• Home
  • Bankruptcy in Brief
  • ABC’s of Bankruptcy
  • Considering Bankruptcy
  • True Stories
  • Chapter 13
  • Blog
  • About
  • TOC

Northern California Bankruptcy Lawyer

On The Bankruptcy Soapbox

The Soap Box
  • How bankruptcy works
  • Mortgage Matters
  • Consumer Rights
  • Newsworthy
  • You & Your Lawyer
  • Small Business
  • Family Law

SuperLawyer

By Cathy Moran

Cathy Moran Super Lawyer

I’ve been named a SuperLawyer among Bay Area bankruptcy lawyers. That makes 14 years running. It’s flattering, but probably not much more than that. The real measure of my skills is in the clients’ lives whom I’ve impacted and the young bankruptcy lawyers I’ve mentored. In the meantime, I’m waiting for my cape to be […]

Filed Under: Strictly California Tagged With: 2018

Claiming California Exemptions

By Cathy Moran

When the sheriff arrives at your employer, or your bank, or your business with a levy for your money, you  need good information fast. You need to know NOW, and FOR CERTAIN, what part of your assets are protected by an exemption under California law. You keep exempt assets Exemptions define the property that you […]

Filed Under: Strictly California

5 Things To Do When You Have Been Sued

By Cathy Moran

The ring on the doorbell was a process server. Bingo!  You’ve been sued in a California court. Now what? Breathe deeply and work your way through this five step check list.  Then I’ll suggest some options. Scout the territory 1. Look at the caption:  It identifies the parties to the suit.  It’s right below the […]

Filed Under: Strictly California Tagged With: lawsuit

Separate Finances Doesn’t Protect Spouse From Financial Disaster

By Cathy Moran

By keeping separate finances, this California couple thought they had insulated the wife from the financial woes of her entrepreneur husband. They didn’t share bank accounts nor credit cards while she carefully kept her distance from his business dealings. Her name was not on anything tied to his business. But “separate” isn’t enough to overcome […]

Filed Under: Family Law, Strictly California Tagged With: 2021, community property

Do I Have To File Bankruptcy Before There’s A Judgment?

By Cathy Moran

california bankruptcy

Can I discharge a judgment once it’s entered, was the first question the caller asked. Do I have time to file bankruptcy? The caller was sure he had to file bankruptcy before the court entered judgment or he’d be stuck with the judgment forever. Not so. Bankruptcy discharges judgments. And,  a judgment in California does […]

Filed Under: Considering Bankruptcy, Strictly California Tagged With: bankruptcy, discharge, judgment

Which Spouse Is Liable For Debts In California

By Cathy Moran

liable for debts

California has been a community property state since 1850, and still we struggle to understand which spouse is liable for debts. So here, broad brush, is a guide to the legal liability of spouses, ex spouses, registered domestic partners and their community property for debt. Because, as I’ve written, the community is a third “party” […]

Filed Under: Strictly California Tagged With: 2021, California, community property

What Happens To Cash In Bankruptcy?

By Cathy Moran

keep cash in bankruptcy

How much cash can you keep when you file bankruptcy? It’s not as though you won’t have living expenses after you file bankruptcy. You need to know how you’ll manage and what you’ll have to manage with. Funding that fresh start is what exemptions are all about. We are talking here about California because exemptions, […]

Filed Under: Strictly California Tagged With: exemptions

California’s New Exemptions For Money In The Bank

By Cathy Moran

california cash exemptions\

California has finally created a state law exemption for cash in the bank. Californians filing bankruptcy no longer face loss of all the funds in their bank accounts when they choose California’s generous homestead, thanks to changes in exemption law. Two exemption statutes , new in 2020 , provide protection for cash in the bank […]

Filed Under: Strictly California Tagged With: 2021, California, exemptions

Life And Death of Debt In California

By Cathy Moran

statute of limitations on debt

CPR has its place when human life is involved. Human life is precious. But when what’s dying is the legal right to collect a debt?   Not so fast. You don’t want to breathe new life into an old debt that is legally dead. Yet you can do that, unintentionally reviving a debt that is legally […]

Filed Under: Strictly California Tagged With: 2018

When Your Bank Account Is Seized: California Action Plan

By Cathy Moran

beat a bank levy

Time is short when you get a notice that a creditor has levied your bank account. California has protections that may allow you to recover money that’s been seized. But success in getting your money back depends on prompt action and following the procedures. Bank levy basics A creditor with a judgment is entitled to […]

Filed Under: Strictly California Tagged With: 2017

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • …
  • 8
  • Next Page »
Coronavirus & Your Finances

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 on how I think law should work for the consumer and small businesses when it comes to debt.

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

How Bankruptcy Works

Speak Fluent Bankruptcy: Guide To Essential Bankruptcy Terms

Bankruptcy has its own language.  If you are considering filing bankruptcy, it helps to know the language spoken there. Master just a couple of words and phrases, and input from a bankruptcy lawyer starts to make sense. So, in our continuing campaign for better understanding of bankruptcy, here's a dozen … Read more

More Posts from this Category

643 Bair Island Road
Suite 403
Redwood City, CA 94063
Phone: (650) 694-4700
Phone: (650) 368-4700

Categories

All content copyright © Moran Law Group. All rights reserved.