't pay the bank anymore and then you get kicked out; so the only way you stay is if you pay, or you find some funky government program that actually works for more than .000001% of the population...

What's an Abandonment in a Bankruptcy Case?

Posted on August 25, 2009
Getting an application or motion or notice of intent to abandon in the mail in your bankruptcy case shouldn't upset a debtor very much. It's mostly a remedy for the bankruptcy trustee, who doesn't want to have items on his plate, in his bankruptcy estate, that are worthless and burdensome...

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You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet

Posted on August 25, 2009
I recently talked to one of the nicest couples in the world. I sympathized with them that they had lost a lot that they had worked for here and saved during their life here in the United States. They told me that they had come from a Soviet Satellite country, and that at one point in their lives their entire life savings had been devalued...

Cleopatra, the Queen of Denial

Posted on August 23, 2009
There's a song that talks about the Queen of Denial, which is a gag; the idea is that the woman in the song is in denial, and her name is Cleopatra, and that's almost like "Cleopatra, the Queen of the Nile". Okay, you had to be there. But sometimes people are not emotionally ready to file bankruptcy cases, even if it would be the best thing for them from an economic point of view, and even if it's inevitable because their income has dropped to close to zero, and they have five million dollars in debt, and they have a cardboard box as their only non-clothing asset...

Is the Attorney Gag Provision of the 2005 Amendments to the Bankruptcy Code Unconstitutional?

Posted on August 20, 2009
I just read a very interesting article about a provision of the Bankruptcy Code that prevents the free flow of information to consumer bankruptcy clients. Here's the article, in a very good blog called Credit Slips. One of the things a bankruptcy lawyer is not permitted to advise a client to do is to incur new debt for any reason whatsoever...

Bulldogging a Pickup Truck in Bankruptcy Court

Posted on August 18, 2009
Back when I was digging ditches with my Philosophy Degree in the hot, hot summer sun in Arizona, I worked for Pancho Willis, one of the most intelligent men I've ever known. Pancho would only hire ditchdiggers with advanced degrees, so it was sort of an honor to get to dig his ditches; he hired me because even though I didn't have a Masters or Doctors degree, I had a degree in a subject he'd never been lectured about before...

How Quickly Can You Get My Bankruptcy Case Filed?

Posted on August 11, 2009
I often talk to nice people and then get a call from them some months or years later, and they want to know how quickly I can file for them. Well, I can file very quickly indeed. I've got this electronic button, see?But that's not the real question. The real question is, how quickly can a bankruptcy be filed so that risk in filing is minimized to a good extent, and a reasonably good result obtained for the client?For that question, the answer is simple: the client is the limiting factor...

FIRST you file Bankruptcy, THEN you get Married!

Posted on August 10, 2009
These things appear to go in cycles. I get five questions in this area, and then the issue goes away for a while. The relationship between bankruptcy and domestic relations law is messy and goofy because Bankruptcy is mostly a Federal thing, and divorce is mostly a State thing...

A Timeline for Your Bankruptcy Case; Usual Sequence of Events in A Chapter 7 Bankruptcy in Arizona

Posted on August 08, 2009
Prior to your bankruptcy, suffer and worry a lot. You will, no matter what, and all that suffering will make you feel better when the overwhelming load of debt goes away.If you can possibly help it, try to refrain from throwing away all of your life savings in the 401(K) prior to thinking about bankruptcy...

Filing Bankruptcy to Get a Job

Posted on August 07, 2009
Recently I've been retained by two folks for an unusual reason. Now, I'm an Arizona bankruptcy lawyer, and I've been a bankruptcy lawyer for about thirty years, so I've heard a lot of reasons for filing. But these folks were different. They weren't being sued...

Can I Donate My Car to the Church before I File my Chapter 7 Bankruptcy in Arizona?

Posted on August 04, 2009
That would be a "no".The adage in insolvency law is that you must be fair before you are generous. It surprises me, because I'm an Arizona bankruptcy lawyer, that so many people want to be generous, just prior to filing a bankruptcy case here in Phoenix...

Hey, Give Heidi a Break, Okay? Itemize your Furniture!

Posted on July 29, 2009
Here's the deal: when you fill out your forms online in our computerized system, there will come a point when you are finished, and you will hit "send".If you don't itemize your furniture (yes, I'm not kidding; here in Arizona, furniture is exempt up to a replacement value of $4,000 for a single, and $8,000 for a couple, BUT YOU HAVE TO ITEMIZE IT! REALLY!!)...

