Our comments here ONLY apply to Florida residents as the laws governing bankruptcy vary greatly from one state to the next. We have been working with thousands of people in bankruptcy cases in Broward, Palm Beach and St Lucie county in Florida. We are able to find fast and effective solutions for people facing crushing financial burdens in Florida. We don't know anything about bankruptcy outside of the state of Florida. We can help especially if you are looking for Palm Beach Bankruptcy Attorneys.

People come to us asking about the Florida Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy options and how they differ. What we do is we look at your financial situation; that is your income and your debts and we will recommend the best option for you.

Bankruptcy isn't something to be embarrassed about. We all know how costly medical insurance is these days and often a lack of coverage can result in devastating financial burdens. In fact, 1 in 5 Florida bankruptcy cases is the result of unexpected medical emergencies. There are also a tremendous number of people losing their jobs due to general problems in the economy. Many people these days are living from paycheck to paycheck so when one person in the family has a job loss there is no way to get caught up again.

Many years ago some states had debtors prisons. If someone couldn't pay their bills they would have been sent to a debtors prison. The obvious problem is that once you are in prison it is impossible to pay your bills. So the states realized that debtors prisons just aren't logical.

The laws relating to bankruptcy are designed to protect not to punish people. It surprises us as Palm Beach bankruptcy attorneys when people tell us that they don't think they would qualify for bankruptcy. The only real question relates to which form of bankruptcy will provide the relief you need.

WHAT IS CHAPTER 13?
Chapter 13 was setup for people who are employed or have some other source of income. Many people prefer Chapter 13 over chapter 7 because it allows them to keep their property. A plan to repay creditors over time will be developed and generally over 3 to 5 years the debts must be paid off. In the courthouse we will represent you so that you don't need to be there.  A judge will either approve or disapprove of the repayment plan. A big difference between Chapter 13 and Chapter 7 is that with Chapter 13 the person involved will normally able to keep their property and simply makes payments to creditors. In Chapter 7 the person in debt will receive an immediate discharge of debts. The Chapter 13 debtor must complete the payments according to the plan that was approved by the court before a discharge of debt will be received. The debtor is protected from lawsuits, garnishments, and other creditor action during the time that the plan is in effect. The discharge also eliminates more debts under chapter 13 than the discharge under chapter 7 would.

WHAT IS CHAPTER 7?
Filing Chapter 7 bankruptcy allows you to obtain a discharge of debts. This discharge will eliminate credit card bills, lawsuit judgments, payday loans and hospital bills. At the Cohen Law Firm Palm Beach, Florida office, our lawyers never charge a fee for the initial consultation. We want you to understand how Chapter 7 bankruptcy works and to see how we might best help you.

Under the new bankruptcy laws, there is a financial means test used to see if you might qualify for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. If your current monthly income is too high you may not be able to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection. However, even if your income is above the Florida minimum set by the state, you may still be able to file after expenses such as car payments and retirement plan contributions are deducted from your income. Our lawyers have helped many people file Chapter 7 bankruptcy after other attorneys told them that they did not qualify due to the states income requirements.

In the video below a West Palm Beach TV station interviews Florida Bankruptcy attorney Brian Cohen.

In the videos below you can hear a Florida bankruptcy attorney answer questions about bankruptcy.  Many people have a lot of incorrect information so it is worth asking an expert to share his knowledge on this subject.  These are the frequently asked questions that he hears in his law offices in these locations:

Coral Springs
Hollywood
Fort Lauderdale
Boca Raton

West Palm Beach
Stuart/Palm City
Port St. Lucie
Vero Beach