Well I know I can, i have a bunch of credit card debt and medical bills no property or judgments. can i file myself? i talked to two attorneys and they both stated i am a good candidate for chapter 7. i basically can not afford an attorney so i want to try to file myself.
So, I recently (a couple days ago) was served with court papers, I am being sued by a hospital for ,000. I have about k-100k in medical bills alone, so to avoid paying the ,000 I know I should just file bankruptcy. Today I had a consultation with an attorney, and I am SO confused still. It was a free 30 minute one, so maybe that’s why I felt really rushed and lost…but anyway. It’s going to cost about ,500 to file. I am a 25 year old BROKE college student who works part time at a retail store, this is a lot of money =/ ….I know it’d be easier and for sure would get the papers done RIGHT, if I had an attorney, but I don’t know if I can afford it. I know you can file yourself. Has anyone done this? My sister got a paralegal about 5 years ago, and filed herself. She said it was about 0, but she said the paralegal was helpful in helping her with the paperwork, BUT she did miss a few things. I feel like I’d be paying the lawyer to basically just go to the court and turn in the papers, and come with me to court. I still have to do all the dirty work of course…gathering my bills, filling out all the paperwork, etc…but I’m not sure if ,500 is worth having an attorney. Also, I am confused on this court paper I got. I know that they will eventually file a judgement against me (within 14 days) and start garnishing my checks, I understand bankruptcy can stop this. But is it only after your papers are completely filed and done? Or is it when you START the process? I am so lost! The attorney told me to try and get all this paper work gathered and figured out before 10 days so we can start it before the creditor starts coming after my money through the judgement. Does anyone have any advice? Thank you!
Should my boyfriend file bankruptcy? He has ,000 worth of debt, mostly medical bills from a car accident and appendix surgery. He said he checked it about 6 months ago and he had a credit score of 560.
Thanks.
I have really good credit, if we get married will it affect mine? We were both wondering this, we want to buy a house.
I only have 1 credit card and it has a 00 limit only. I hear online about people saying they racked up ,000 or ,000 in credit card debt and can’t pay the creditors. My first question is how in the world did a credit company let this happen? And don’t most of these people have credit card limits?
I know for credit cards, you suppose to pay within 30 days or so and if you don’t pay, interest is piled on. But wouldn’t after say 6 months where a person can’t pay off their credit card bills, then the credit card company would shut down their account? I hear people talk about maxing out their credit cards but what in the world are they buying where they rack up credit card debt that is ,000? I mean, you can’t buy a car with that since i don’t think you can buy a car with a credit card right? And don’t most people have limits? I would think most credit card limits are max ,000 a month unless they have a very decent job.
Can someone explain how people rack up so much in credit card debt? Do they get 10 credit cards with 00/month max and then max it every single month for 5-6 months? I understand when people rack up debt in medical bills, student loans, taxes and those things but i just don’t get how can people rack up so much in credit card bills. I mean after a person owes ,000 to the credit card company and can’t pay it back, why would they continue using it? I understand if you use it to buy food and support yourself and your family but do people rack up credit card bills b/c of food? I don’t think so right?
And if a person cannot pay it back, i assume they can file bankruptcy right in the united states? And i hear people talk about fleeing the country because of credit card debt. Do they do so successfully? And usually what countries do they flee to? I’m sure canada isn’t one of them right since you can only say 6 months max? What countries do people flee to? Do they ever get caught? So if they stay there after a certain amount of time, wouldn’t they be there illegally? And since they have to support themselves and make money, wouldn’t the us government know that they are making income and thus could garnish their wages even if they live in the other country? Or do these people just try to make money off the table and just live and hide? I mean, are there people that have huge debt , leave the us and then become successful later on in the country they flee to and then become rich? Because if they do become wealthy, wouldn’t they be caught eventually for fleeing the country? If they then decide to pay back their debt after they made money, would everything be fine or would they face huge penalties for fleeing the country? Or do they just have to stay below the radar and can’t live in a nice place because of it?
I’m very curious about this because i read so much about credit card debt and people leaving the country. I just can’t believe a person could have credit card debt this high because i assume the CC company would freeze their cards after they don’t pay after a few months if the balance is high.
