When was the last time you sat down and asked yourself, “how did I get here”? Chances are you say this to yourself all the time, but, truly, when was the last time you sat down and forced yourself to answer the question? If you’re like most people, you don’t spend much time with self-reflection. Self-reflection is incredibly important so you can truly understand the situation you’re in, how you got there, and how to get you where you want to be.
Step 1: Take a Step Back to Recognize the Situation You Are In
If you’re overwhelmed with debt, and considering bankruptcy, I recommend you spend quality time reflecting on your situation. During this time you’ll be able to put together a plan on how to move forward. Most importantly, you have to be honest with yourself. Hiding from the issue of financial distress is not going to solve the problem. The sooner you can recognize where you are, the sooner one of our MN Bankruptcy Attorneys may be able to help you get your life back!
Step 2: Put Pen to Paper
What does your debt-to-income ratio look like? Broken down, how much debt do you have? How much income do you bring in each week/month/year? It’s important to know how much debt you have, so you can determine whether or not it is feasible to pay off. Sometimes a more accurate depiction is presented if you jot down each of your minimum monthly payments. List everything (credit card payments, medical bill payments, car payments, health insurance, rent, etc.). Subtract your monthly expenses from your net (after tax) income. If you arrive at a negative number, or close to a negative number, bankruptcy may be a good option. Being able to see where exactly your money is going every month is powerful. Sometimes, you may find you have more money each month than you originally thought. Also, it’s possible you’re overspending in other areas. Most people know where their money is going and how much, or little, they have left at the end of each month. If you run the numbers and find out you’re short, the time has come for you to make a change. If developing a budget to tackle the problem is not enough, bankruptcy may be the best option for you. Spend some time and research what bankruptcy truly is and what it can do for you.
Step 3: Research What Bankruptcy Truly Is
Society places a terrible stigma on bankruptcy. There’s no secret about this. However, bankruptcy is an incredibly resourceful option for individuals/families in financial distress. A question to ask yourself is this: “if I continue down the path I’m on, will I be able to move forward with my life in the near future”? This is a tough question to answer because we lie to ourselves about where we’re at. We tell ourselves our situation is not as bad as it may be. We do this because we sometimes want to avoid the inevitable. Well, this is common in the bankruptcy world too. Nobody wants to file bankruptcy, but let me be the first to tell you it’s not as bad as you might think. Bankruptcy provides hundreds of thousands of people with relief from their financial distress every year. Once you file bankruptcy it will go on your record for ten years, but that’s not as bad as you may think. You will be able to eliminate your liability on debts in a matter of a few weeks. You will be able to get back to doing what you want to do because you won’t be struggling to pay off credit cards. Thinking long term, ask yourself if it is better to struggle paying off debts over the next 6, 7, 8 years, or is it better to file bankruptcy and have your life back in a few weeks! We help people get their life back. That’s what we do and we have the experience to back it up. That’s why we’re the right attorneys for you.
Step 4: Find the Right MN Bankruptcy Attorney for You
When looking for the right attorney, you should search for one that cares about you and your needs. This sounds obvious, right? Unfortunately, not all MN Bankruptcy Attorneys are in the business for the right reasons. However, I will tell you, there are some that are in the business to help you. After all, the reason you’re reaching out to a bankruptcy attorney is for them to help fix your situation. You are looking for a fresh start. You are looking for a new beginning. You are ready to move on with your life and get past this stressful time. Here at Kain & Scott we promise to deliver the best customer service. We will always treat you like a rock star and will remain focused on your case. Helping you get your life back is our goal. If you’re ready to navigate through this tough time, please reach out to us and schedule an initial consultation.
Step 5: Schedule Your Initial Consultation
We’re here for you. We have many different options for your first consultation. Not only are you going to get the results you’re looking for, we’re going to make this process as painless as possible. We currently provide the following options for conducting your first consultation: in person, over the phone, via Skype, and via FaceTime. I’ll even tell you this – if one of these options doesn’t work for you, give us a call and let us know what does. We’ll work with you to make sure you can get the answers you’re looking for. Reaching out to us to discuss your bankruptcy options takes courage. Once you’re ready, give the MN Bankruptcy Attorneys at Kain & Scott a call.
Step 6: Get Your Life Back!
Scheduling your initial consultation and starting the bankruptcy process is the beginning of your new life. I hope you’re as excited as we are to help you through this difficult time. Our MN Bankruptcy Attorneys look forward to working with you!