Getting Their Bench Broken; Landmarc Capital in Receivership in Arizona, Said to be Insolvent

Posted on July 27, 2009
The word "bankruptcy" comes from two Italian words, "banca rupta", meaning "broken bench". The phrase came about because moneylenders in Venice worked sitting on "banca" in the public square.I read an article about an Arizona company that was just declared insolvent by the State of Arizona, and couldn't help thinking that their bench was just broken...

Arizona Realtors: Does Your Commission Belong to You After You File A Chapter 7 Bankruptcy in Arizona?

Posted on July 25, 2009
Maybe, maybe not. The analytical framework is understood by most experienced Arizona bankruptcy lawyers, because a lot of our clients over the last three decades that we've worked have been realtors.Here's the Reader's Digest version of the story: maybe you get to keep the real estate commission you receive after you file your bankruptcy, and maybe you don't...

Reaffirmations: Threat or Menace? or Let Them Eat Steel!

Posted on July 23, 2009
We already know that I hate reaffirmations. They weren't required in the 9th Circuit prior to the passage of the evil 2005 Bankruptcy Amendments. Now, the option of staying current and retaining isn't a legal option, but it's a practical option in many cases...

Just Another Trap in the Bankruptcy Jungle

Posted on July 22, 2009
The 2005 Amendments were not debtor-friendly. They were downright debtor-hostile. The banks, seeing the collapse of the U.S. economy coming, were interested in trying to avoid the consequences of their own actions in shoving credit cards and mortgages at anybody with a pulse, and they lobbied Congress heavily (translation: spent money like water on campaign contributions) for ten long years before they got what they had paid for: the 2005 Bankruptcy Amendments...

The Bankruptcy Court is Like a Jungle, and Filing is Like an Expedition into an Exotic Land. With Rhinos. To Bag the Elusive Discharge.

Posted on July 22, 2009
Prior to the 2005 Amendments, the Bankruptcy Court was a fairly safe, loving, supportive kind of place. Never a walk in the Themepark, but not bad. It wasn't Disneyland, but bankruptcy lawyers could always point to nice, loving, supportive language in the legislative history to the Bankruptcy Code (the "New Code" of October 1, 1979) that indicated it was supposed to be the land of the Big Mac...

So If I Don't Like the Direction My Chapter 7 Bankruptcy is Going, I Can Just Dismiss It, Right?

Posted on July 22, 2009
Wrong, Insolvency Breath!Actually, you can always ask to have it dismissed; just no guarantee that you can actually get it dismissed. I'll turn this into a real blogpost soon enough, but in general just understand that you don't have an absolute right to dismiss your Chapter 7 case if it starts moving sideways...

Bankruptcy Pre-filing Jitters, and the Platonic Ideal of Bankruptcy Schedules

Posted on July 21, 2009
It is absolutely normal to get nervous just prior to filing your bankruptcy; don't let it disturb you at all. I've had 30 years of watching folks who have pre-filing jitters, some much more than others. Do a little more exercise; take the dog for a walk...

How Will I Pay for a Bankruptcy if I'm Broke? How Much Will My Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Cost?

Posted on July 19, 2009
There's an old joke among lawyers: a bankruptcy attorney walks into a cocktail party, and the divorce lawyer asks, "How does a bankruptcy lawyer get paid?", to which the response is, "Up front."There's a certain amount of truth buried in that joke. A consumer bankruptcy lawyer doesn't want a fee owed to him to be discharged along with all the other debt, so he or she has a tendency to get paid in full prior to the filing...

The Lost Generation

Posted on July 17, 2009
Has anybody else noticed that we're about to lose a generation of our best and brightest?Not to war, although some will go that way. Not to disease, although I expect a fairly remarkable increase in tuberculosis over the next few years. No, to depression and despair...

The Secret Chapter 7 Exemption in Arizona

Posted on July 11, 2009
There's a secret bankruptcy exemption in Arizona, which accounts for the fact that most bankruptcy cases in Arizona are designated no-asset cases. It's so secret that you won't find it in any law books, or on the list of exemptions at the Bankruptcy website for the District of Arizona...

Pre-Judgment Remedies Again? Everything Old is New Again!

Posted on July 08, 2009
A brilliant paralegal, Fred Hersh, who was the smartest guy in several states, worked for me for several years. He had essentially memorized the pre-judgment remedy statutes. Knew 'em backwards and forwards. He had been a marine, and he was a really, truly, and seriously tough guy...