All my life I’ve been told if I get a college degree, any degree, I’ll be set for life. I was also told if I didn’t get a degree I would spend life struggling.
In 2008 I graduated from San Jose State University and got a mass communications degree. I live in the Bay Area of California. The adviser I had for the major offered me a job for the mean-time after grad, and here I am, two years later at the same job. Getting the same 14-an-hour pay with no benefits. I’ve been applying for jobs EVERYWHERE, every day!! I’ve gotten professional advice on how to angle my resume to each job requisition, and I write great cover letters. For every 30 times I apply, I maybe get one to two calls back. Is it just me??
I was rushed to the hospital last month and had to get my appendix removed, and now I’m going to have to pay thousands in medical bills. I need a real job so I can go to the doctor without going bankrupt 
I’m starting to think that nowadays, especially where I live, getting a BA/BS doesn’t mean much anymore. That it’s all only about experience. I’m thinking about going to a lame trade school and learning to be a dental hygienist. What should I do? Am I just having horrible luck and should I just keep pushing? Or should I just go to a trade school? Please help, being extremely poor with a college degree is making me feel depressed.
I just wanna know if I should file for bankruptcy. I was in a motorcycle accident over 2 yrs ago, and my medical bills are over a million dollars. So should I?
I am unsure if this would be a smart move for myself. I am a single mom and most of my accrued debt is medical bills. I owe about 29,000 in medical and about 3,000 in miscellaneous things such as credit cards and etc. My family is encouraging me to do this but I don’t know much about bankruptcy… HELP!
I am so broke from medical bills I need to file bankruptcy chapter 7 I think. About how much are the court costs in Phoenix Arizona. Thanks
Ok. So my significant other is over her head and doesn’t make enough to pay her debts. Her income is less than half the median income here. A sample means test shows she easily and completely qualifies.
My question is this. She is going to have a hard time coming up with the attorney fees associated with filing (around here it seems to be 800-1500 bucks). I am curious how hard is it to file by yourself or if there is an alternative like a Pro Bono attorney option or discounts for low income persons.
EDIT: Her debt amount is roughly 30k. That is with medical bills WITHOUT college loans. Her monthly income is about 1200 bucks. Her monthly bills are more than that. That does not include food or gas. I am not looking for a moral lecture. She is doing this. I am trying to help her through it. She has exhausted all other options.
I have accumulated approximately ,000 in CC debt, and about ,000 in Medical bills. My credit score is around 525, and I have had most of these debts for 3-6 years. I’m 25 with no college degree, a job making ,000 Net year, and I live in an apartment. I own 2 cars, One with no engine in it valued at ,000 with an engine ,500 w/out an engine, and another valued at 0. I usually have about -100 left over every month for extra. 20-40% of that I try to put in a "cushion fund" for if I have a medical emergency.
I don’t plan on buying a new house for atleast 2-5 years, and my next car (If i get one) will be, at a max ,000.
My question is; Would filing for a Chapter 7 bankruptcy be an option for me, and If so what are the repercussions?
I have about 8000 dollars in medical bills because therre was a lapse in my coverage a few years back. Plus a few misc bills. I dont have the means to pay off the debt but I wabt to know how BK will affect me?
My boyfriend is in a lot of debt currently, with medical bills, student loans, and an ex wife who is getting 50% of his checks due to alimony. Needless to say this is very difficult for us financially. What exactly are the rules are bankruptcy and how do you go about file-ling? Would bankruptcy make any of this go away. Mostly the ex wife alimony? How would bankruptcy effect that?
I am about ,000 in debt but I already have a judgement against me for ,000. I was served with papers for past medical bills and I had a car repo’d about 3 years ago and they are threatening a lawsuit. I have numerous other things on my credit. I make less than ,000 a year and have no assets. I’ve contacted several Credit Counseling companies but there is just no way I can pay the monthly payment they come up with. Help!!! I dont know what to do. I really don’t want to file but I’m beginning to think its the only thing I can do.
