Colorado’s 100% Online Bankruptcy Law Firm

No offices appointments. No Court Appearances.

Schedule a Consultation

(855) 252-6567

Longmont

We. Do. Bankruptcy.

We make bankruptcy easy, affordable, and stress free.

File for bankruptcy from the comfort of our own living room.

Stop Struggling. Be. Debt. Free.

Do You Need Help with Debt Relief in Longmont, Colorado?

Moon Over Eldorado Canyon State Park

Are you overwhelmed by stress caused by mounting debt?

Peace of mind is just a phone call away.

When you’re having financial problems, time is of the utmost importance. Acting quickly and hiring an attorney when you miss credit card payments or when your house is in danger of foreclosure is the first step in gaining control over your finances. Contact our experienced Colorado bankruptcy attorneys today to discuss your financial situation and see whether bankruptcy is right for you.

The prospect of declaring bankruptcy is a daunting one, and something you shouldn’t have to face alone.

Your initial consultation with one of our Longmont bankruptcy attorneys is free and confidential. Please remember that you file bankruptcy to make things better, not worse. The bankruptcy system exists for a reason—it’s a lot like a pressure-relief valve for our society. If you need the bankruptcy system’s help, then use it.

We have provided some general bankruptcy knowledge on this website for people who need immediate debt relief help and want to educate themselves about the Federal Bankruptcy Code. While this information is designed to help you make an educated choice about your financial future, it isn’t a substitute for personal legal advice. For insight into your unique situation, please contact our Longmont bankruptcy attorneys and set up a case consultation.

The Bankruptcy Timeline Explained by a Longmont Bankruptcy Attorney

Before deciding to file bankruptcy, it’s beneficial to understand the sequence of events that will come after you make the choice to file. Knowing the timeline of the bankruptcy process could prove to be very beneficial to the outcome of your case. There is more than one type of bankruptcy that can be filed; two of the most common are Chapter 7 and Chapter 13.

The first decision you need to make when deciding whether or not bankruptcy is right for you is to contact an experienced Colorado bankruptcy attorney. Having someone by your side who has handled hundreds of cases just like yours will benefit you in many ways.

  1. Credit Counseling- Before filing a bankruptcy petition, every debtor must take a Credit Counseling course, and obtain a certificate of completion from the credit counseling agency. This certificate is a mandatory component of your paperwork when officially filing for bankruptcy in Colorado.  Agencies providing the Credit Counseling course must be approved by the U.S. Trustee’s office. A list of acceptable credit counseling courses in Colorado can be found on The Department of Justice Website. It’s important to note that federal law mandates that you must file for bankruptcy no later than 180 days after completion of your credit counseling course. If you fail to file before that period is over, you will need to take the credit counseling course again before you can file bankruptcy.
  1. Gather the Documents Required for Bankruptcy- If you’re working with one of our Longmont bankruptcy attorneys, you will be asked to provide a list of documents related to your financial condition. For example, tax returns for the last several years; 6 months worth of paystubs or evidence of income from whatever source; an appraisal for any property or real estate that you own; the names and addresses of all of your creditors with the approximate amount owed to each; statements from bank accounts, stock accounts or other investment accounts; statements on 401K, pension or retirement plans; life insurance statements; and mortgage payment statements or car payment statements. Please note that this is just a general listing of items that should be provided; everyone’s situation varies so more information may be needed depending on your financial situation.
  1. Preparation of Bankruptcy Petition-Upon meeting with you and obtaining all of this information related to your finances, your CO bankruptcy attorney will prepare a bankruptcy petition. Depending on the specifics of your situation, you and your Longmont bankruptcy attorney may decide to file Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 Bankruptcy.
  1. Filing of the Bankruptcy Petition –The filing of a bankruptcy petition is done electronically. The United States Bankruptcy Court, District of Colorado has a list of all forms that will need to be filled out by both you and your lawyer. Note that different forms are required, dependent upon whether you are filing Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy.
  1. Meeting of Creditors- After the filing of the bankruptcy petition, a document from the court is sent out which is called the “Notice of Commencement of Case.” This notice is sent out to all creditors to whom you owe money. The form contains the case number and the date, time, and place for the meeting of creditors. This meeting is the initial hearing in the bankruptcy case where the debtor and the attorney go and meet with the court-appointed trustee to review the petition and take testimony as to the accuracy of the petition and other financial issues related to the debtor’s financial affairs. You may frequently hear this meeting referred to as a 341(a) meeting.

