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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.
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.
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.
If you filed Chapter 13 Bankruptcy, the next steps are only slightly different from the Chapter 7 timeline-
The final step if you’ve filed bankruptcy in Colorado is-
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.
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.
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:
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.
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.