My wife and I are planning on filing bankruptcy. I went back to school about 6 years ago, racked up a ton of debt, and then just before graduating, I got did something very stupid and ended up in a 1 year legal struggle, followed by 2 months in jail, and 3.5 years in counseling/treatment/restitution/fines/court costs etc. The question I have though is this: I had 2 credit cards that were above and beyond their limit, and I told them a while ago to get bent, that I was filing, that was about 12 months or so ago, (it has taken that long to get enough money to file) I also have a rash of medical bills and other assorted odds and ends. But the 2 credit card companies have not sent me a bill in all this time. I don’t know if they went ahead, called it a bad debt and said screw it or what. But those were the 2 largest bills I had, and without those I may be able to dig myself out of the hole I am in. Is there a way I can find out if these are still outstanding?
According to this article,
http://financiallyfit.yahoo.com/finance/article-110806-6784-1-five-quick-ways-to-bankrupt-yourself?ywaad=ad0035&nc
Reason #2 for bankruptcy in USA is unanticipated medical bills due to illness.
Here’s what the excerpt says on the link:
2. Assuming Insurance Will Cover Your Medical Bills
So, maybe you budget. You make an allowance for food, clothes, beer.
But do you have an allowance for medical costs?
Here’s why you should: The No. 1 cause of bankruptcy is medical bills.
Harvard researchers found that 62 percent of all bankruptcies are caused by medical bills. Even more disturbing: 78 percent of those were people who had insurance.
"Things happen. Surprises happen," Kothari said. "And people don’t prepare for the unexpected. They don’t have a mindset of, ‘How do I prepare myself for the unexpected?’"
Of course, the best medicine is to not get sick.
….
So doesn’t this indicate a serious problem when 78% of people with medical insurance STILL go bankrupt from getting ill? And the amount of out of pocket cost of health insurance has no upper limit?
Do Canadians think this indicates correctly that U.S. healthcare reform by Obama was a step in the right direction?
whoops I didn’t read the statistic correctly.
Among the 62% of Americans whose reason for going bankrupt is due to medical bills, 78% of those are people who had health insurance!
I think we don’t have to do exactly what Canada did under Tommy Douglass, but we should have a Maximum liability that a patient can possibly owe for an illness and start from there….
you can’t budget when you have an unlimited liability for sickness…It’s discouraging because if you are a coal miner, your medical liability may exceed the total of all income earned over your entire life
Now some Americans respond to this by saying "It doesn’t matter how many go bankrupt, doing something to fix this is called ’socialism’, punishing successful corporations to reward people who weren’t successful at budgeting themselves."
But if 78% of 62% of Americans who are bankrupt HAVE insurance! Then isn’t it the system that’s screwed up? Not the result of people being stupid with their money?
I got a letter in the mail from the healht care provider saying that they’re going to get a judgement from me and garnish my wages. I owe them 5,000 dollars for past medical bills. Also, I owe about 2,000 past debt for various things (this is not including student loans). A lawyer I talked to said that I qualify for chapter 7 bankruptcy. I don’t own a home and I have a car that I’m making payments on. (they said that Icould keep my car if I keep making payments on time). I have no way to pay the medical bills all at once (which is what they’re asking) what should I DO???????????/
I would like to know rather bankruptcy would be a good option for me.
I have a 10,000 car loan. Several other loans that equal about 10 thousand. I have a HUGE credit sheet that equals about 30 thousand in medical bills and other. The bank is taking me to court over the loans.
I have not had a job since Dec and just found a job but for 10/hr and will not start for a while. I am a single mother with no child support and live with my grandmother (who is really bad shape and needs tons of help money wise).
What should I do????
Thanks
To answer the questions that I have been getting…
I don’t get child support because the father is serving a five year term in jail for abuse and drugs.
My father refuses to give any care for his mother. He has not even spoken to her in six monthe. At one time he was helping her, but he took all of her money (60,000) and ran for the hills.
After I file, I plan on going to school full time and drop down to a part time job. And pay for school through the FASFA program and out of my own pocket. I refuse to have to get over my head ever again.
I have 100K in private students loan and medical bills. I am only twelve credit hours from completing a degree in Chemical Engineering, but injuries and mental health issues have stalled me. I’m 39 years old and really want to get on with my career and my life, but I can’t afford to. Any information or advice will be appreciated.
