It May Be Time to Fish For Better Rates!

Credit Card companies make their money by charging interest and fees.  We all know this, and we have learned to accept this fact.  Sometimes we wish we would get better rates, but as credit gets bad for us and our finances get low, it is either the credit card or the payday loan place.  A terrible situation.  Sometimes we can work through these issues with some disciple and some self control, other times you will need an experienced Denver bankruptcy attorney to help you get a fresh start.

One of the very best things you can do if your credit cards and interest rates are out of control is to stop using them and try to see if you can make any ground at all on these bills.  Maybe it requires an extra shift on the weekend, but if you can stay current for a while, your chances of a better interest rate will go up, especially if you are paying down the card.

It is amazing how many people these days are paying in the mid 20’s for their interest rates on their credit cards.  Credit cards are unsecured debt, so if this has gotten brutally out of control, how can you pay, you ask?  Remember, out job is to help give you a fresh start and if you aren’t paying $600 a month on credit cards, you can easily afford our services!

Credit Cards and Debt

Swipe, Swipe, Swipe…  It is Christmas time!  Your credit card bills are likely rising and there are some things you need to remember this holiday season so we don’t have to visit later! 

Credit Card Companies do not want you out of debt!

Your credit card company stays in business through people paying interest.  If you are familar with the “Rule of 72″ you know that if you divide your interest rate into 72, that’s about how long it takes money to double.  For instance, if you are paying 16% interest on your credit card, you will pay the credit card company the full balance and you will still owe the same amount of money in 4.5 years.  This is the trap and why it is so important to get ahead of the curve and manage your expenses before they get out of control.

What if your credit cards already are an undue hardship on you?

Fortunately, there are laws which protect us as citizens from having everything stripped if we are unable to meet our obligations in regards to debt.  This comes with limitations, as it should, but the basic fact is if you are in way over your head, there may be something we can do for you!

If you are not in over your head, make sure to be careful not to overspend this holiday season.  If you are, give us a call for a free initial bankruptcy consultation in Denver!

Bankruptcy Fraud can Lead to Some Terrible Results

Are you thinking about filing a bankruptcy in Denver and have a little nestegg you are planning on hiding so you have some cash coming out the other side of bankruptcy filing in Denver.  This is understandable, but this article is to strongly encourage you to refrain from following through with this temptation.  Why?  Here are a few of the most compelling reasons to avoid bankruptcy fraud in Denver:

• The law is geared to give you a “fresh start” with your finances, not a head start.  What this means is the law is trying to protect you by eliminating your debts, but also needs to protect your creditors from getting ripped off because you want some cash at the end of the process.
• Anyone can file they suspect you are hiding funds.  It is not like the FBI researches every case, but they can get tipped off by friends, family, a nefarious ex who wants to see you suffer…  you risk being caught because there are methods in place to punish people guilty of bankruptcy fraud.
• It is expensive — you can be fined $250,ooo for bankruptcy fraud – Is it really worth it?

What’s the moral?  Mainly there are several things you need to consider here.

• It is wise to disclose all assets to your bankruptcy attorney in Denver
• You Denver bankruptcy attorney will help you realize some income sources you may not have thought of, protecting you from the risk of bankruptcy fraud in Denver — This is why you want a bankruptcy attorney in Denver working for you!

Please give us a call for a free bankruptcy consultation in Denver!

Are You Upside Down on Your Mortgage?

Meet John and Sarah, a couple who have been married for 5 years in Denver.  They bought a home about 4 years ago in Lakewood which ran $280,000 when they purchased the home.  John had a nice job with Frontier Airlines, but when they filed Chapter 11 in Denver, he was a casualty.  It happens too much.  Now they are looking around and seeing homes just like theirs on the same block selling for $170,000… John is now working at a major retail chain and struggling to make all the payments.  Sarah is pregnant with their second child and they are stressed about their finances because they keep falling behind?

When should you walk? When should a bankruptcy in Denver be considered?  Does saving a $1,000 a month which could really be used to stay afloat make it OK to walk from a home with memories?  There can be feelings of guilt… There can be uncertainty.  This is where our bankruptcy firm in Denver can help!  We are not motivated by the banks, by your creditors, we are motivated to help you get the fresh start you need.  You may be able to keep your home, it may be better to walk.  We will help you step by step through this emotional and personal decision.  If you feel buried and are upside down in your mortgage, maybe it is time to get a free bankruptcy consultation in Denver!

Steps to Take Prior to Bankruptcy Filing...

