How You Can File Personal Bankruptcy

When you file for bankruptcy, you might be left wondering what is left for you to do now. With your credit badly injured, you will soon realize that your options are very limited. Yet, hope is not all lost, and there are ways you can still live a comfortable life, even if you have filed for bankruptcy.

If you have had to file for bankruptcy, you should assess the reasons why to make sure that you do not end up in that situation again. For example, if it was for paying too many bills late, you can set up automatic payments so you will not have that problem in the future.

After your bankruptcy is finalized, you should begin re-building your credit by, obtaining copies of your credit reports. Your reports may show that you filed for bankruptcy, but it can take a lot of time for the credit bureaus to remove the original debt from your credit history. Check your reports over thoroughly, if there is debt showing that was discharged in a bankruptcy, you can contact the credit bureaus online, or in writing and request that the information be deleted.

Know what debts can be forgiven. You may hear that you have to pay a certain debt, and that it cannot be discharged, but that information will usually be coming from a bill collector. Student loans and child support and a few other debts cannot be discharged, but most others can.

Before you decide to file for bankruptcy, be sure to obtain a free consultation with a bankruptcy attorney. Depending on where you live, you have the right to speak to an attorney before filing. Any good attorney will offer a first appointment free. This is an important consultation, as you will need the answers to many questions. These may include: attorney fees, what type of bankruptcy to file, and what types of information, paperwork you will need to provide. Most importantly, an attorney will be able to determine if filing for bankruptcy is the right decision for you.

Before you consider filing for bankruptcy, you should make a pre-determination if bankruptcy may be the right choice. First, make a list of all income, including, salary, child support, alimony, rent and any other sources you may have. Then, make a list of your bills. These would include mortgage, rent, car payments, monthly credit card payments, groceries and gas. If your monthly bill total is more than the income you bring in, it may be time to seek the advice of a bankruptcy attorney, who can help you make the final decision.

Meet with a few attorneys who offer free consultations before hiring one. Just be sure that the person you speak with really is the lawyer, rather than a paralegal, since they cannot legally give advice. Comparing different lawyers makes it possible to find one with whom you work well.

With all of the advice you got from this article, you should start feeling optimistic about the future. Bankruptcy might have deterred you from your normal path in life, but remember that you can reclaim your focus and still live comfortably. Use the information you got today about bankruptcy and plan out your future.