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.

Technorati Tags: 30k, attorney fees, college loans, debts, hard time, income persons, means test, median income, medical bills, pro bono attorney

I work 40 hrs a week as support for a software company. I work remotely from home. I have been freelancing at night when everyone is asleep and on weekends – this is my second job, my attempt to pay off medical bills, and to move forward on quitting my current job I hate so much. Last week I told my husband I have a big job and I have a 2 week deadline. This job will pay for my son’s Hockey Season which is 0. I told him this several times before taking the job and he told me he was okay with it. One night I decided to work on the project right after dinner and as soon as I went upstairs he wanted to know what I was doing and demanded that I take his laptop and work downstairs. I was a bit put off and did it. Then he went to give my youngest son a bath and demanded that I stop what I was doing to watch my older son do his homework… First of all, my husband never gives my youngest son a bath on his own – I usually do it and rarely tends to my son’s homework. He started yelling at me saying that I need to spend more time with the family.. What??? I’m home all the time with the family.. He’s not!

Keep in mind that he works 50 – 60 hours weeks and sometimes more. When he does work more than usual, I never give him a hard time. I take care of everything at home.

This one time when I asked for his support on my big project – he failed me. I decided to quit this project because of my husband being impossible. I was so angry at him, I could not talk to him. The next day I woke up angry, he was telling me what to do and how to do it… He is usually like this and I just ignore it. I was so pissed, I was super sensitive to every word that was coming out of his mouth. I felt like I was in shackles and I have no rights as a human being. I know this is so exaggerated on my part.. That is my feeling after getting no support from him.

What brought me to the melt down is this. I have a paypal business account and credit card for my business needs. my husband knows this which is a big mistake telling him. That account allows me to send invoices to people so that they can pay me for services. I have been taking the profits and paying for things we need and paying for medical bills. I have gotten about 00 from freelance work so far. Well, my husband keeps on telling me we need to pay for hockey stuff and now My dog’s grooming and vet bills.. This is where I get frustrated.. I have to work to pay for this stuff. I don’t want to incur more debt. He also wants me to file for bankruptcy.. I don’t. That is the easy way out and I feel I can fix this.. He doesn’t agree with me and continues to friggin buy things like he has endless amounts of cash.

I really think he takes advantage of me. Everything we have bought, he had convinced me to put it on my credit card and promised he will pay it back. Every time I go to him on paying back my card, he comes up with excuses and yet he is able to buy shoes, clothes, gadgets, toys for kids, – lunches, etc… Do you see why I’m mad?

And just a couple of days ago I flipped on him because he told me he just bought some Vail Resort stock… I was pissed because when I was trading stocks a year ago and making a profit, he got involved and said this will be a good hobby for the both of us. I immediately disagreed and told him that I want to do this on my own. He has stocks and a retirement fund. I have nothing and would like to try and build a retirement fund and portfolio. He was offended and got mad at me. I gave in and decided to work with him. He told me to buy a stock that I did not agree with and insisted that if I do not buy this stock it would be a big mistake. Well I didn’t want to and we fought over it. I didn’t want to fight with him and bought the stupid stock. A week later it fell 10% and I pulled out. He wanted me to keep it and called it a long term stock… He was so wrong. The little money I did have went to paying for penrose hospital – they had a court order for us to pay for a bill. So I pulled all the money and gave it to them. See why I am mad… Why do I put up with this?

He is another funny thing he did. For a while he was recording Dave Ramsey show. This show has people calling in about their financial problems and he give advice. Well I did watch this show and loved it because if reinforce what I know is true and when I had asked him to watch it with me – he agreed but he thought it was comical and didn’t take the show seriously and stopped recording the show… I am crazy.
He pays for health insurance, car insurance, utility bills, and cable. I pay for mortgage, car, credit cards, daycare, and gas/groceries.

I don’t have anything left when these bills are paid.
Yes, I have talked to him about this and we are trying to work things out. I don’t give up that easily. Divorce is not in my radar. I feel so frustrated and wish I could figure this out. My husband tells me all the time that I need to learn how to relax.. He’s right there. And we balance each other because I am all about being responsible and he likes to have fun.. Well I love to have fun too. I was adventurous before kids and marraige. Now i’m home working all the time. Try to pay the bills.