Congratulations on Receiving Your Discharge! No, Your Chapter 7 Case isn't over yet!

Posted on July 08, 2009
There's a lot for debtors to understand about the way the new, post-2005 Bankruptcy World works here in Arizona. And my guess is that it's similar in the rest of the U.S. When debtors, even very intelligent debtors, receive their long-awaited Discharge Order from the U...

Are Gas Cards Exempt In Arizona?

Posted on July 07, 2009
Maybe. Maybe not. The Arizona exemption reads "food, fuel and provisions". For six months. If the debtor has two gas cards worth two hundred each, and lists them as exempt as "fuel", they ought to pass muster because exemptions should be liberally construed in favor of the debtor, and there's no opposing case law...

I SAVED THE FAMILY FARM, WITH THE HELP OF SMART OPPOSING COUNSEL!

Posted on July 07, 2009
Frequent readers will recall that I was agonizing about the prospect of filing a Chapter 12 Bankruptcy to save a family farm here in Arizona. But I didn't have to file a Chapter 12 case for the Good Ol' Boy. I was able to fix it with the free bite at the apple, augmented version (I made the phone call, instead of the client making the phone call)...

Not unless you LIKE Striped Pajamas!

Posted on July 07, 2009
No, I won't file a bankruptcy for you.Because you are already entitled to receive a $2,000,000 inheritance (not her real number) from your mother's estate in Lithuania (not his real country).And 11 USC 541 (Property of the Estate) says that if you are or become entitled to an inheritance within about six months of filing your bankruptcy, that inheritance becomes property of the estate...

Do I Get to Keep the Wedding Ring, Part II

Posted on July 03, 2009
I previously blogged about the wedding ring issue, but I'm going to try it again, and this time I'll try to make it more direct. 1)You will absolutely get to keep your wedding ring in an Arizona Chapter 7 Bankruptcy case if you decide you want to do so;2)The only issue is how much dough you have to pay the Arizona Chapter 7 Trustee if you want to keep your wedding ring;3)In 98 per cent of all cases, the wedding ring is worth only $2,000 replacement value, so if wife and husband "stack" their exemptions on her ring, they keep it without paying the trustee anything, as long as the trustee doesn't object to the exemption-and if he does, the trustee will be objecting to value, not the ring itself; 4)Your wedding-ring-specific homework, IF YOU THINK THE RING MAY BE WORTH MORE THAN $2,000, is to go to three pawn shops and ask how much they'd give you for the ring...

Bankruptcy and Crayons Don't Mix

Posted on June 30, 2009
I love kids, particularly well-done with catchup. Just kidding!I have two, and the white hair to prove it; and I love them beyond understanding. But bankruptcy is serious stuff. You actually have to PAY ATTENTION when I'm talking to you, and if Johnny is chewing on the electrical cords, or wetting down the computer that I use during consultations, that might be...

So Can I Save the Family Farm from Snidely Whiplash?

Posted on June 30, 2009
Frequent readers will readily recall my most frequent answer to any mixed fact-and-law bankruptcy question: maybe.Turns out that Chapter 12 Bankruptcy cases are capable of being filed here in Arizona, although they often are not because our farms tend to be a bit too big, and the debts a bit too big, for jurisdictional limits...

A Free Bite at the Apple

Posted on June 30, 2009
I drafted this post for my bankruptcy blog, and then realized it was useful to baby lawyers as well. So to read it, go to my Just for Lawyers blog!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...

I'm not Casper, and I Won't Ghost-Write the Schedules for You

Posted on June 27, 2009
At the Arizona State Bar Convention Bankruptcy Seminar today, there was a great discussion of the ethical rules associated with bankruptcy. One of the situations the lecturer discussed was the ghost writing case; that's where the debtor puts together the petition, schedules, lists and statements, and the bankruptcy lawyer doesn't sign and file it...

Guilt, Shame and Bankruptcy

Posted on June 27, 2009
So there I am, asking questions and answering questions during any old client interview. 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...

I Have a New Blog; Ignore it. It's Just for Lawyers. No, really! It's Just for Lawyers!

Posted on June 27, 2009
I've filed bankruptcy cases for lawyers (and doctors and C.P.A.s and dentists and Corporate Moguls), but it always makes me sad to do so, although I've been happy when the lawyer got a discharge in the bankruptcy and got to move on with life. But there are a bundle of new lawyers coming out of law schools who won't be able to get a job because BigLaw isn't hiring, and they're competing with established lawyers...