Have you been thinking about filing for bankruptcy in Denver and are unsure of the steps needed to file for bankruptcy protection in Denver.   If you are considering Bankruptcy in Denver, here are some of the basics steps you need to start looking at before you pay an attorney in Denver to work on your bankruptcy case.

1. Look at your current assets and liabilities and put them on paper.  This way when you to to a bankruptcy attorney in Denver, then you are a step ahead.  Try and remember everything, so that you can see if you are really in a position for bankruptcy…  or if you need to manage the finances you have better. 
2. Get yourself a bankruptcy attorney in Denver you can trust.  Most attorneys will do a free bankruptcy consultation in Denver.  Take advantage of this and ask questions.  Make sure you trust the bankruptcy attorney…
3. Don’t worry about how bad it seems.  The goal of this process is to give a fresh start.  In a lot of ways, the worse it is, the better chance you will have a successful case.  (Of course don’t go and make it purposely worse right now because the courts take all these factors into mind.

Once you get over your fears, know where you are and can work with someone you trust to get you to a fresh start, you will be glad you took a bit of extra time to get to where you need to be.

How Much Does a Bankruptcy Cost in Denver?

Almost every day I get a call from a potential client with a simple question:

“How much does a bankruptcy cost here in Denver?”

Potential clients are often very annoyed when I don’t give them a number back.  I have to ask questions and qualify the amount of work that will go into a case before I can assess the costs.  People call up asking for the price as if I am selling a box of rice and get annoyed when the process is more like I am building a deck.

If you call a contactor and ask how much a deck costs, they will want details.  Size, material, timeframe, first or second story, etc…  all of these have a direct impact to their costs and so they directly impact your costs.  My practice is similar.  Are you looking to file a Chapter 7 bankruptcy in Denver or a Chapter 13 bankruptcy in Denver?  Do you have 30 creditors or 3? What’s the scope of the damages you are looking at in regards to your finances, how late are you on payments?  Do you have a family or are you single.  Since every question we ask has ramifications, we have to be prudent and ask, however potential clients think we are just giving them a run around.

Maybe there are bankruptcy attorneys in Denver who will give you quotes without details.  Maybe they have a process of giving you bankruptcy papers and all the burdens, so $499 makes sense to charge.  Ultimately, anyone who is going to do a good job for you is going to ask questions, lots of them.  Our goal is to be as efficient and productive with our time so that your costs always are as low as possible.

So, “How much does a bankruptcy cost here in Denver?”

Answer:  It Depends! (If you just want a “ballpark price,”  most cases are between $1,500 and $2,500)  Just remember, if the bankruptcy goes through, almost all of the bills you are paying on go away, so financing this is an option.

Credit Cards vs Debit Cards

Everyone these days have a credit card or a debit card.  This post does not have a lot to do with bankruptcy in Denver, but more about financial protection of your assets.  I wnted to go over this because it could cause a person to need to file bankruptcy in Denver if they were unaware of some of the nuances between a credit card and a debit card.  I am going to make this extremely generic because this is a bankruptcy site for people thinking about bankruptcy filing in Denver…

A credit card comes with anti-theft protection a debit card does not.  If someone were to steal your debit card and run through all the money in your bank plus some, it is possible the bank would not re-imburse any of the money actually taken from the account.  The same transaction made on a credit card would have less than $100 liability to you.

Now the credit card has the liability of uncontrolled spending for some…  So, you need to keep track of what you are spending and what you can afford, but generally a credit card would be better to use as long as the balance was paid off at the end of each month.

Give us a call if someone stole your debit card and because of that you are thinking about filing a bankruptcy in Denver.

Don't be Caught Exposed in Your Bankruptcy Filing!

You would be amazed at the kind of calls I receive in regards to bankruptcy here in Denver!  Here is a typical example of what I have to endure.

Annoying Caller: Hey, are you a bankruptcy lawyer?

Me: Yes, how can I help you?

AC: I just have a quick question.

Me: OK, what is it?

AC: My ex-wife is trying to file for bankruptcy and I want to make her life hell.

Me: Is that a question?

AC: Ummm..  No, how can I make her suffer?

Me: Just talk to her.  I think that should do the trick.

AC: Huh? No, I want to make her life hell. 

Me: I am guessing you already have.  Goodbye.

I am a bankruptcy attorney in Denver, not a means to make people you hate suffer.  I want to help people who have legitimate financial issues come to a speedy resolution with their financial problems.  I did not go to 7 years of school just to make people you hate suffer.  Now, if you want real help, here is what you can do to make this more pleasant for us both.