Technorati Tags: big mistake, business account, credit card, downstairs, hard time, hockey season, homework, laptop, medical bills, melt down, second job, several times, shackles, software company, youngest son

I am going through a hard time and after having good credit need to file BK unfortunately. The attorney quoted ,000 to file for 13 and ,000 to file for 7 so I wanted to know why one is 1/3 cheaper. I read online that the 13 says you have to repay the debt, so what would the point of filing BK be if i don’t have the money after I lost my job to pay it? This is in CA if that makes a difference.

Technorati Tags: bk, credit need, hard time, job, money

I have a little over ,000 in credit card debt between my husband and myself on six different cards. Of those cards all of them are above 20% interest rates. The highest balance is 00. 8 ½ years ago I had to file for bankruptcy before I married my husband because of a car I was duped (very long story and this was the only thing I filed) into signing for, thus I cannot file bankruptcy. We also have 00 in hospital bills we have accumulated in the last year we are paying on sporadically when I can make payments. They were 00. I am about to have a baby in July, which means I will be on maternity leave for two months with a reduced income. We are having problems making payments on our bills now because we are overwhelmed. Prior to, financially we were doing ok, but we had some unexpected expenses come up and we previously had gotten lots of overtime at both our jobs which has been cut due to the economy. I just obtained 00 from a family member I do not have to pay back and I am having a hard time deciding where to put this money towards. A few of the doctor bills have threatened to send us to collections even though I am making payments when I can. I figure credit cards are best to put the money towards because of fees, credit report problems and interest. I have only been about 10 days late on one of the 6 cards and maybe 16 days late on another one, thus none of them show up late on my credit report. I manage to make payments, but barely. Late fees have been racking up though because I may pay a week late here and there on those two. Here are my primary questions after hearing my story…

1) Should I try to negotiate lowering my debt on the credit cards and doctor bills so I can get them paid off although I am not really showing up late on my credit report? Will they work with me if I am going to pay off the balance? I figure it is pointless to negotiate interest rates if my point is to pay it off…
2) Should I pay off the highest balance of 00, which also happens to have the highest interest rate and then put the rest towards doctor bills or the next higher interest rate card, which the balance is more than what will be left over? Or, should I put the left over money towards paying off the lower credit card amounts and the 00?
3) I have read that if I negotiate lowering my pay off amount with credit card companies then it will affect my credit and this is what I am worried about primarily. Has anyone had any experience with this?
Thank you ahead of time!!

Technorati Tags: 8 years, bankruptcy, collections, credit card debt, credit cards, credit report problems, doctor bills, economy, family member, hard time, hospital bills, interest rates, jobs, late fees, maternity, money, overtime, story 1, unexpected expenses

If you file for bankruptcy, are all your debts forgiven or do you still have to pay them back? How about Federal student loans?

If things pick up again and say after two or three years you get back to your old place earning good income, will you really have a hard time getting credit again even with bankruptcy on your record? And, can the old creditors come after the old debt?

Technorati Tags: bankruptcy, creditors, debts, federal student loans, hard time

My husband and I are filing jointly but I’m having second thoughts. His debt is 30k mine is less than 15k. I can’t work because I just had my baby and want to raise her but I’m thinking that 15k is relatively low although very big for me since I don’t work. My husband is having a hard time paying all the bills, rent, car payment etx. since I don’t work. I feel bad to have him pay my debt for me. If I decided to pay my debt I would have to work and leave my baby. I don’t know what to sacrifice. I really want to watch her grow.

On the other hand, a big, huge problem I have is that I came here with a permit and overstayed. Once I got married, immigration forgave me and gave me permanent residency. The problem is that all of my debt, even the debt I got on my permanent ssn keeps going to the old ssn number that I kept using when I wasn’t supposed to. Now, how I am supposed to explained to court that my debt is under a non-working ssn? And how can I build credit on my current # when it automatically goes to the other one even if I apply with it?

I believe I should just pay but I’m having a hard time deciding between my daughter and my obligation to pay. The lawyer is about to submit the case and he hasn’t called me back to tell me what to do.
It was my husband’s decision. I always had above 700 credit til I stopped working and he was late by days.

I have never missed a bill.

Technorati Tags: car payment, hard time, immigration, lawyer, obligation, rent car, second thoughts, ssn number

My best friend is going through a hard time right now emotionally, and physically. She has acquired alot of medical bills greater than 7,000 dollars worth. They are now taking over 0 every other week out of her paycheck, which she can not afford. I have mentioned to her to file bankruptcy, she is also wanting to buy a house with a co-signer, what will this do, and how again, do I find out for her upon her request to help her do i find out when was her last bankruptcy?