After the 341(a) meeting, creditors have 60 days to file an adversary case to dispute the debtor’s right to a discharge. Although this rarely occurs, a creditor will usually object to the discharge of a particular debt when fraud or an intentional wrongful act is perpetrated by the debtor prior to filing bankruptcy. An example would be if you went out and maxed out all of your credit cards right before filing bankruptcy, your credit card company may dispute the dischargement of that particular debt because you fraudulently racked up more debt knowing you wouldn’t have to pay it back.

Here is where the Chapter 7 Bankruptcy and Chapter 13 Bankruptcy processes diverge. If you filed Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, the final two steps are-

 

The most common predatory loan in today’s society is Payday loans. Payday loans may go by different names — cash advance loans, deferred deposit loans, check advance loans, or online payday loans — but they typically work in the same way. These loans provide quick infusions of cash that can help you make it to the next paycheck. However, they also come with high fees and interest rates, which could lead to “debt traps” for borrowers. A debt trap is when a borrower falls into a long-term pattern of taking payday advances to pay the exorbitant finance charges and balances on prior payday advances. Because of this cycle, borrowers end up relying on high-interest payday loans as a source of income.

  • Take a Debt Education Course- No later than 60 days after the 341(a) meeting, you must attend a mandatory debt education course and file a simple form telling the court that you have completed it along with a certificate of completion from the counseling agency. Note that this is a different course than the credit counseling course required prior to filing bankruptcy. Federal Law stipulates that both courses must be completed to qualify for debt dischargement.

 

  • Obtaining Discharge Order- Once the deadlines have passed and the court gets all the required documentation, including the certificate showing you’ve completed debtor education, the judge issues the discharge. You will receive an official order by mail once that happens.
Bankruptcy Chapter 13

If you filed Chapter 13 Bankruptcy, the next steps are only slightly different from the Chapter 7 timeline-

 

  • Attend Confirmation Hearing- At your confirmation hearing, the judge assigned to your case will decide whether to confirm (approve) your Chapter 13 plan and allow your case to move forward. If there are no objections by either your trustee or your creditors, your case will be confirmed.

 

  • Make Your Court Mandated Chapter 13 Repayments- It may take approximately three to five years to complete the repayment plan. The timeline is set by the judge and trustee and several different factors are taken into account when the timeline is set. During this time frame, you will need to make regular payments to the trustee in accordance with the bankruptcy repayment plan. You can either reach the end of the plan duration or pay the debts covered by your chapter 13 bankruptcy in full, whichever occurs first. A formal discharge from bankruptcy will be granted to cancel the balances that were not paid in full, as long as you have completed your payment plan.

The final step if you’ve filed bankruptcy in Colorado is-

  • Take a Debt Education Course- All people petitioning for debt forgiveness with the United States government must submit to credit counseling and debt education courses to have their debts discharged. For more information on these courses, visit the United States Court Website.

Of course, these steps have been greatly simplified and condensed for this website. For a more in-depth guide to the bankruptcy process, read the Department of Justice’s Bankruptcy Information Sheet, or contact one of our experienced Longmont bankruptcy attorneys.

How Filing for Bankruptcy in Longmont Can Help You

Once you file bankruptcy, a court-issued order known as the automatic stay will immediately go into effect. Listed below are some of the ways an automatic stay can help you fight your way out of debt.

Stops Creditor Harassment- The primary function of the automatic stay is to remove the weight of collection efforts from creditors to allow the debtor some breathing room during bankruptcy.  The automatic stay prevents your creditors from calling you, writing you letters, sending you bills, and suing you. If you have collection agencies or credit card companies calling you in the evenings, calling you at work, serving you with court papers, or threatening to sue, filing a personal bankruptcy will stop these activities cold.

Wage Garnishments

Stops Wage Garnishment-  If your creditors are taking money out of your paycheck or your bank account you may already be feeling the pain of a writ of garnishment. Bankruptcy will stop all garnishments, with few exceptions. For more information on wage garnishment and bankruptcy, contact our Longmont bankruptcy attorneys today.

Halts Any Judgements or Lawsuits- Once you file for bankruptcy, and an automatic stay is in place, the federal court will protect you from any legal action that creditors or lenders may try to impose. If a lender decides to file a lawsuit against you, then filing bankruptcy will immediately stop the lawsuit. Note that the stay does not apply to criminal charges or domestic court proceedings, including:

  • Actions to determine paternity, for domestic support, or child custody or visitation
  • Actions to garnish income for the payment of a domestic support obligation
  • Actions to suspend a driver’s license or professional license
  • Interception of tax refunds

Completing a Chapter 13 plan and obtaining a Chapter 13 bankruptcy discharge of your debt requires a commitment to financial responsibility. As part of the process, you will attend a course on financial management. Through this and the preparation of your bankruptcy budget, you will begin learning the skills necessary to manage your financial life and avoid financial distress in the future.