1. Have your finances in front of you before we do our free initial consultation.  Obviously, you don’t have to have it all worked out when you call to schedule…  but you will before we meet.  This saves me time and in turn, saves you money.
2. When you call, know what you are looking for.  Are you wanting to set up an initial consultation or are you looking for free advice, but don’t really want help filing.  Either is fine, but I hope if it is the latter, you will at least take the time to read all of the helpful articles on bankruptcy BEFORE you call.  I am trying to make a living, like you, and I can’t afford to be do pro bono (free) work all day.
3. When you come to the initial consultation, have all of your assets and all of your liabilities listed in either a spreadsheet or at least on a sheet of paper divided down the middle.  Be as exact as possible.  Include any upcoming assets or liabilities on this sheet.
4. Do not waste time following the instructions you are given for a successful filing.  A bankruptcy requires real work.  If you are not prepared to go through some hoops and do some legwork, please save us both the headache of working together.
5. Don’t be afraid of listing everything.  Some people get embarassed about their financial situation.  I am here to help, not to judge you.  So if you are transparent and list everything, we can take care of you much better than if you don’t.  Anything not included does not go away (FYI)

Preparation and a serious approach to a bankruptcy filing are the pillars of our practice.  We are not here to hurt people or to make lives miserable.  If you are calling for that purpose, please don’t.  If you need real help for a real bankruptcy filing in Denver, we would love to help!

Is this your wallet lately?

Have you been looking at your finances and realizing that you are pretty much broke and there are still a bunch of bills to pay?  If this is the case, then you have some things you can do to make sure you don’t have to file for bankruptcy in Denver soon.  The first thing that you need to make sure you do is COMMUNICATE with your creditors.  Often you can make partial payments and then not get hit with those hefty late charges.  If the creditor knows you are trying to pay them, they will often work with you if they get something right now.  You are more likely to get the full extent of their late charges if they can’t find out why you’re not paying.

The next thing you will want to do is PRIORITIZE your finances.  Your priorities should normally be:

1. Your home
2. Your necessities (heat, water, food)
3. Your highest interest charges (to get these out of the system as quickly as possible)… if this area is out of control, it may not be best…
4. Cable and other non-essentials.  You want to make sure that you are not foreclosed on with your home or starving to death.  If you have to file for bankruptcy in Denver, then your house can often be excluded from what is taken away. 

At the end of the day, if you are seriously considering bankruptcy, you need to talk to a professional bankruptcy attorney about your options because this article and others out there are speaking in generalities.  Looking at your specific financial situation can often create a whole other method of attacking the financial dilemna you are facing.

Call us for a free initial consultation here in the Denver area!

How Much is this Going to Cost Me?

The question we get more than any question is “How much will this bankruptcy cost?”  It is a valid question because the reason you come to us is you are struggling financially.  Now there are some things to keep in mind before I give any kind of answer.  The first thing is every case is different.  To say $2,000.00 would simply be an irresponsible answer.  You may have factors which would make your case less expensive or more expensive.  There is not really a “right answer” … but there are some “wrong answers”   This is why we offer a free initial consultation!

If you get a quote for bankruptcy filings from $499.00 this is not right.  Bankruptcies take time to do well and this means that either 1) A bankruptcy lawyer in Denver is not actually working on your case or 2) There is a serious process problem.  If you look at our post on the basic process of filing a bankruptcy, see if $499.00 makes sense for this…   We would say, this is a sucker’s fee OR you will simply get bad service.

So, if this is wrong, what is right?  It would be fair to say most bankruptcy cases (given “normal” parameters will run somewhere between $1,250 and $2,500)  The more factors you have (number of debtors, severity of case, children involved, legal issues like ex-spouses being involved, your promptness in returning paperwork, jurisdiction issues like have you lived in 4 states in the last year?) all of these have effects.  This is why we do a Free initial consultation.  This way, before we do the long list of necessary events to successfully file a bankruptcy, you are completely appraised about costs and obligations.  Most people make payments, so don’t worry if you don’t have money in the bank…  we know this, after all you are looking to file a bankruptcy in Denver!

Remember, as we are successful, your other choking obligations will go away.  If your case is doomed to failure, we don’t take the case.  Why?  Because it would drive you that much closer and we are less likely to actually get paid.  Ideally, we do our job and your liabilies go from choking to simple to deal with.  Our job is to help represent you against your creditors.  They have attorneys, that’s why you need a quality bankruptcy attorney in Denver!