Technorati Tags: bankruptcy, best friend, co signer, hard time, medical bills, paycheck

OK….So my Mom (She’s 72) filed bankruptcy protection 7 months ago as she has a retirement income and only one house….So now an attorney for the bank that holds a small mortgage on the property has filed a motion to "Lift the stay" on the house so the bank can immediately foreclose on the property. BUT….She has never failed to pay the monthly mortgage payment or been late on it. Even after she filed for protection. So….How can I help her? Should she file a answer to their motion right away to the judge? Her bankruptcy attorney is busy or wont help. I’m trying to get her to find a new attorney…But for right now, what should she do? How do these things play out?? I’ve had a hard time understanding how a bank can expect to foreclose on someone who’s paid their mortgage? Will the judge take them seriously when they’re dealing in speculation (What might happen) and not absolutes?? Thanks for any help!!
Not sure if any of the covenants of the mortgage have been violated…What’s an example of that type of violation? All I know is that she’s paid every month on time.

Technorati Tags: 7 months, absolutes, bankruptcy attorney, bankruptcy protection, covenants, hard time, mom, mortgage payment, retirement income, speculation

Ok, I am having a hard time finding the answer I’m looking for, hope someone can help. My hubby and I do not want to foreclose on our home, nor do we want to do a short sale, as I hear a short sale is every bit as bad if not worse than bankruptcy. We have a second mortgage as well. If we file bankruptcy and put the house in with that, approx how long will we be able to stay in the home before we get kicked out, and how do they do it? I don’t want them to come and slap a yellow sticker on the window like they would in a foreclosure and make it obvious to the neighborhood that we defaulted on our mortgage. Does anyone know how long we will be able to stay, and what will happen to the house when we are forced to leave?

Technorati Tags: bankruptcy, foreclosure, hard time, hubby, neighborhood, second mortgage, yellow sticker

I was going through a hard time on the date of a court appearance, my son had been prematurely born in Sept, he was due in January. He passed away in Dec. They put a guilty plea for me because I didn’t go. The case was for some money that my ex had taken out of his dad’s account and we spent it. I know it was wrong, I was dumb. but now they are trying to pin all of the money on me…,000! I would have been willing to do some of it, but damn. So now they are trying to garnish my wages, the only option I can think of is bankruptcy, I have a lot of debt anyway and I really don’t care anymore. I’m young and I can handle it. But I need to know if that kind of judgement would stand through a bankruptcy ch7?

Technorati Tags: bankruptcy, court appearance, dad, guilty plea, hard time, judgement, money, wages

I have loans and I wanted to know does the bankruptcy eliminate a portion of the loans? How does Chapter 7 work? How long will this remain on my credit?

I want to pay off my debt, but I have had a hard time finding work that pays well.
I owe about 35,000 in debt and I only make 18,000. I have not been able to find a job that pays more and I have been searching for a year.

Technorati Tags: bankruptcy, chapter 7, hard time, job, loans

I can no longer afford my home. I have contacted my lender & HUD. I do not qualify for any programs. I am 3 months behind on my mortgage now, and I am planning to file for bankruptcy. Should I rent before I file bankruptcy or should I wait until I am kicked out of my home? I am afraid that if I wait I will have a hard time getting into a rental, and I am also afraid that if I jump into a rental that would look really bad when I file for Chapter 13. Either way I am not able to afford this house, and need to move. Any advise?
I have some pets that I am not willing to surrender and found a rental property that the property manager is willing to work with me, and accept my pets, and it is affordable. I also have two small children, and don’t want to take the chance of being homeless. If I stay in this home until I get kicked out I would be saving money, but I will need all that money just to secure a new rental, so that really wouldn’t be to an advantage. I have looked into short selling my home too, but that is not possible at this point. Does it look bad if you are in a rental when you file?

Technorati Tags: amp, bankruptcy, chapter 13, hard time, hud, mortgage, pets, property manager, rental property, saving money

i’m anticipating filing for bankruptcy and i cannot afford the 00 for a lawyer plus 9 for the court fees. Has any body ever filed pro se, if so how was the experience and do you recommend it? thanks. please no rude comments either, i’m going through a hard time as many americans do

Technorati Tags: court fees, filing for bankruptcy, hard time, lawyer, rude comments