Wipe-out all Predatory Loans-  The United States Department of Justice defines predatory lending as “the fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair tactics some people use to dupe us into loans that we can’t afford.” Does that sound familiar to you? If you’ve listened to the radio or watched television any time in the last few years, you’ve probably seen an ad for a predatory lending company. They promise things like “no down payments” “no credit checks,” and “easy payday loans.” These companies prey on people by using false advertising and hidden, alarmingly high-interest rates. Since most of these predatory lenders fall under the umbrella of “unsecured debt” (meaning, they do not require collateral to secure a loan), all predatory loans are immediately wiped out when you file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. If you’ve fallen victim to a predatory lender, know you aren’t alone. Our CO bankruptcy lawyers have helped hundreds of people in similar situations. Our team derives great joy in helping to erase all debt owed to predatory lenders in Aurora.

Erases Medical Debts- In 2005, current U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren published a paper during her tenure as a Harvard Law professor which concluded that more than 40% of personal bankruptcies are due to medical debt. This number was updated to more than 60% in 2009. While you cannot file bankruptcy in Colorado to solely discharge medical debt, chances are high that if you’ve suffered a personal illness or accident and have significant medical debt, you’re probably in debt in other areas of your life. Since medical debt is considered an unsecured debt, it can be discharged by filing Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy in Longmont. For more information on medical bankruptcy, contact our CO bankruptcy attorneys for a free case consultation.

Nothing else under the law is as powerful a tool to stop collections as a bankruptcy. While no one plans or wants to file bankruptcy, taking the important step of getting your financial life on track by filing can be a tremendous relief, allowing you to concentrate on moving forward with your life, debt-free.

How a Longmont Bankruptcy Attorney Can Help You

Winter Sunrise in Morrison, Colorado

Nestled at the base of the Rocky Mountains, the city of Longmont is located in Weld and Boulder counties, approximately 30 miles northwest of Denver. Longmont is currently the 14 most populous city in Colorado, home to more than 95,000 residents. Because of its proximity to both Denver and the Rocky Mountain National Park, Longmont has become a popular hamlet for people looking to surround themselves with gorgeous mountain vistas while staying close enough to enjoy the state capital’s many perks.

Similar to other areas of Northern Colorado, Longmont enjoys a fairly cool climate. The summertime average high temperature is 81 degrees, and the winter low is around 40 degrees. Longmont averages approximately 15 inches of rain each year, well below the national median, although they do average more snow, 36 inches, than the national median, which is 28 inches.

On average, there are 247 sunny days per year in Longmont. Residents and visitors to the city take advantage of the sunny days by exploring many of the outdoor activities available, including fishing for walleye or windsurfing at the Union Reservoir Nature Area, or grabbing an inflatable tube and floating down the lazy river section of the Saint Vrain Creek.

If athletic pursuits don’t interest you, but you still want to enjoy the outdoors in Longmont, perhaps consider visiting Downtown Longmont. Named a Certified Colorado Creative District in 2014, downtown Longmont showcases art galleries, music stores, theaters, and the Dickens Opera House, a beautifully restored music hall once owned by famous author Charles Dickens’ brother William, and is now a premier wedding and event venue.

If the rain or snowfall makes visitors inclined to remain indoors, there are still several fun activities to pursue in town. History buffs may want to visit the Longmont Museum, which houses a permanent exhibit that documents the 14,000 years of human history in Longmont, as well as rotating special exhibits in both the Main Gallery and Portal Gallery.

If you have a history of debt that you’re looking to erase in Longmont, you may want to consider filing for bankruptcy.  In many cases, bankruptcy is the answer to your financial burdens. It can immediately put a stop to the debt collectors harassing you, giving you time and space to take the next steps towards financial freedom. It can take you out of a hopeless situation and get you on track again. But you don’t have to do it alone.

 If you’re struggling with overwhelming debt, speaking with an experienced Longmont bankruptcy attorney and coming up with a plan can bring a lot of peace of mind.

Our team of experienced Colorado legal professionals understands how overwhelming the idea of bankruptcy can be to most people. We offer free consultations to each prospective client so you can speak to an attorney without having to worry about how much it’s going to cost you just to gather information. We want to know the details of your situation so we can provide you with the service you need. Our CO bankruptcy lawyers will help you decide what options are best for you. Contact our firm today for help with your bankruptcy needs. If Mark Twain, Walt Disney, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln can use bankruptcy as a way to get their lives back on track, you can too.