Northern California Bankruptcy Lawyer

On The Bankruptcy Soapbox

The Soap Box

Bankruptcy Disclosure: Don’t Let Orange Be The New Black

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How will anyone know? That’s the question clients ask about assets that they don’t want to disclose on their bankruptcy schedules. Clients are usually afraid of losing the property or of involving family and friends with the bankruptcy court.  They really just want to fly under the radar in their social circles. Why do we […]

Turned Down For A Bank Account? Fight Back

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Turned down when you tried to open a bank account? We have a clue why. We all know the big three credit reporting agencies:  Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax. But if you’ve been turned down for a bank account, you need to meet the other players in this space:  the checking account screening companies. Certegy ChexSystems […]

What’s Included In Bankruptcy?

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People ask, all the time, what’s included in bankruptcy? Too often, people use “included” to mean “discharged”. That confuses what do you disclose in your schedules with what is discharged at the end of the case. The short answer to what is included on your paperwork is EVERYTHING, dischargeable or not. What goes in the […]

Right To Support When Your Ex Files Bankruptcy

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Outrage is the usual reaction when a former spouse with child support or alimony files bankruptcy. It reinforces all those less-than-flattering thoughts you harbor about your ex. But,maybe, that’s not the right reaction for two reasons, one old, one new. One is old: support debts can’t be wiped out in bankruptcy. The second reason is new: failure […]

What’s Wrong With Most Get-Out-Of-Debt Advice

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Get-out-of-debt gurus too often miss the essential truth known to every carpenter. Measure twice, cut once Too many trite lists of tips to help you get out of debt miss the vital first step: understand the situation fully. How you got into debt Before you choose a get-out-of-debt path, understand where you’ve come from. Until […]

What’s Up After Tax Extension To File?

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The tax extension in the mail and you don’t have to think about income taxes til October 15th approaches.  Right? Not in my book, if you are self employed. The self employed don’t have their estimated income taxes withheld from their paychecks.  There aren’t any paychecks if you are among that resolute band of entrepreneurs, […]

What Goldilocks Knew About Tax Season

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It’s so easy to get a tax filing extension and put off the unpleasant work til fall. Procrastination is easy, and even sanctioned by the simplicity of an extension. But doing it now is important to your financial wellbeing From a purely selfish point of view, you need to know where you and Uncle Sam […]

Forgiveness Starts At Home

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The need for forgiveness in bankruptcy extends beyond forgiving debts. Self-care requires that you forgive yourself. Kansas City bankruptcy lawyer Rachel Foley wrote about forgiveness in the bankruptcy context. She wasn’t talking about the forgiveness of debt, but about the negative emotions that can eat you up. Shed the anger at others who threaten your […]

Debts To The Government: Can They Be Wiped Out

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It’s easy to assume that debts owed to the federal government can’t be discharged in bankruptcy. Easy, but wrong. Just because the creditor is Uncle Sam doesn’t mean the debt can’t be wiped out in bankruptcy. In fact, debts to the government range from freely dischargeable to not-in-this-lifetime nondischargeable. Honesty required for discharge All of […]

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