Here's link to a Useful Free Video About Consumer Bankruptcy

Posted on June 19, 2009
Here's a link to a video (runs about an hour!) that talks about ordinary bankruptcy in ordinary language. The guy speaking is a little nervous at the beginning of his presentation. But he's a knowledgable and experienced bankruptcy lawyer, and you'll learn a fair amount when you listen to his presentation...

Hey, Getting Dumped by Voicemail is Bad, but Getting Fired? From BigLaw???

Posted on June 19, 2009
During this depression, no job is safe, not even at major law firms. Not even at major law firms in Great Britain. The genteel practice of law that existed in Great Britain is now changing, as the deceptive security blanket of working for big law firms in the United States has unraveled...

Why Do I Care if you do your Homework Before You Visit With Me for the First Time?

Posted on June 19, 2009
Gentle reader, you may wonder why I care whether you do your homework before you come in to visit with me for the first time. As it happens, it's because I like productive time, and your time is going to be spent more productively if the homework assignments have been done prior to our visit...

If You're Going to File a Bankruptcy Anyway, Is a Short Sale the World's Best Idea?

Posted on June 18, 2009
I just got off the phone with a lovely woman who was arm-wrestling with the IRS over a tax consequence of a short sale. And she had some other debt and wanted to talk bankruptcy. Made me wonder how many other folks are trying to short-sell their houses in a good faith effort to be good-do-bees and who are therefore walking into nooses that they don't see coming...

If You're So Famous, Why Did You File Bankruptcy, Rembrandt? Fame and Bankruptcy in the United States. And Elsewhere.

Posted on June 18, 2009
I was reminded today that fame is no protection against insolvency. Nor prior success. Nor intelligence. Nor spiritual attainment. Insolvency happens. Bankruptcy happens. I've heard it said that the average American millionaire goes broke four times before he or she gets to keep the dough...

Here's a Cool Website if you want a Judicial Clerkship!

Posted on June 17, 2009
If you can't recognize a neat blog, why bother blogging?There's a nifty blog located here that lets prospective clerks know about judicial clerkships; it's called the Clerkship Notification Blog. I'm an old used judicial clerk, first for U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Maggiore, and then for Chief Bankruptcy Judge Caldwell, both for the U...

Why Did You Ask if We're Married when we Talked About Filing a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Petition in Arizona?

Posted on June 17, 2009
Simmer down. I don't want to know about your personal lives, exactly. But you have two separate and distinct last names, and you don't wear wedding rings. I don't care if you're doing what my parents would have called "Living in Sin". Or what my generation, 30 years ago, would have called "Ordinary Life"...

I Hope I Don't Have to Re-Learn how to File a Chapter 12 Bankuptcy for a Family Farmer in Arizona!

Posted on June 16, 2009
I hope I don't have to re-learn Chapter 12 cases. My firm confirmed one sometime in the paleolithic period, but I haven't done one recently.My memory tells me that they're pretty similar to Chapter 13 cases, with no requirement for a disclosure statement...

If my wife and I are Going to file a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy in Arizona, do Both of Us have to take the Credit Counseling Classes?

Posted on June 16, 2009
Yes.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...

What Happens to my Little Business When I File a Personal Chapter 7 Bankruptcy in Arizona?

Posted on June 16, 2009
That depends. Have you noticed that things all happen in clusters, influenced apparently by sunspots?I got three calls this month from folks who had filed pro-per emergency Chapter 11 cases. And yes, I referred all three out of the office. I want to know the end game before I file a Chapter 11...

The Trustee Wants Three Years of Tax Returns Immediately After You File Your Chapter 7 Bankruptcy In Arizona, No Kidding!

Posted on June 15, 2009
Right after you file your Chapter 7 bankruptcy in Arizona, your trustee sends you a letter asking for COPIES of titles to your vehicles and your real property (your house, for instance).The Trustee also asks for copies of three years of tax returns. Our Trustees are very polite, so it sounds like they're requesting the three years of tax returns...

Friends Will Get You Through Times of No Technology Better Than Technology Will Get You Through Times of No Friends!

Posted on June 13, 2009
Clients, ignore this post. This is just a thank you to my friends Ru, Chris, Jon and Joel, who have recently routed me articles as grist for my blog, and in one instance restored a broken link from my blog to the ABA Journal online version of the Arizona Bankruptcy Attorney Blog...

