Medical Bills, Credit Cards, Student Loans, Taxes, Business Debts, Second Mortgages, and more – We can help.
Mark Burnette started his legal career in 1992 in the bankruptcy department of a large law firm that represented “creditors” – banks, finance companies, etc. This experience makes us better lawyers for the other side, individuals and small businesses, who are known in the bankruptcy world as “debtors.”
We know that almost everyone is reluctant to file bankruptcy, and people usually wait too long before finally pulling the trigger in the hope that things will get better. Many people beat themselves up about it, and blame others, for years before taking the step of consulting a lawyer. However, in all of our experience, we seldom see a case that involves extravagant spending on frivolous things. Most people are financially devastated by medical bills, student loans, trying to care for family members, or businesses gone bad.
The stress of financial problems can take a tremendous toll on a person. It affects your health and the manner in which you treat people around you – often people who care the most about you. If you are having serious financial problems to the point of being unable to eat or sleep, worrying constantly about money, snapping at your spouse, children or others, etc., you owe it to yourself and your family to consult with an experienced bankruptcy attorney. If we think there is another solution for you, we will most likely recommend it because bankruptcy is not a good thing. However, our experience is that out of the large number of bankruptcy cases we have filed, our clients experience tremendous relief and have no regrets.
Many lawyers claim to be bankruptcy lawyers, but most restrict their practice to Chapter 7 and 13 consumer cases. We, on the other hand, are capable of handling most bankruptcies from the simple Chapter 7 consumer liquidation to the Chapter 11 reorganization of a small to medium-sized business. With individual cases, we believe that although there used to be good reasons to file under Chapter 13, it is almost never a good idea now. Many lawyers have no qualms about putting their clients into Chapter 13 cases because the legal fees for such cases are routinely $3,500 – $7,000 depending on jurisdiction. We almost never file Chapter 13s, even though we could make much more money doing so.
You only live once, and fortunately, there is a reset button if life. Our goal is to eliminate as much of your debt as possible while allowing you to keep any property you want to keep, including your businesses. We also strive to get your case resolved as quickly as possible, and we can usually get you completely through the process within 4-5 months from your first meeting with us. That’s called a “fresh start,” and we achieve it more often than not.
