The goal and commitment of every member of the firm from Mr. Meek to the supportive staff is to provide the same quality of legal care for each case that the firm tackles and to treat each client as a member of the family.

Often, circumstances beyond our control such as the loss of a job, a divorce or an auto accident put us in a financial crunch. As money gets tight, the pressure put on us by our creditors increases. As hard as we may try, we may never be able to get a handle on our finances. The government understands that problems arise and has made provisions in the law to allow for this.

Unfortunately, filing for bankruptcy is a complicated procedure that requires much thought before filing.

If you feel that your financial situation is beyond repair, you must consider the relief offered by bankruptcy .

Filing Bankruptcy will immediately stop.

Filing a bankruptcy has the effect of stopping most collections and certain legal proceedings against you. From the moment you file a voluntary petition, federal law imposes an "automatic stay" which prevents creditors from taking any active role against you to collect upon a debt. Lawsuits against you for collection of a debt would be stopped by filing for bankruptcy. Criminal matters and civil proceedings involving alimony or support are not typically stayed by the bankruptcy.

From the moment you file a voluntary petition, federal law imposes an "automatic stay" which prevents creditors from taking any active role against you to collect upon a debt. This protection extends to cars, boats, trailers, furnishings and other such items for which you still owe money. Creditors are prevented from repossessing collateral once you file for bankruptcy . When the bankruptcy is pending, however, certain agreements are usually made regarding payment on the collateral. In a Chapter 7, you may have the option to either surrender the collateral back to the creditor, or keep the collateral and sign a "reaffirmation agreement" which states that you wish to continue with the obligation as though the bankruptcy never happened. In a Chapter 13, the debt becomes part of the "plan" payment which is a single monthly payment made to a trustee who then disburses that money to your creditors as part of a reorganization of your debt.

As part of the broad protections provided under federal law for bankruptcy filers, a mortgage foreclosure can be stopped upon filing a bankruptcy. The most effective tool for stopping the foreclosure, enabling you to get some breathing room and additional time to bring the mortgage current is the chapter 13. If the home is in foreclosure, or the creditor is threatening foreclosure, you are obviously behind on your mortgage payments. The chapter 13 will allow you to take the amount which you are behind and stretch it our in a chapter 13 plan.