I know that customer service sounds like a cliché, but it happens to be highly relevant. I know, every Minnesota bankruptcy law firm says they have excellent customer service or treats their clients well, blah blah blah. The problem is these statements don’t always square with what is said about them in Google reviews or by former employees in Glassdoor reviews.

How does one go about choosing a Minnesota bankruptcy law firm that is kind, helpful, professional, and has exceptional customer service? Spend your time researching different firms and reviewing lots of google reviews. Today, I want to discuss two things you should avoid when hiring a Minnesota bankruptcy law firm.

One of the reasons people file bankruptcy cases is to preserve vehicle ownership. If the client has a car loan, a chapter 13 case in which the terms of the vehicle loan can be re-set to make the payment more affordable is often attractive.  Or some clients prefer the liquidation approach of a chapter 7, in which other, unsecured debts are discharged, thus freeing up money in the monthly budget to make the car payment easier to afford.

If you’re afraid that filing Chapter 7 bankruptcy will prevent you from purchasing your dream home or concerned that you’ll be unable to replace a vehicle that was repossessed, don’t be! While some conditions do apply, it is still possible for you to buy a new house or car after filing for Chapter 7 in Minnesota.

And, if you file for Chapter 7 with Kain & Scott, you can take advantage of our Free 90 Day Credit Repair Program that will help you raise your credit score and obtain financing from one of our trusted Minnesota lenders to help you purchase the things your family needs.

Last week I wrote about why being able to file a chapter 13 bankruptcy case quickly is advantageous to debtors. Chapter 13 is often the “emergency” bankruptcy - in many cases that end up being filed as chapter 13s, a mortgage foreclosure is days away, or the repossession agent has been out looking for a client’s car to repossess.  Or in some cases, the repossession has already taken place and the owner has a short period of time in which to redeem the vehicle prior to the vehicle being sold at an auction.  So there are numerous situations in which time matters, and the time is short.  Being able to file quickly is an advantage - and at Kain & Scott we can file a case quickly and professionally.  So the question is, what is there about the Kain & Scott law firm that enables the firm to file a case quickly?

If you live in Bloomington, Minnesota and are considering filing a bankruptcy this is a lesson in buyer beware! At Kain & Scott our Bloomington Bankruptcy Lawyers have seen several bankruptcy services advertised on park benches, back pages of newspapers, and from out of state companies. Take our word for it, here’s the main thing you need to watch out for…

It can happen to any one of us. One catastrophe can happen after another. You might have started a business 10 years ago that failed miserably right? That caused the first bankruptcy. 5 years ago you might have been diagnosed with brain cancer. While you beat it, the illness left you with an insurmountable pile of medical debt. That led to the 2^nd bankruptcy… Now what?

There are some universal truths in the world. These are things that always apply no matter what. When you are contemplating filing a bankruptcy in St Paul, Minnesota, I can tell you there are 2 things you should NEVER do before filing bankruptcy.

Just like consumer bankruptcy can stop home foreclosure, wage garnishment, vehicle repossession, and most other types of adverse creditor action, bankruptcy can also stop lawsuits. Even if the trial is scheduled for tomorrow, bankruptcy can halt it.

For many people, a creditor lawsuit is a remote, theoretical possibility. They know it can happen, but they do not believe it will ever happen to them. Suddenly, there’s an unfamiliar knock on the door at an unusual hour and someone, usually a Minnesota peace officer, delivers a summons.

Yes, bankruptcy records are public information in general. It’s no different than your divorce records or criminal records which are public too. But, when is the last time you went down to Ramsey County and checked out your neighbor’s criminal or divorce records? Likely never right?

Most people have too many concerns and worries in the world themselves- they don’t have time to worry about someone else’s problems, because they have enough problems themselves.

For the past six weeks we’ve taken a pretty “deep dive” into the nuts and bolts of bankruptcy. This week, I’ll try to wrap this up with a look at the function of the bankruptcy discharge - the “finish line” for bankruptcy. Again, the lens through which I will look at this issue is the twin policy goals of bankruptcy - to treat creditors fairly and to allow debtors to live with dignity.

Hundreds of your neighbors want to know the same thing, because medical bills are the leading cause of consumer bankruptcy in Minneapolis. For various reasons, these expenses have increased much faster than the cost of other goods and services, so the size of these bills catches many people off guard.

There are a lot of talking heads on tv and the radio who will tell you to try and avoid filing bankruptcy. I say nuts! I say you should err on the side of filing bankruptcy and getting your life back. Why? Look, we all want to pay our bills okay, so can we just take that off the table right now? If you could pay your bills, you wouldn’t be reading this blog! Am I right?

Once you have made the decision to get your life back, by filing a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, you want to know how long is this going to take to get your life back right? When people make up their minds to file a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, they are so excited to get their lives back they always want to know when? When do I get my life back, improve my credit profile, and live for the future!

One of the main concerns our clients have about filing for bankruptcy in Minnesota is the protection of their privacy.

For the last three weeks, I’ve written about the function of bankruptcy to serve the twin purposes Congress set out in passing bills that codified bankruptcy law into the Bankruptcy Code: treating creditors fairly and allowing debtors to live with dignity.  I’ve written about why the bankruptcy debtor has to list assets and liabilities accurately in her schedules, about the specific features of chapter 13, the benefits of the automatic stay in bankruptcy and the requirement that the bankruptcy debtor list all of her creditors in her bankruptcy paperwork.  This week, I’ll continue to look at how bankruptcy law and procedure seeks to meet the policy goals of Congress.