Is This a Do-It-Yourself Bankruptcy? What am I Paying You for, Anyway?

Posted on June 11, 2009
About a decade ago, I went in to have laser surgery done to correct my nearsighted eyes. I did all of the research in the world, and the doc I finally chose had more credentials than a dog had fleas. He may have been the most highly-credentialed eye surgeon in Arizona at the time...

My Feelings Are Hurt.

Posted on June 11, 2009
I just saw a cute television advertisement for a credit card. Beautiful commercial, showing all sorts of beautiful happy things you can get with your brand x credit card. It even shows the whole panoply of goodies under a huge rainbow. Now, I gave 'em a chance...

Well, That Answers the Question About a Credit Card after your Chapter 7 Bankruptcy in Arizona

Posted on June 09, 2009
Bankruptcy lawyers have suspected for a long time, based on anecdotal evidence, that credit card companies are pretty smart; they're happy to give new credit cards to debtors after the filing, because it's going to be a bunch of years until those folks can file again...

What Could be Good About this Depression?

Posted on June 08, 2009
Well, nothing. But if there were, what would it be? A depression always means that people will be out of work. And that means that those who are out of work have time to think.After all, when you're on top of the world, you have a tendency to think things like, "Boy, I'm smart! Gee, I'm well-disciplined! Hey, I have great networking skills! And on top of it all, I DESERVE all this cool stuff because I planned and executed my plan, and I'm a wonderful person!"Now, I've never had those thoughts, and I'm sure you haven't, but I've heard that SOME people have thoughts like those when things are sailing along...

Do Medical Bills Cause Bankruptcy?

Posted on June 07, 2009
There's a study being passed around that concludes that the bankruptcy tsunami is driven by medical bills. The methodology of the study and its conclusions were provocative. It was exactly as though, in seeking the causes of death in men, the researchers had gone to the morgue, and discovered that 29% of the men who had passed away were bald, and that most of the other had at least 10% hair loss prior to their deaths...

My Favorite New Bankruptcy Ads on Television in Arizona!

Posted on June 07, 2009
I don't watch a lot of television (distracts me from blogging), but I was recently told about a couple of big budget advertisements for Arizona bankruptcy lawyers. One funny example: the narrator says in a very loud voice: OUR BANKRUPTCY LAWYER ARE ALL (voice changes to a whisper) supervised by BOARD CERTIFIED BANKRUPTCY LAWYERS!---------------------------------------------------------------Here's one a little more sophisticated and sinister: "Our bankruptcy lawyers are LICENSED to practice bankruptcy law in Arizona!"That one is cuter...

Play 20 Questions with a Bankruptcy Lawyer!

Posted on June 06, 2009
I built a list a lot like this 30 years ago, so when I came back from a gigantic lunch I wouldn't forget to ask about important stuff. See, the problem with a gigantic lunch is that afterward you just want to sleep; and if you're sleepy during a client conference you may not ask all the right questions...

Clients Ignore: Lawyers, Check it Out! Somebody Who Gets Twitter!

Posted on June 05, 2009
I know things are very tough out there, because of the number of lawyers who have contacted me about filing a bankruptcy here in Arizona.And the ABA Journal has reported that about 10,000 lawyers that they know of have lost jobs this year. Many people would say, "That's a good start!"I would say, those poor devils need some help...

When Is a Liquidation not Like a Liquidation in a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy in Arizona?

Posted on June 05, 2009
Will they liquidate my house and my car and my food and my medicine?No.Probably. The only way "they" (not the "Men in Black") will liquidate your house is if your house is worth more than the mortgages on it, AND the exemption in Arizona. Note that there's a cap that went into effect in some cases after the 2005 Bankruptcy Amendments...

Your Top Ten Bankruptcy Questions, Answered!

Posted on June 04, 2009
There are some questions that come up with great frequency. I've posted blog entries to address some of those, and the most frequently asked are the following:How Long Will This Thing Take?What do I get to Keep?How will They Even Know I Have It?What Happens at the First Meeting of Creditors in Arizona?Will They Take Away All My Credit Cards?If I'm Going to File a Bankruptcy, Why Don't I Just Max Out My Credit Cards First?Are They Going to Take My Comic Book Collection? My Beanie Baby Collection?What About My Wedding Ring?Do I Have to List All My Debts and Assets, Even if I Don't Want To? (Hint-Yes!)Could I Just Modify My Mortgage Instead of Filing Bankruptcy? Hey, Take a shot!NOTHING HERE CONSTITUTES LEGAL ADVICE RE A CHAPTER 7, CHAPTER 13, CHAPTER 11, OR CHAPTER 12...

