Blog
Our Firm by the Numbers
Our firm doesn’t go out of its way to pick a particular kind of client. If an individual or business in the Cary or Raleigh area has unmanageable debt problems, we can help. Whether that help comes in the form of…
You're the Debt-Settlement Company You've Been Waiting for
Deceptive debt-management companies were in the news again recently. This time in North Carolina Lawyer’s Weekly, where correspondent Sabine Vollmer described an intramural scuffle between state regulators and naughty attorneys who lend their names to out-of-state debt settlement companies. The…
The Limits of "Don't Pay Another Dime"
It’s pretty common advice for us to give our clients, “once you’ve decided to file a bankruptcy case, don’t incur any more debt and don’t pay on any more debt.” In other words, don’t throw good money after bad. The…
Credit Availability After Bankruptcy (Part 1)
We stare at a lot of pre-bankruptcy credit reports. We love ‘em: they tell us who our clients owe, who they used to owe, what their old addresses were, and what their maiden name used to be. We love credit…
When Cash Is Collateral, and When It Matters
You’ve just finished an expensive meal and reach for your wallet to pay, only to discover that you’ve left it six blocks away in your car. You run to get your wallet, but first you leave your wrist watch with…
When Judgment Liens Stick...and When They Don't
There are two kinds of creditors – those whose loans are built on sand and those whose loans are built on rock. We usually call these “secured” or “unsecured” creditors, but sometimes it’s helpful to think of them in more…
Why Motivation Matters...
Bankruptcy jurisprudence is prejudiced in favor of the entrepreneur. And while the particular terminology of “consumer” or “non-consumer” debt is relatively recent, the idea that business owners should receive an extra dose of judicial mercy stretches back to the colonial…
Why Your Ex's Bankruptcy May Be A Good Thing
Patricia Kluge has assets that she values at $2.6 million dollars. We know this because she filed bankruptcy last week. We also know that she has debts of $47.5 million, which certainly puts the grey velvet chaise lounge and engraved…
Assets on the Edge
The law allows all debtors to keep a bare minimum of property. Not all property is treated with the same degree of deference and not all states have the same opinion about what that “bare minimum” should be, but North…
File, Fight, or Flight?
It’s not uncommon for potential clients to come to our office with a civil summons in their hands. They have been served with a lawsuit. Most of the time these lawsuits are in the form of a creditor that has…
