Bankruptcy Experience

Are you worried that your house may be foreclosed? That your car may be repossessed? When financial problems and harassment from creditors are causing extreme stress and worry in your life, it might be time to consider whether filing for bankruptcy is right for you. A bankruptcy is a legal court process in which you can be given a fresh start by either wiping out your debt through a chapter 7, or through a chapter 13 in which your debts are consolidated and paid back over time.

Experienced Kansas Bankruptcy Lawyer

If you are considering bankruptcy, contact us at the James W. Lusk Law Office today for an experienced bankruptcy attorney. I will sit down with you and look at your monthly income through a means test to determine whether filing for bankruptcy is a good idea for you, or which type of bankruptcy you should file for.

Filing for bankruptcy can bring up feelings of resentment and self-doubt. I am a bankruptcy lawyer who has been helping individuals and businesses file for bankruptcy for two decades, and I am sympathetic to what you are going through. I can assure you that filing may actually help you gain a stronger sense of control over your finances and your life, and allow you to learn from this experience. Please do not hesitate to contact my office today for a free initial consultation. I offer reasonable, flat fees. Evening and Saturday appointments are available.

Over 25 years of experience
Installment payments and fixed fees
Free consultations
Evening and weekend appointments available

James W. Lusk Law Office
8700 Monrovia Street, Suite 210
Lenexa, Kansas 66215
Phone: (913) 599-5373
Fax: (913) 599-0713

James W. Lusk Law Office is located in Kansas City and serves clients in the states of Kansas and Missouri, throughout Douglas County, Johnson County, Linn County, Miami County, Wyandotte County, Jackson County, Clay County, Cass County, Ray County and Platte County, including Kansas City, Leawood, Lenexa, Merriam, Olathe, Overland Park, Roeland Park, Shawnee, Kansas City, Harrisonville, Independence, Liberty and Platte City.

We are a debt relief agency. We help people file for bankruptcy relief under the Bankruptcy Code.

Bankruptcy is a legal vehicle that provides relief to individuals and businesses in serious financial trouble and protects their creditors to the extent possible. Generally, the bankruptcy process assesses the debtor's assets and liabilities and provides a structure within which the debtor is allowed to keep some property and ordered to satisfy as many eligible debts as possible, according to an order of priority established by law. Remaining debts are discharged, except those of certain types, like domestic support orders, debt obtained by fraud and most tax debt.

The traditional stigma of bankruptcy has faded and been replaced by the view that it is a fresh start after a time of trouble. Most bankruptcy debtors have experienced unexpected and extreme financial shock, such as that caused by sudden events such as job loss, business failure, death, divorce or illness.

In such cases, filing bankruptcy may be the right answer. If you are facing serious financial challenges, it is very important to seek the counsel of an experienced bankruptcy attorney to help you to assess your legal options.

Bankruptcy law is primarily federal and administered by the federal courts. However, the various states' consumer and commercial laws do play important roles in certain bankruptcy issues and some circumstances.

Bankruptcy is an available option for individual consumers, businesses, farmers and municipalities. There are two major bankruptcy types: liquidation and reorganization. Since the imposition of means testing by bankruptcy reform in 2005, only relatively low-income and less stable debtors are allowed to liquidate. For practical purposes, many of these debtors have so-called no-asset cases where all of the debtors' property is exempt from the liquidation requirement and eligible debt is discharged without any property being sold.

Chapter 7

Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code governs liquidation bankruptcy, available to individuals and businesses. Upon the filing of a Chapter 7 bankruptcy petition, the bankruptcy court issues an "automatic stay" that stops most collection proceedings against the debtor. A bankruptcy trustee is responsible for gathering the debtor's nonexempt property, if any, liquidating it and distributing the proceeds to the creditors in order of legal preference. This process often leaves some creditors' debts unpaid when there are not enough assets to cover liabilities.

For an individual consumer debtor, these remaining debts are discharged and no longer the responsibility of the debtor; however, certain types of debt are nondischargeable and survive the bankruptcy, such as alimony or child support. For a business debtor, the liquidated business does not survive the bankruptcy.

Reorganization

A reorganization bankruptcy is more appropriate where there is ongoing income that can be used to pay creditors, at least in part. Reorganizations are governed by several chapters of the Bankruptcy Code. Chapter 11 generally controls reorganizations for individual debtors with high debts or for larger business entities. Chapter 13, on the other hand, generally covers individual consumer debtors with lower debts. Farmers can file for reorganization under Chapter 12 and municipalities under Chapter 9.

Filing for reorganization also generates an automatic stay of most collection activity. The debtor then develops a repayment plan to pay debts over a three- to five-year period through a bankruptcy trustee. At the successful conclusion of the payment plan, if certain conditions are met, remaining dischargeable debt is cancelled. If the debtor fails to make payments under the plan or fails to make alimony, child support or certain tax payments, however, the court may either dismiss the case or convert the reorganization to liquidation.

Involuntary Bankruptcy

In addition to bankruptcies filed voluntarily by debtors, creditors have a legal remedy through "involuntary bankruptcy" petitions under Chapters 7 or 11. If either a minimum level of debt is present or a minimum number of creditors, creditors can file a bankruptcy petition against a debtor to ensure that assets are distributed fairly among creditors through the bankruptcy process. Creditors must take care only to file meritorious involuntary petitions, however. Penalties for filing improper involuntary petitions can be steep.

Conclusion

Bankruptcy law can benefit debtors and creditors alike, depending on the circumstances. If you feel that a bankruptcy proceeding may benefit you or your business, you should consult a skilled bankruptcy attorney to help determine your best course of action. Experienced bankruptcy attorneys have the knowledge to help their debtor clients get out from under formidable debt and to assist their creditor clients in collecting what is rightfully theirs.

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DISCLAIMER: This site and any information contained herein are intended for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. Seek competent legal counsel for advice on any legal matter.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Bankruptcy

Q: Why are so many consumers filing bankruptcy?

A: Americans generally have overextended themselves by using too much easily accessible credit to finance overspending, combined with lack of savings. With no financial safety net, sudden crises such as medical emergencies, job losses or failed businesses, death or disability of spouses, or divorce can result in insurmountable debt. On average, a typical bankruptcy debtor is employed and middle-aged with a high school education and relatively low income.

Q: What alternative courses of action are there to filing bankruptcy when facing overwhelming debt?

A: Short of bankruptcy, a debtor may enter into mediation with creditors or negotiate workout agreements to extend due dates, lower interest rates, partially forgive debt or alter other terms. A debtor may execute an assignment of property for the benefit of creditors (ABC), wherein the debtor puts assets in the trust of a neutral third party to pay creditors. A business debtor can sell the business, negotiating the satisfaction of debt as part of the deal. Other creative options to bankruptcy exist.