When a client walks into the Bay area law offices of Melanie Tavare to discuss debt relief matters, one question that is often at the forefront of the client’s mind is asset protection. The client wants to know whether his or her assets will be protected during a bankruptcy. Often, the client will have worked…

San Jose native Debi Thomas has an impressive resume. She was a pre-med and engineering student at Stanford University; she is a graduate of Northwestern Medical School; she was a trained orthopedic surgeon; she was an Olympic champion and bronze medal winner at the 1988 Winter Games in Calgary; she became the first African-American woman…

There are features of Chapter 7 bankruptcy and Chapter 13 bankruptcy that are similar and some that are quite different. A significant similarity is the automatic stay under Section 362 of the United States Bankruptcy Code, or Code, wherein a bankruptcy filing stays, or stops, creditors from taking collection action against the debtor. When this…

Financial stress can take a toll on relationships. Those in the Bay area may remember a time when, typically, the husband worked a 9-5 job while the wife stayed at home and took care of the children and the house. They would go on family outings on weekends year round. Women who worked often provided…

People fall deep into debt for many reasons. It could be due to a loss of income, miscalculating future income, improper spending habits, or major life event. To provide a fresh start, the founding fathers created the bankruptcy clause in the Constitution. The bankruptcy concept was further developed over the years to include various chapters…

When a debtor files for bankruptcy, he or she creates a “bankruptcy estate.” In broad terms, this estate is composed of any legal or equitable interest of the debtor in property as of the commencement of the case.  To note, the legislative history indicates that a bankruptcy filing “bring anything of value that the debtors…

The U.S. Bankruptcy Code allows individual chapter 7 debtors to redeem certain tangible personal property, when such property is intended primarily for personal, family or household use, by paying the secured creditor the allowed amount of the secured claim. Congress created the right of redemption “to protect debtors against ill-advised reaffirmations and the high replacement…

Chapter 7 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code provides a liquidation process for consumer debtors. It accomplishes the twin objectives of bankruptcy, providing a fresh start to the “honest but unfortunate debtor” and ensuring an equitable and ratable distribution of assets to creditors. A chapter 7 debtor enters bankruptcy with an unmanageable debt load and insufficient…

One of the factors to consider when learning about which bankruptcy process may be right for you and your family is the type of assets you possess and whether they are considered exempt or nonexempt under the law. Your California bankruptcy attorney can examine your assets and help you determine how to proceed.   Chapter…

When Credit Card Debts Aren’t Dischargeable In addition to medical bills, one of the leading causes of bankruptcy in the United States is too much consumer debt, largely from credit cards. Chapter 7 bankruptcy in particular can be extremely appealing to those with lots of credit card debt as it promises to completely discharge all…