Nancy*, one of my previous clients, went into her bankruptcy kicking and screaming. Here is how she tells her story today: Filing a bankruptcy case was the last thing I wanted to do, but I had lost my job and the bills began to pile up. There was no end in sight. I hated imagining what my parents, neighbors, co-workers and friends would think when they found out that I filed bankruptcy. I tried to find another way out of debt; however, nothing I tried helped and some solutions even made the situation worse.

Kain & Scott’s motto and slogan is “We don’t judge you, we HELP you get your life back.” Life shouldn’t hurt and when your engulfed with overwhelming debt you deserve to get your life back! Let's face it: Life with overwhelming debt is painful and life without debt is beautiful. This is the reason we are not concerned with why you reach out to us, but most importantly how we can help you solve your debt problems once and for all. 

At Kain & Scott, PA, you - the client - are our number one priority. Each client’s situation is different; therefore, we take the time to get to know your individual financial situation so that we can help you determine the best way to resolve your financial problem.

The following story may sound similar because many American struggling with credit card debt did not incur that debt by purchasing luxury items, taking expensive vacations, or buying unnecessary personal items. In many cases, a person struggling to pay credit card debt incurred that debt because of a financial crisis.

Finding yourself in over your head with debt problems can feel like a weight constantly weighing you down. We understand that good honest people can face financial troubles out of their control, and because of this bankruptcy attorneys want to help. If you ever find yourself in need of financial help, consider going in to talk with an attorney. Many attorneys offer free consultations, and they by no means require you to file for bankruptcy. Here’s a personal story from a couple I met with recently:

In our experience, when someone decides to file bankruptcy they are taking the first step in a final solution to their debt problems. There are other alternatives to bankruptcy, but they act more like a Band-Aid than a solution. Choosing bankruptcy is an important personal decision, but too often people allow other’s misconceptions about bankruptcy prevent them from resolving their debt through bankruptcy.

Financial problems can happen to anyone, for a variety of reasons. One of the most common reasons is job loss. I’d like to share a story about job loss, and overcoming the fear of friends, family and employers knowing that bankruptcy was filed.

A Story of Financial Trouble Caused By Income Loss

My name is Karen and a few years ago my husband and I were unsure what to do about our financial problems. My husband, Chris, had lost his job and we were behind on all of our bills. We were able to keep our heads above water until his unemployment compensation ended and he still did not have a new job. My salary was not enough to pay our monthly bills and living expenses, so we started falling behind on our bills. At first it was just the credit card bills, but then the mortgage and car loan soon followed.

We were facing foreclosure and had no idea where to turn. That is when we decided to schedule a free bankruptcy consultation. We had no idea how we would feel after bankruptcy, but we know it had to be better than what we were feeling right now.

If you are drowning in debt, you are not alone. Millions of Americans across the country are suffering from debt problems due to loss of jobs, medical bills or the loss of a spouse. Life is fluid and we never know what to expect around the next corner.

Debt is one of those situations that cause people to place blame, become depressed and experience intense emotions, such as relentless anger and the feeling of hopelessness. These then trickle into your daily life and cause poor performance at work or tense marital interactions, for example. A challenging financial situation can have a snowball effect, tirelessly enhancing your stress and contaminating your life and relationships.

Sometimes, the best way to understand that you are not alone in your financial distress and the emotional despair that comes with it is to share a story of someone who has been in your shoes. So I’ve asked Patrick* if he was willing to share his story with you. He isn’t the stereotypical candidate for bankruptcy – in fact, most filers don’t fit that mold – and his journey is representative of many that come through our doors.

Meet Patrick

My story may sound familiar to you if you are dealing with overwhelming debt. My name is Patrick. My wife and I were both successful in our careers and blessed to have a good income to support our children and our lifestyle. This was until I was laid off from my job two years ago. I qualified for unemployment and we managed to make ends meet by cutting expenses and making lifestyle changes. Unfortunately, my unemployment ran out before I was able to find another job. My wife and I both assumed that I would be able to find another job within a short period of time; however, due to the recession and the economy, jobs within my industry were difficult to come by.

After my unemployment ended, we were unable to keep up with our living expenses, in addition to our other monthly bills. Of course, we tried to keep our mortgage and car payments current because they were necessary for our survival. We did not pay our credit cards, personal loans and medical bills in favor of paying our house payment, car payments and living expenses. We managed to hang on for several month months but eventually one of our vehicles was repossessed. Creditors and collection agencies would call at all hours of the day and night, they even began calling my wife at work and threatening to file lawsuits. We received notice that we owed a deficiency on our car loan and they would be seeking a judgment to force us to pay the amount due. It seemed that the more we tried to settle with creditors, the more aggressive and demanding they became.