A consumer-bankruptcy attorney is the most overqualified person you’ll ever consult about debt — which is exactly why we’ll be honest if filing isn’t right for you.
Take the 4-minute quiz Or book free 60-minWhat follows is the table we walk every client through during the free 60-minute analysis. The right answer is almost always obvious once the numbers are on paper.
Each of these is a real, legitimate path for the right household. Each one has a tax consequence, a credit consequence, or a calendar consequence the marketing brochures conveniently leave out.
You enroll with a federally-approved nonprofit credit counselor. They negotiate reduced interest rates with each unsecured creditor; you make one consolidated monthly payment for 36–60 months.
You stop paying creditors and let accounts charge off, then negotiate lump-sum settlements at 30–55 cents on the dollar. The IRS treats forgiven debt as taxable income.
You pull money out of a retirement account to pay off debt. The IRS adds the 10% early-withdrawal penalty plus full ordinary-income tax. Most clients lose 35–45% to taxes alone.
If you have only Social Security, disability, or a federally-protected pension, you may already be “judgment-proof” — meaning creditors can’t actually collect from you. Sometimes the right move is to wait the statute of limitations.
Your answers stay on your device until you choose to send them. We’ll give you a personalized recommendation and the next-step checklist.
Unsecured debt only, no judgments yet, no liens against your home.
Behind on the house, plus consumer debt piling up. Foreclosure may be on the calendar.
Mix of recent and older tax debt, possibly with a lien filed against you.
High-rate revolving debt and short-term loans, often with multiple lenders.
Sixty minutes, on Zoom or in person, with the lawyer who would actually file your case. We’ll tell you on the call which of the six paths fits your numbers — even if it’s not bankruptcy.
Book free 60-min analysis