Bankruptcy comes with so many ups and downs, so many emotions and so many complications. To help sort it all out for you, the following article contains numerous helpful tips. With all that you have to worry about with a pending filing for personal bankruptcy, the process itself and how to work your way through it should not be one of them.
Get a plan in place for after your bankruptcy is over. Your debt will be forgiven, but you have to find a way to make sure that your financial picture will recover. Set definite goals so that you are always working toward a financial future that will never get you in this position again.
Do not get an attorney for your bankruptcy when you are feeling overwhelmed. You have got to be levelheaded when you hire a lawyer. After all, you will be expected to pay him/her for services. Find out upfront what you will have to pay any lawyer before you hire one.
Don’t let bill collectors convince you that you are ineligible for bankruptcy. Debt collectors do not want you to file bankruptcy under any circumstances because it means that they will not get the money you owe them, so they will always tell you that you do not qualify when given the chance. The only way to truly know if you qualify is to do some research or speak with a bankruptcy attorney.
A critical tip in filing personal bankruptcy is to steer clear of making payments to creditors, in advance of filing a petition, in an attempt to satisfy individual debts in full outside of bankruptcy court. Payments to family members and creditors made within defined periods of time prior to a bankruptcy filing can be voided and can jeopardize the chances of receiving a discharge of all debts in the case.
You are going to get found out and get in trouble if you don’t disclose all your assets, so be totally honest from the beginning. Good or bad, you must tell your bankruptcy attorney everything about your financial situation. Don’t withhold information, and create a smart way of coping with the reality of the situation.
After your bankruptcy is finalized, you should begin re-building your credit by, obtaining copies of your credit reports. Your reports may show that you filed for bankruptcy, but it can take a lot of time for the credit bureaus to remove the original debt from your credit history. Check your reports over thoroughly, if there is debt showing that was discharged in a bankruptcy, you can contact the credit bureaus online, or in writing and request that the information be deleted.
Take steps to ensure your home is protected. Just because you’re going bankrupt doesn’t mean that you also have to be homeless! If your home has significantly depreciated in value or you’ve taken a second mortgage, it may be possible to retain possession of your home. It can be worthwhile to understand the homestead exemption law to see if you qualify to keep living in your home under the financial threshold requirements.
Meet with many different attorneys before making any decision on one. To do this, you must start looking well in advance of when you need to file. If you wait until the last minute, you will not have the time to find an attorney that will give you good advice, and one that is easy to work with.
If you are unsure about the paperwork that you need to bring with you when you meet with an attorney, ask. Also, inquire as to whether the lawyer you are meeting with offers free consultations. You do not want to be surprised by a large fee just for them taking a look at your case.
Know and understand the difference between filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy versus Chapter 13 bankruptcy. Take the time to find out about each one online, and look at the advantages and disadvantages of each. If something doesn’t make sense to you, go over it with your lawyer prior to choosing which one to file.
Hopefully, this article has provided you with some vital information you can use about filing for personal bankruptcy. It can be a scary, life-changing process so you want to make sure you get it right and are able to give yourself the fresh start and new financial perspective that you deserve.