What are Secured Debts? What are Unsecured Debts? What are Priority Debts? What is a Judgment Lien?

Posted on June 04, 2009
The definition of secured, unsecured, priority debts, and liens (two flavors; consensual and judgment) is something ordinary folks don't normally need to know about. But in the same way that Eskimos have three hundred words for "snow", Arizona bankruptcy lawyers have many, many different words for debts, because the precise kind of debt determines how that particular debt is going to be handled in the bankruptcy case...

A Funny Blog About Bank Law?

Posted on June 04, 2009
I just found a screamingly funny blog about Banking. Yes, I know. It's like finding a screamingly funny blog about watching grass grow. But it's true, and you can see it here.In case the link doesn't work, here's an url: http://www.banklawyersblog.com/3_bank_lawyers/2009/05/so-you-thought-being-a-bank-director-was-an-honor...

If I'm an Insurance Agent, Can I File a Bankruptcy? If I'm a Lawyer, Can I file a Bankruptcy?

Posted on June 03, 2009
Yes, and Yes. But those aren't really the questions you mean to ask.You really mean to ask, are there terrible consequences? And the answer is, as it so often is, maybe. If you're a lawyer, and you didn't steal from your clients, and you just have a bunch of debt, oh, well...

Am I Too Competitive? Clients, Don't Bother With This One.

Posted on June 03, 2009
Everybody needs a hobby. Mine is First Meetings of Creditors.But at some point, I got the goofy idea that I'd write a bunch of reviews on Amazon.com, and watch my rating go up. Some people watch the paint dry, I watch Amazon ratings go up. Hey, takes all kinds to fill the freeway, right?So I'm feeling good, because I've written enough reviews that my rating, listed on my profile, has gone up from about 30,000 to about 6,500...

I Thought I Would Just Pay You and You'd Do Everything!

Posted on June 03, 2009
That would be a "no".I'm always made sad by the number of folks who figure that if they've done the hard work, getting themselves psychologically ready to go into an Arizona bankruptcy lawyer's office and talk about bankruptcy, that the rest of it should be easy for them...

Why File a Chapter 7 for a Corporation?

Posted on June 03, 2009
I asked this very question of a nice gentleman I met yesterday. He wanted me to file a bankruptcy petition for his flat puppy corporation. I pointed out that such a filing would not discharge the debts of the corporation.He knew that.I told him I'd have to charge him to file the Chapter 7 for the corporation, and to attend the First Meeting of Creditors with him, and to attend the probable Rule 2004 exam with him if the trustee wanted to know more about the flat puppy...

A Website to Try to Get a Mortgage Modification under the Obama Plan

Posted on June 03, 2009
I don't do mortgage modifications right now, but there's a nifty Nolo's Bankruptcy and Foreclosure Blog that points to a government website with tools to help people find out if they qualify for an Obama mortgage modification. That blog is located here; if you have trouble with the link, the url of the website is: http://www...

Shall I Rack Up My Credit Cards to the Max Before I file My Chapter 7 Bankruptcy?

Posted on June 02, 2009
I don't normally suggest that as a course of action. Maxing out your credit cards just prior to filing is generally considered rude, crude, and fattening by the credit card companies themselves, and that only seems fair. They set up a deal with you based on your expressed willingness to pay as agreed on the credit card, and loading them up to the limit just before filing a bankruptcy just looks bad...

What Do I Do About my Beloved Rolex in my Chapter 7 Case in Arizona?

Posted on June 02, 2009
Whatever you decide to do about your beloved Rolex Submariner in connection with your bankruptcy case in Arizona, keeping it is probably not a perfect option. The exemption for watches in Arizona is about a hundred bucks, and your Seiko or your Timex will probably not be an issue...

What Happens if My Credit Card Companies Keep Calling Me After I File a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy in Arizona?

Posted on June 02, 2009
It's probably a good idea to set up two lists. One list for things you should be afraid of (atomic bombs, giant poisonous snakes, visits from your in-laws), and another list for things that are less scary.And then when you need to feel afraid, you can just go down the list to good old number 73, and watch your hair follicles clench in terror!A call from a credit card company after you filed your bankruptcy probably should go in the "less scary" list...