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Is It Too Late For Bankruptcy?

By Cathy Moran

file bankruptcy`

Worried that it’s too late to file bankruptcy? You’ve put off considering bankruptcy, hoping to tough it out, or hoping for a miracle. But at some point, time runs out:  you’ve been served with a lawsuit;  judgment has been entered against you; or even, a garnishment appears on your paycheck. Is it too late to […]

Filed Under: Considering Bankruptcy, Featured

4 Compelling Reasons To File The Tax Return Even If You Can’t Pay

By Cathy Moran

Should you file the tax return if you can’t pay the tax? You got to the bottom of your tax return and the amount you owe is bigger than your checkbook balance. Nope.  It doesn’t work that way. The IRS does not start harassing nonpayers for money immediately after a return is filed.  Or even […]

Filed Under: Featured, Taxes Tagged With: 2016

Avoid Paying Taxes On That 1099 Form, Legally

By Cathy Moran

IRS form 1099

It’s tax time and the mails are full of IRS form 1099. If you managed a short sale of your property; suffered a foreclosure; filed bankruptcy; or settled your debt for less than you owed, you probably got a 1099. But that’s not the end of the tax story. Receipt of the form does not […]

Filed Under: Featured, Taxes

California Exemptions Increase for 2025

By Cathy Moran

new exemption numbers

New 2025 California exemption amounts becomes effective April 1, 2025. And it’s no joke. The new exemption numbers will protect more value in cash and assets necessary for everyday living. Exemptions define the assets that are safe from creditors in bankruptcy. The California exemptions found in CCP 704 exemptions are also available outside of bankruptcy […]

Filed Under: Featured, Strictly California Tagged With: 2022, california exemptions

Who Needs This Kind Of Help With Debts

By Cathy Moran

bankruptcy alternative

Eliminate your unsecured debt sooner than you ever thought possible. That’s the promise of one debt settlement company. It’s in their contract, not just their ads.  It must be so. The pitch preys on people’s profound desire to do the right thing.  Most people want desperately to pay their debts and avoid the “horror” that […]

Filed Under: Consumer Rights, Debt Collection Rights Tagged With: bankruptcy alternatives

5 Lies About Bankruptcy That Enrich Creditors

By Cathy Moran

lies about bankruptcy

If the truth will make you (debt) free, your creditors are motivated to lie about bankruptcy. After all, if you think there is no palatable alternative to making payments to them forever, you’ll keep filling their pockets each month. So, there’s no upside for a creditor in feeding you good information about bankruptcy. After all, […]

Filed Under: Considering Bankruptcy, Consumer Rights

Stop Making Quarterly Tax Payments & Stay Within The Law

By Cathy Moran

quarterly tax payment

Uncle Sam expects a quarterly tax payment from the self employed.  Since you don’t get a paycheck with regular tax withholding, the burden’s on you. Lighten the burden. Make this the last quarterly tax payment you pay. Seriously.  Don’t make any quarterly payments for this coming year. Think I’m advocating tax resistance?  No way. The tax collectors […]

Filed Under: Consumer Rights, Taxes Tagged With: self employed taxes

Inclusion in Bankruptcy Doesn’t Equal “Discharged”

By Cathy Moran

include debts

Convincing clients that all of their debts must be included in bankruptcy is one of the hardest parts of being a bankruptcy lawyer. The struggle often seems Herculean. Sometimes, they will tell me they don’t want to include their car loan in the case because they “need the car”. Sometimes I find the student loan payment […]

Filed Under: Considering Bankruptcy Tagged With: debts included, discharge, included

Your Tax Refund In The Crosshairs In Debt Collecting Season

By Mike Cardoza

debt collecting season

Who knew that there was a season for debt collecting?  My friend and colleague attorney  Mike Cardoza does.  See what he says. The beginning of the year through about the end of March is the big season for debt collection! Why? Because collectors are pretty sure that you have some money in your pocket – right […]

Filed Under: Debt Collection Rights, Featured Tagged With: 2018, tax refund

Is This Really The Season For Credit Card Debt Forgiveness?

By Cathy Moran

debt forgiveness deception

CBS’s article “How to prepare for credit card debt forgiveness this April” constitutes a serious disservice to its readers. It touts those debt foregivess programs who prey on the desire of most people to pay their debts to the extent they can, offering a supposed path out of debt that’s largely illusory. At bottom, the […]

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: 2025, debt management, debt relief, debt settlement

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Bankruptcy Basics

About The Soapbox

You’ve arrived at the Bankruptcy Soapbox, a resource of bankruptcy information and consumer law.

Soapbox is a companion site to Bankruptcy in Brief, where I try to be largely explanatory and even handed (Note I said “try”).

Here, I allow myself to tell stories and express strong opinions. We dig deeper into how to consider bankruptcy and navigate a bankruptcy case.

Moran Law Group
Bankruptcy specialists for individuals and small businesses in the San Francisco Bay Area

How Bankruptcy Works

Bankruptcy Alphabet: F is for First

In my Bankruptcy Alphabet, F is for First meeting of creditors. Lots of rumors exist about the that meeting; it produces unwarranted anxiety that is avoidable if you understand what's up. Let's check it out. The first meeting of creditors, also called the 341 meeting, is often the only time a debtor has to appear … Read more

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