Tax season is upon us, and, although it comes with some stress, it also comes with anticipation of receiving a tax refund. While many people may have plans regarding what they will do with their refund amounts, those individuals who are considering bankruptcy or who are currently in an active bankruptcy...
Casey Anthony Files for Bankruptcy
Casey Anthony is the Florida woman who was infamous in the news a few years ago for being charged with her toddler daughter’s murder. The case, which made headlines and was a prominently featured news story across the country, resulted in her acquittal of the murder charge in 2011. Now,...
Foreclosure Activity Continues to be a Problem for Florida Residents
The state of the American economy and the financial state of its citizens continues to be a topic that is ever present in the news. While media outlets seem to be reporting a gradual improvement in the U.S. economy, many individuals are still feeling the financial strain of the recession...
STUDENT LOANS, BANKRUPTCY AND HOPE
More than $100 billion of student loans were taken out in 2010. Total loans, whether in the form of federal student aid or private student loans, exceed $1 trillion, which means more is owed on student loans than on credit cards. Student loans are extremely difficult to discharge in bankruptcy. ...
TRAFFIC TICKETS, BANKRUPTCY AND FLORIDA
A question that frequently comes up at consultations in my office is whether traffic tickets can be discharged in bankruptcy. Recently, a client presented with over $7000 of fines related to going through tolls with an invalidSunPass. 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(7) of the bankruptcy law provides that a Chapter 7...
Same Sex Marriage and Joint Bankruptcy Filings
The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), 1 U.S.C. section 7, defines a married couple as consisting only of opposite sex married couples. Generally, married couples will file joint bankruptcy petitions; a joint filing saves a filing fee and often a second attorney’s fee. The Justice Department (through the U.S. Trustee)...
Removing Second Mortgages In A Chapter 13 Bankruptcy
Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Can Keep You in your Home THE PROBLEM: Consider the following (unfortunately) common situation faced by many homeowners: their home in the current depressed real estate market is worth $150,000. They have two mortgages on the property that they obtained during the real estate boom several years...
Choosing a Bankruptcy Lawyer
Seeing a lawyer for a bankruptcy problem is much like seeing a dentist. You try to ignore the pain as long as you can before you make an appointment. When you finally do, you wonder why you waited so long and went through months or years of unnecessary discomfort. As...
Student Loans and Bankruptcy in Florida
Not all loans are alike. A tuition bill is not a student loan. As a general rule, student loans are non-dischargeable debts, which means that you will still have to pay the loan off even after filing for Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy. Under current law, this is true...
Bankruptcy and Taxes
Bankruptcy is intended to give you a fresh start- all of your credit card debt, medical bills, deficiency judgments and unsecured debt become nothing more than a bad memory. But what about your nasty tax liabilities? Will they follow you forever? This is a question my clients frequently ask. Well,...