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Florida Bankruptcy Questions & Answers
2 Answers | Asked in Bankruptcy and Immigration Law for Florida on
Q: How would a bankruptcy affect a VAWA application?

I am about to file for a VAWA green card but credit card companies are now coming after me since my husband stopped paying any of my bills early last year. If I file for bankruptcy how will that affect my VAWA application considering that I have been financially abused in my marriage.

James L. Arrasmith
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answered on Jan 9, 2024

Filing for bankruptcy should not directly impact your application for a green card under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). VAWA applications are primarily evaluated based on evidence of abuse and the applicant's relationship to a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident.... View More

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2 Answers | Asked in Bankruptcy and Immigration Law for Florida on
Q: How would a bankruptcy affect a VAWA application?

I am about to file for a VAWA green card but credit card companies are now coming after me since my husband stopped paying any of my bills early last year. If I file for bankruptcy how will that affect my VAWA application considering that I have been financially abused in my marriage.

Syed Ali Hussain Lahooti
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answered on Jan 11, 2024

Filing for bankruptcy shouldn't automatically throw a wrench into your VAWA petition. They're kind of like two separate lanes with different reasons and processes. That being said, USCIS might still take a peek into your moral character evaluation. Being upfront about it is key. It's... View More

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3 Answers | Asked in Bankruptcy for Florida on
Q: If I file for bankruptcy , Chapter 7, would I lose my house and furnishings, items? Thank you.

I am not behind on my mortgage payments.

James L. Arrasmith
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answered on Jan 12, 2024

Filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy involves a complex assessment of your assets, including your house and personal items. The impact on your house and belongings depends on various factors, including the equity in your home and the exemptions you can claim.

If you are current on your mortgage...
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3 Answers | Asked in Bankruptcy for Florida on
Q: If I file for bankruptcy , Chapter 7, would I lose my house and furnishings, items? Thank you.

I am not behind on my mortgage payments.

W. J. Winterstein Jr.
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W. J. Winterstein Jr.
answered on Jan 8, 2024

Florida, like Texas, is known nationally for its generous exemptions from attachment by creditors both in and out of bankruptcy.

In most states, state law exemptions may be claimed in a bankruptcy case, but you need to confirm that with an experienced FL bankruptcy attorney.

There...
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2 Answers | Asked in Bankruptcy for Florida on
Q: Collection agency reporting debts as active after being discharged in chapter 7.

We filed chapter 7 earlier this year in Florida, we were granted discharge on June 28th. Since that time there is a collection agency in Wisconsin still reporting 9 medical accounts as active collections even though both their agency and all 9 of these debts were included in our original filing.... View More

Martha Warriner Jarrett
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answered on Nov 14, 2023

You should consult an attorney in your area. Based on what you've said, the collection agency (and perhaps Transunion) is in violation of the law and can be sued in the bankruptcy court for damages, particularly if the collection agency is taking any action against you to collect on the debt.... View More

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2 Answers | Asked in Bankruptcy for Florida on
Q: Collection agency reporting debts as active after being discharged in chapter 7.

We filed chapter 7 earlier this year in Florida, we were granted discharge on June 28th. Since that time there is a collection agency in Wisconsin still reporting 9 medical accounts as active collections even though both their agency and all 9 of these debts were included in our original filing.... View More

James L. Arrasmith
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answered on Nov 15, 2023

If a collection agency is reporting debts as active even after they were discharged in a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, you have several options.

Firstly, gather all relevant documentation, including your bankruptcy discharge papers and any correspondence with the credit bureaus or the collection...
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3 Answers | Asked in Bankruptcy for Florida on
Q: My wages were garnished and I can't afford it. I am not sure what to do.
Terrence H Thorgaard
Terrence H Thorgaard
answered on Dec 16, 2024

You should receive a notice of the garnishment, together with a form by which you can claim that or if your wages are exempt for a number of reasons (set out in the form). Fill it out, sign it, and file it with the court within 20 days of receipt. The court will set a hearing at which you can... View More

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1 Answer | Asked in Bankruptcy and Divorce for Florida on
Q: Is my ex wife liable for repayment of money spent from a settlement that was part of a bankruptcy estate?

In 2023 we received 17k for damages from a back wages settlement. This settlement went towards a credit card and a car loan while we were married, both of which she assumed responsibility for in the divorce settlement Oct 2024. The settlement was from a case originated in 2016. We declared chapter... View More

James L. Arrasmith
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answered on Nov 23, 2024

This is a complex situation that intertwines bankruptcy, divorce, and settlement funds. The key issue here is that the settlement from 2016 should have been disclosed during your 2020 bankruptcy proceedings, making those funds part of the bankruptcy estate - even though you received them later in... View More

3 Answers | Asked in Bankruptcy, Family Law and Child Support for Florida on
Q: Filing for bankruptcy. Does it matter if you do that before or after child support is in place?
Martha Warriner Jarrett
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answered on Oct 28, 2024

Probably not but check with your family law lawyer and a local bankruptcy attorney. Most offer free consultations.

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1 Answer | Asked in Bankruptcy for Florida on
Q: We are no longer able to fulfill our obligations under the Chapter 11 reorganization and need to shut down our business.

What are the appropriate steps? Can I do this without hiring a lawyer, as I cannot pay?

James L. Arrasmith
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answered on Oct 9, 2024

I'm sorry you're facing this situation. To begin shutting down your business under Chapter 11, you should first file a motion with the bankruptcy court to convert your case to a liquidation, typically Chapter 7. This involves submitting the necessary paperwork and providing detailed... View More

3 Answers | Asked in Consumer Law, Small Claims and Bankruptcy for Florida on
Q: Am I required by Law to submit my payroll information for this credit card?

