Attorney Richard S. Ravosa of the Mass. Debt Relief Foundation won the distinguished Paul H. Chapman award for founding and implementing the program, which helps low income Massachusetts residents who have suffered catastrophic financial setbacks get out of debt and obtain a fresh financial start. The Paul H. Chapman award is given to only five recipients a year from a…
October 25-31 is National Pro Bono week. All of us at the Mass. Debt Relief Foundation are proud to be a part of the pro bono community. In celebration of pro bono week, we’re going to begin recognizing the superheroes we are fortunate to help every day. In a series of bi-monthly blog posts we’ll share stories of clients who bravely…
If you have a loan on your vehicle, generally you will get to keep it, provided you continue to pay the lender just like you did before you filed bankruptcy. If you miss payments on your car, the lender can repossess your vehicle, but they usually need to obtain permission from the Bankruptcy Judge before doing this. Loans on cars…
If you’re considering bankruptcy, it is very likely you have received correspondence and phone calls from creditors. Creditor calls and never-ending threatening letters in the mail make your debt always on your mind. A recent study reported by Global Citizen in the article “This is Your Brain on Poverty: 5 Facts,” shows how constantly being reminded, let alone harassed, of your…
Dealing with insurmountable debt and making the decision to file bankruptcy can be a deeply personal and overwhelming experience. However you choose to address your debt, whether through consolidation, settlement or bankruptcy, the process is usually full of anxiety and eventually, great relief. And it’s an experience that individuals often hide from others. The perceived stigma that when you fall into…
A lot of clients ask us if they will have to go before a Judge after they file bankruptcy, but in nearly all cases you will never see the inside of a courtroom. Instead, when you file bankruptcy you have to attend the “meeting of creditors,” also called a “341 meeting” after the section of the law that requires it. This…
In the old days when much of the wealth in society was under the control of kings, nobles and robber baron businessmen, the majority of charitable work was done by religious groups. That all changed when steel magnate Andrew Carnegie who spent the first half of his life accumulating a vast fortune, and spent the second half of his life…
Yesterday the New York Times reported that Bank of America and JP Morgan Chase have agreed to fix credit reports so debts discharged in bankruptcy are accurately reported as included in bankruptcy. The article states that “this move is a victory for borrowers whose credit reports have been marred as a result of the reported debts, imperiling their job prospects and torpedoing…
Filing bankruptcy can be a very daunting decision, but it is also a life-changing, positive tool that provides a true fresh start. After filing the collection agencies stop calling, there are no more court judgments or hearings to collect debts, wage garnishments must stop, and there is immediate relief from the constant stress and anxiety. For low income individuals, bankruptcy relief…
Most of the tasks that you will have to do as a client are at the beginning of your case. The bankruptcy process is “frontloaded,” meaning that most, if not all of the information that will be asked of you, must be provided to your lawyer before your case is filed. When you file bankruptcy you are required to submit…