You’ve been avoiding the bill collectors for months. The calls got overwhelming so you stopped answering the phone. The letters came in a flood so you didn’t open the mail anymore.
Maybe you’ve called a credit counselor or a debt settlement company, but they didn’t “feel right.” You sat down with your check book and realized there is no way on Earth you’re going to be able to pay these debts in a reasonable amount of time.
So why haven’t you looked into bankruptcy? It’s simple – there are roadblocks and obstacles. Here are 3 of the top reasons why you haven’t taken that step, and how to get over them.
Roadblock #1 – Your Friends And Family. These people care about your well-being, and want you to be happy and safe. They tell you that bankruptcy will ruin your life forever. You’ll never get a house, a car, a spouse, a job, friends… your life will effectively be over forever.
Fact – Perception Is Not Always Reality. Filing for bankruptcy will show up on your credit report for as much as a decade, but lots of people get back on track within 18 months of the end of their case. Even in a down economy there are lenders who will take a chance on someone coming out of bankruptcy if they can prove their troubles are behind them.
Roadblock #2 – It’s Too Expensive. When you think about bankruptcy you think about lawyers. Lawyers are greedy, charge a ton of money, and are reserved for only those who have a lot of cash to spend.
Fact – Legal Fees Aren’t As High As Your Debt Level. Think about it for a moment: if a lawyer is going to charge you $2,000 for a Chapter 7 bankruptcy (for example) and you can use the law to wipe out $20,000 or more of bad debt, that’s just like paying 10% to settle your overdue bills. Lots of bankruptcy lawyers offer payment plans to stretch out the fees so you can pay them over time.
Roadblock #3 – It’s Too Complex. Have you ever seen a bankruptcy court filing? For even the most basic Chapter 7 bankruptcy case the documents to be submitted to the court can run as long as 50 pages or more. It’s filled with technical jargon and legalese, too. It’s easier to simply do nothing.
Fact – Your Lawyer Is Trained To Make It Easy. Sure, you can file for bankruptcy without a lawyer. There are web-based companies that will do the papers for pocket change. But an experienced bankruptcy lawyer knows how to boil down those documents into something simple and manageable.