Hello, I have a credit card that I was not able to pay because I got sick. I did a virtual meeting recently with the judge and the creditor to make an agreement. I got sick again and I cant afford to make the $75 monthly payments. I received a letter from the court saying that I have to submit my... View More

Terrence H Thorgaard
Terrence H Thorgaard
answered on Oct 9, 2024

It looks like the plaintiff got a judgment because you failed to make the agreed payments. So yes, you are required to respond to the questionnaire (fact information sheet).

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1 Answer | Asked in Bankruptcy for Florida on
Q: Can a ch13 case be amended to include something that occurred after the filing?

I filed ch 13 Sept 2023; signed a new lease with a co-tenant in April 2024; Due to irreconcilable differences I was forced to leave the residence 3weeks ago. Now the co-tenant is leaving the residence and refusing to pay any of the lease obligation. I cannot afford this residence on my own. Can my... View More

James L. Arrasmith
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answered on Aug 27, 2024

You can request to amend your Chapter 13 bankruptcy plan to include new debts or changes in circumstances, such as the lease obligation you’ve described. The court understands that life changes can occur during a Chapter 13 repayment plan, and it may allow modifications to address these new... View More

2 Answers | Asked in Bankruptcy for Florida on
Q: I am the debtor and I need representation in order to file a motion to dismiss in a chapter 7 due to legal errors made.
Timothy Denison
Timothy Denison
answered on Sep 16, 2024

Check with your local bar association or legal aid society. The maintain a list of free and reduced fee lawyers who may be able to help you.

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1 Answer | Asked in Bankruptcy for Florida on
Q: i need to dicharge a 180,000 judegment against my license

i want to file chapter 7 because I cannot afford to pay 1000 down and 300 a monthfor this judgement that happened after I sold a vehicle. I was not the driver and the person who bought the car never turned the car into their name. plus I have a few other things I would like to remove as I am not... View More

James L. Arrasmith
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answered on Aug 15, 2024

It sounds like you're in a challenging situation with the $180,000 judgment and other debts you cannot pay. Filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy could be a viable option to discharge this judgment and your other debts, especially if your income and assets are limited. However, you need to consider... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Bankruptcy and Legal Malpractice for Florida on
Q: Is it normal for my bankruptcy attorney to not research questions I have? All I keep getting is "I don't know

When I ask that he find out, he never follows up and gets the question asked with the trustee.

James L. Arrasmith
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answered on Jul 18, 2024

It isn't typical for your bankruptcy attorney to avoid researching your questions. A competent attorney should address your concerns and provide clear answers. If they don't have the information immediately, they should follow up and find out for you.

Good communication is...
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3 Answers | Asked in Bankruptcy, Consumer Law and Estate Planning for Florida on
Q: Will creating a trust for protection of personal assets also protect the beneficiary from a bad credit history?

As one slowly recovers from hard economic times (including the filing of a CH7 bankruptcy), which was discharged in 2019, one's personal credit history often takes much longer to recover. Things stay on their credit record long after the person has been declared "debt free,"... View More

Nina Whitehurst
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answered on Oct 30, 2023

There is such a thing as a self-settled spendthrift or asset protection trust, but many states do not allow them. Also, typically the settlor (you) cannot also serve as trustee of the trust. In other words, you would not have signature authority over the assets that you put in the trust. And,... View More

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4 Answers | Asked in Bankruptcy and Real Estate Law for Florida on
Q: A home mortgage was discharged under a previous bankruptcy. Is a mortgage still discharged after a refinance?

The home is on my name alone. I refinanced later. The new note has my wife and me as borrower, and owners!? can she file bankruptcy without loosing home in Florida?

Martha Warriner Jarrett
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answered on Oct 25, 2023

When you refinanced the home, the new loan replaced the old one (probably paid it off), so the discharged amount is gone forever. If you and your wife are both borrowers on the new loan, and you are both on title as owners, then the same rules will apply to the new loan if she files bankruptcy. She... View More

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3 Answers | Asked in Bankruptcy for Florida on
Q: I have a straightforward chapter 7 bankruptcy case that I want to file. The one complicated thing is that my mothers pen

My mothers pension check is auto deposited into my checking account and I use that to pay her assisted living home and her prescriptions store. I don’t know if I need to put that as income because it’s in my account or if i Can leave it off the financials.

W. J. Winterstein Jr.
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W. J. Winterstein Jr.
answered on Oct 13, 2023

When you file for bankruptcy relief, you must answer all the questions in the several Official Forms, *under penalty of perjury*.

As it lies, you have a doable debt/asset issue; BUT, if you "leave it off", you will be committing perjury, probably several counts thereof, and...
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1 Answer | Asked in Bankruptcy for Florida on
Q: Husband filed bankruptcy and included our home mortgage in it. I was awarded house. What can he do to remove it

Husband filed bankruptcy right before our divorce and included our home mortgage in it. I was awarded house in divorce. He has to remove the home mortgage from his bankruptcy so I can refinance the home in my name. U.S. Bankruptcy court processed it for release. Mortgage company still says it... View More

Timothy Denison
Timothy Denison
answered on Oct 4, 2023

If the bankruptcy court has ordered the release and abandoned any interest in it, you should be able to present that paperwork to the mortgage company. If they won’t accept it, you need to find a new mortgage company.

1 Answer | Asked in Bankruptcy and Consumer Law for Florida on
Q: What are considered the key advantages and disadvantages of filing for Chapter 7 & 13 bankruptcy in the State of Florida
T. Augustus Claus
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answered on Oct 3, 2023

Chapter 7 advantages:

Most unsecured debts can be fully discharged.

The process is quicker than Chapter 13, often completed within months.

There's no requirement to repay debts.

Chapter 7 disadvantages:

You may have to liquidate certain assets to repay...
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