Last week I started writing about the collateral events in a bankruptcy case that can confuse, concern or surprise bankruptcy debtors.  I looked specifically at the fact that many creditors will automatically discontinue ACH automatic withdrawals out of the bank accounts of bankruptcy debtors and that many creditors will disable a bankruptcy debtor’s ability to pay bills online (by the way, many pay-by-phone services are discontinued, also).

This week I will write about some other “surprises” that debtors can find in a bankruptcy case.

So, last we spoke, we spoke about Mary’s account being frozen. The creditor had frozen Mary’s 12k 401k loan proceeds and Mary had come in to see me about what her choices were to resolve her debt problem.

There are 3 mistakes you should avoid when filing bankruptcy in St Paul, Minnesota. These mistakes have to do with representation in a bankruptcy or a lack thereof. At Kain & Scott, we are Minnesota’s oldest bankruptcy law firm. We have seen a thing or two and we would recommend you avoid the mistakes we have seen others make. For example-

Welcome to Woodbury, Minnesota’s best bankruptcy law firm, Kain & Scott. Why Kain & Scott? Good question. We wrote the book, “Filing Bankruptcy Sucks, Your Lawyer Should Not!” We wrote the book because we were frustrated by how Minnesota bankruptcy guests were being treated. Well, let’s break it down, why is Kain & Scott Woodbury, Minnesota’s best bankruptcy law firm? I will give you 5 reasons:

The following is based on a true story. The names I use are fictional but the story is real. Mary came into see me about her account being frozen by one of her creditors. Mary had just taken a loan out from her 401k and the 12k in proceeds were in her bank account when the unthinkable happened- the creditor placed a levy on the account and froze 12k. Now, to say this was not good timing is an understatement. Mary is an RN but she was off work for several months due to medical complications. She was not entitled to short term disability and so she was taking the 401k loan out to help her and her husband survive the time when she was out of work.

To protect their property and families, thousands of people file bankruptcy in Minnesota every year. Moneylenders want people to feel ashamed when they file bankruptcy, to discourage such actions. But most people file bankruptcy because of medical debt, divorce, unemployment, or some other situation which was totally beyond their control.

Nevertheless, there are still many impediments to filing bankruptcy in Minnesota. Some people worry about how a voluntary petition will affect their jobs. Others worry about how bankruptcy may affect their spouses, and that’s the subject of this post.

Technically, the answer to this question is “yes.” However, there may be some debt that you do not want bankruptcy to clear.

There’s a significant difference between secured and unsecured debt. Secured debt includes things like home mortgages and auto loans. If the debtor violates the security agreement, the moneylender has the right to repossess the collateral. That right remains in place whether the debtor files bankruptcy or not. Unsecured debts are things like credit cards and medical bills. As outlined below, these debts sometimes have collateral consequences as well. But in most cases, they are quite limited.

Hi everyone! So you are on line searching for information on the basics of bankruptcy. How does it work? What are the differences between a chapter 7 and a chapter 13? Which bankruptcy looks better on my credit report? These are all great questions right? But, can someone explain them in simple terms? I can! 

One of the most common questions that I get from clients after we’ve gone through the process of preparing a bankruptcy case for filing at Kain & Scott is “what else should I know?”

It’s a perfectly understandable question - our clients have been with us at every step of the process of preparing their bankruptcy petition, schedules and statements.  They’ve spoken with us at the initial stage, where we put together a “game plan” for addressing their financial problems. They’ve been with us as our assistants verify the facts of their case to make sure the information that is on the petition and schedules filed with the court is complete and accurate.  And they’ve sat in with the lawyer on their case to make sure, as the lawyer and clients review the petition and schedules together, that the lawyer is satisfied that there are no legal issues that will create complications in the client receiving a bankruptcy discharge. We process a lot of information, together.  But many clients want to be sure that they’ve been fully informed as to what will happen when their case is filed and what they can expect after filing and after they receive their discharge.

It is odd that I have to say this, but if a Minnesota resident intends to file for bankruptcy in Minnesota, choose a Minnesota BASED law firm. Why do I say this? Because there are out of state law firm’s soliciting Minnesota residents to file bankruptcy using an out of state law firm- some of who refer you back to a Minnesota lawyer who doesn’t have the same bankruptcy experience many other Minnesota bankruptcy attorneys have.

Bankruptcy gives fresh starts to unfortunate yet honest debtors. This fresh start usually comes through a Chapter 13 repayment or a Chapter 7 “liquidation” bankruptcy.

Unfortunately, there is a presumption in the law that criminal and civil fines are related to dishonesty. That’s certainly not always the case. Some people make one poor decision under difficult circumstances. Others got mixed up in a bad situation they did not fully understand. Still others were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. But the presumption of dishonesty still applies.

Raising a family in Minneapolis is not easy from an emotional or financial perspective. Statistically, wage growth barely keeps up with general inflation. In certain areas, most notably medical bills, wage growth rates are not even close to inflation rates. As a result, thousands of your neighbors file for bankruptcy protection every year. They understand that financial problems, like many other problems in life, only get worse if you ignore them.

Despite some recent changes to the Bankruptcy Code, this law still gives the honest but unfortunate debtor a fresh start. At Kain & Scott, we do much more than help people get this fresh start. We help them maximize the opportunity.

We are so confident we are Minnesota’s Nicest Bankruptcy Law Firm we guarantee it and trademarked it! That is right, we trademarked “Minnesota’s Nicest Bankruptcy Law Firm Guaranteed or 100% Off Your Fees”!*

A law firm that is willing to guarantee their service to you is confident about the service you will receive. So confident, in fact, that we guarantee it or 100% off your fees. Unique? We think so! If you live in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and you are thinking about filing Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 Bankruptcy, if you are looking for the best customer service in the state of Minnesota, there is no other firm to turn to besides Kain & Scott.

This is probably the single biggest question we get asked at Kain & Scott. What assets will I lose if I file Chapter 7 Bankruptcy? The answer simply put, is in the vast majority of cases filed, most debtors lose no assets at all.

We can protect a lot of assets in a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy. If your assets are protected we call that “exempt” assets. If your assets are not protected, and the Chapter 7 trustee can take and liquidate your assets, we call those assets “non-exempt”.

Don’t get me wrong, my advice is to error on the side of filing bankruptcy. Getting your life back is real, and it is wonderful losing debt and repairing your credit in Kain & Scott’s FREE 90-Day Credit Repair Program. But, before you file bankruptcy in Woodbury, Minnesota, there are two things you need to know.

All bankruptcy wipes out debt. The type of bankruptcy you need to file usually depends on the type of debts you owe.

David Debtor had some unexpected medical bills last year. His daughter had emergency surgery out-of-network and he ran his car off the road one night. He now owes tens of thousands of dollars that he can’t afford to pay. He tried to retire the debt as best he could. But his payments hardly made a dent and put him behind in other areas. He’s not quite at the desperation point, but he is getting close.