I’ve been out of job for long time, plus medical bills and I am facing foreclosure, as well as months of unpaid c/card and one unsecured loan bills. I don’t think I can pay both mortgage and c/card bills. I want to keep the house and the only way out of this situation I see is to file for bankruptcy. I finally have good job offer in my field that i am about to accept. I wonder if I should file while I am still unemployed, or when I have a job. Thank you
My husband filed for bankruptcy almost 7 years ago, before we were married. I have a large amount of medical bills that I can’t pay (over , 000.) can I file bankruptcy on my own or does it have to be joint since we are married?
Does anyone know the Federal Code regarding this?
I am so overwhemled with monthly payments for my new car, car insurance, registration, 5 credit cards that are maxed out, now I am paying medical bills for a trip to the hospital without medical insurance. To top that off, I’m depressed about ending a long term relationship. I am just so sad, overwhelmed and no motivation to even go to work, which is my bread and butter. Everything all at once! I can’t even go anywhere cause I don’t have the money.
I called my cc companies and asked them to lower my monthly payments, but even that’s not helping…
I have no choice but to file Bankrupt, but have no idea as to go about it, can someone who has been there please help me….What do I do, where do I go, what will it cost? Your help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.
(I know it effects your credit score). I was in an accident over a year ago and had no medical insurance. I have been paying a monthly amount to all the accounts (which they agreed to let me pay) Now I’m getting statements saying they need more money or they are going to send me to collections! Should I file bankruptcy or just leave my medical bills in collection? All my other loans, credit cards etc. have all been paid on time.
I have fairly decent credit (695) and my medical debt is around ,000.
We are deeplly indebt because of loss of income and medical bills. We are both on disability now and we cannot pay all these bills.
Will we benefit from filing bankruptcy? What are the drawbacks?
I am preparing to file a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy to discharge my medical bills of ,000. I have no other debt, other than my car payment. What can I expect my credit score to fall to? Right now I have about a 700.
I am about to go through a divorce and although the state may issue me child support money, i am kind of expecting the worse because i have kind of learned to do that with my husband because he’s not very reliable…the reason for divorce. Anyway, if i get stuck without child support money, i will only be able to afford my basic utilities and rent. Should i go ahead and file for bankruptcy…or is there a way where i can avoid it? I mean i have student loans, medical bills, taxes owed and a couple of credit cards….what should i do?
I have a couple old medical bills and very low on cash. if one is 5 and the other is 0 how much do you think they will settle for. I’ve heard from one person that you can talk medical bills way down, then someone else said the opposite.. that they hardly go down at all.
I have a few nominal marks against me on my credit report, about 0 worth of medical bills.
I read that if you settle these for a rate less than what you owe, it hurts your credit because it reopens an old account and they mark "settled for lesser amount" rather than "paid in full" on your credit report.
Has anyone had success "settling" (paying less than the full amount owed) and getting them to remove it completely off your credit report? I read something online where you can send a letter (certified) that states by accepting payment, you agree to remove this negative mark completely off my credit report.
Do you generally have to pay the full amount to get them to accept these requests, or can you settle them down to 50-30% of the debt owed and get them removed all together?
I have a few nominal marks against me on my credit report, about 0 worth of medical bills.
I read that if you settle these for a rate less than what you owe, it hurts your credit because it reopens an old account and they mark "settled for lesser amount" rather than "paid in full" on your credit report.
Has anyone had success "settling" (paying less than the full amount owed) and getting them to remove it completely off your credit report? I read something online where you can send a letter (certified) that states by accepting payment, you agree to remove this negative mark completely off my credit report.
Do you generally have to pay the full amount to get them to accept these requests, or can you settle them down to 50-30% of the debt owed and get them removed all together?
As citizens we are told to "live within our means" and "cut back". If you need to file a personal bankruptcy because you lose your job or you have through the roof medical bills people look down on you. BUT if a corporation gets in over their heads they just file bankruptcy and reorganize. If they are really lucky the government steps in and takes care of their financial problems. Why is this the accepted norm?
I mean obviously it does but I was thinking about how medical bills is one of the top reasons for bankruptcy in America, and wouldn’t adding this universal health care bill prevent and avoid individual bankruptcy thus cause the economy to improve a bit?