This document discusses the experience of filing for bankruptcy from the perspective of a bankruptcy attorney. The attorney explains that most clients feel embarrassed to seek bankruptcy, but that financial hardships can happen to anyone. The attorney helps clients understand that filing bankruptcy does not make them a bad person and can help eliminate debt and stress. The attorney also dispels common myths, such as bankruptcy permanently ruining credit - the attorney's clients typically rebuild their credit within 3-5 years. The attorney has seen bankruptcy filing relieve stress in clients' lives and in some cases even save their marriages by reducing overwhelming debt.

1. What is filing bankruptcy like for
people with money problems?

2. What is it like to meet with a
bankruptcy attorney to learn if
filing bankruptcy will help
you?

3. People that come in my law office
every day to see if filing bankruptcy
will help them. Most are
embarrassed to be there. They
cannot believe that they would ever end up in my office. I
have to explain that almost everyone that comes in feels
the same way.

4. The sad fact is bad things happen
to good people. You make choices
based on your best guess as to what
will happen in the future.
Unfortunately. none of us has a
crystal ball. (Actually, I do have one
but it has yet to tell me anything
useful about my future.)

5. I tell them that their self image should have nothing to do
with bankruptcy. Filing bankruptcy does not mean you a
bad person, just someone with financial reverses.
The average family is one
paycheck away from being
so far under that they need
to consider filing bankruptcy.

6. Filing bankruptcy, bad credit &
your FICO score

7. People often misunderstand how bankruptcy effects credit.
They think it will not ruin their credit for 10 years.
They tell me that they have a high FICO
score and don’t want to file bankruptcy and
“ruin their credit.” I ask them if anyone
is willing to extend credit to them now.
Inevitably they say “no.” Then I ask what good is a high
FICO score if no one will give you credit?

8. I ask people whether they can make all their ongoing
payments and still cover living
expenses. Again the answer is
inevitably “no.”
I explain that their credit is going
to go down and STAY DOWN if
they do nothing. Things will not get better, only worse.

9. They are going to be harassed to death, sued and abused.
This stress has literally killed
many people.
Filing bankruptcy will remove
The stress they are feeling by
Getting rid of the abuse and some or all of the debts.

10. The actual experience for
people filing bankruptcy.
(It is not what the creditors
want you to think it is.)

11. My client’s typical experience is
they get rid of the debt and
completely rebuild their credit
including their FICO scores within
3-5 years after filing bankruptcy.

12. Even before the bankruptcy process is done, clients are so
happy they often send anyone they know who have money
problems to see me.
I sometimes see tears at the start
of the initial consultation. I see
tears of relief at the end when
they find that there is a solution
and a way back for them. I even get free hugs!

13. I have one client who is Filipino. She brings us trays of
lumpia for me and my staff to eat several times a year. Her
case was completed 3 years ago.
The people who were so scared
When they walked in my door to
Discuss filing bankruptcy are free
of the stress and moving on with
Their lives after the bankruptcy is over.

14. Filing bankruptcy and divorce
Some people who come in are afraid that filing bankruptcy
will lead to their divorce. I often
point out that if filing bankruptcy
is going to lead to a divorce than
not filing bankruptcy and having
all the debts hounding them is
to have the same result.

15. Filing bankruptcy and
divorce. The myth and
the facts.

16. Many people who come in my office are on the edge of a
of a divorce over money problems.
They are arguing and sniping at
each other.
They point their fingers at each
other and play the “blame game.”

17. I hear people say that filing bankruptcy
will cause their spouse to divorce
them. I ask if having all the debts and
the stress from that will save their
marriage if they don’t file bankruptcy?
If the debt is what is going to cause the divorce, filing
bankruptcy may be the only tool that could actually save
the marriage.

18. Sadly, some marriages are just too broken by the time they
walk in my door to save.
However, it is truly astounding how many marriages are
saved because of filing bankruptcy that would have
otherwise ended in divorce.

19. Once they are no longer overwhelmed, couples
of often can deal with and resolve the rest of the
other problems. There is a
saying “you cannot eat an
elephant all at once. You eat
the elephant one bite at a time.”

20. There is a saying “knowledge is power.”
Isn’t it time for you to get your power back?

21. I’m Gary Fraley. I am a Sacramento Bankruptcy Attorney
with over 35 years experience helping people just like you.
I am a California State Bar Certified
Bankruptcy Law Specialist. I have a perfect
10.0 rating by the Avvo.com rating service.
Call me now at (916) 485-5444 and
schedule your free attorney consultation to
see if filing bankruptcy could help you.