Debt is a legal problem.
Bankruptcy is its legal solution.

Not necessarily — and for many people, bankruptcy is the tool that saves their home. In Chapter 7, if you are current on your mortgage and the equity is within Ohio's homestead exemption ($161,375), your home is protected. In Chapter 13, you can cure mortgage arrears through the repayment plan and stop a foreclosure in progress. The right chapter depends on your specific situation, which we will review with you at no charge.

Ohio's vehicle exemption protects up to $4,450 in equity. If your car is worth less than the loan (which is common), there is no equity and nothing to protect — the loan remains. In Chapter 7 you can reaffirm the loan and keep making payments. In Chapter 13, you can cure arrears through the plan and, in some cases, reduce the principal to the car's current value. We will analyse your specific vehicle situation at the consultation.

Rarely, and we want to be honest with you about this. Federal student loans are dischargeable only if you can prove "undue hardship" under a legal standard that courts apply strictly. Disability, permanent inability to work, or decades of poverty-level income may qualify — but most borrowers do not meet the bar as courts have historically defined it. Private student loans can sometimes be discharged more readily. We will review your specific loan situation and give you an honest assessment. If bankruptcy is not the answer for student debt, we will say so — and we will discuss income-driven repayment and forgiveness programs instead.

A Chapter 7 filing stays on your credit report for 10 years from the filing date. A Chapter 13 filing stays for 7 years. But your credit score is a live calculation — it responds to what you do after discharge. Many of our clients see meaningful improvement within 12 to 18 months by using a secured credit card responsibly, paying utilities on time, and keeping new debt minimal. We provide a written credit-rebuilding guide with every discharge.

The means test determines whether you qualify for Chapter 7. It compares your average monthly income over the past 6 months to the Ohio median income for a household your size. If you are below the median, you automatically qualify. If you are above it, a second part of the test looks at your allowable expenses and disposable income. Many people who worry they "make too much" still qualify after allowable deductions are applied. We run this analysis at your consultation — for free — so you know before we file.

Several categories of debt are not dischargeable: child support and alimony, most federal student loans (see above), income taxes less than 3 years old, debts from fraud or intentional wrongdoing, criminal fines and restitution, and debts from driving under the influence causing injury. The overwhelming majority of consumer debt — credit cards, medical bills, personal loans, utility balances, most older tax debt — can be discharged. We will review every debt in your situation and tell you exactly what can and cannot be eliminated.

No. Federal law, specifically 11 U.S.C. § 525, prohibits government employers from terminating or discriminating against an employee solely because they filed for bankruptcy. Private employers are prohibited from terminating an existing employee for a bankruptcy filing. However, a private employer may take a bankruptcy into account in a hiring decision. You cannot be fired by your current employer for filing.

Yes, with time limits between filings. After a Chapter 7 discharge, you must wait 8 years before filing another Chapter 7. After a Chapter 13 discharge, you can file Chapter 7 after 6 years (with some exceptions) or another Chapter 13 after 2 years. If a prior case was dismissed rather than discharged, different rules apply. We will determine exactly what you are eligible for based on your history.