Filing Joint Bankruptcies in Massachusetts
When filing for bankruptcy protection in Massachusetts, is it necessary to file jointly if you are married? The simple answer is no.
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Famous Bankruptcies: It’s an “Honor”
As a Boston bankruptcy attorney, I represent folks throughout Massachusetts in Chapter 7 bankruptcy. We don’t have many clients who are famous, although all of our clients are important to us. Today’s blog is an outline of a few famous people who have filed for bankruptcy protection. Our point is that if they could do it when the time was necessary, then so can you. Some of these folks squandered their wealth, but I would note that many of these celebrities later became famous after getting a fresh start. Oldies But Goodies
Read MoreCan A Trust Beneficiary File For Homestead In Massachusetts?
In a case decided by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court on February 16, 2012, it was held that a beneficiary of a trust cannot acquire a homestead under the 2004 Massachusetts Homestead Law; you need to be the trustee. We wrote about the new Massachusetts Homestead Law in our March 14 2011 blog. The SJC, in response to a certified question by the US Bankruptcy Court, decided the case.
Read MoreAttorney’s Misrepresentation is not Dischargeable in Massachusetts Bankruptcy
What are dischargeable debts in Massachusetts bankruptcy? In a case recently decided by Federal Bankruptcy Court of Massachusetts, the issue of an attorney’s deliberate misrepresentation was considered non-dischargeable. What happened?
Read MoreCauses of Bankruptcy In Massachusetts
No, this blog article is not going to employ any scientific study of how folks end up in Massachusetts bankruptcy , but perhaps this is a somewhat empirical study of what a Massachusetts bankruptcy lawyer sees, after years of filing personal bankruptcy petitions on behalf of clients in Massachusetts.
Read MoreMassachusetts Bankruptcy Cases Down in 2011
Personal bankruptcies were down in 2011, for the first time in several years, according to preliminary reports. The estimate is that 1.35 million personal bankruptcies were filed in the United States, which was down approximately 12.5% from 2010. As the Boston bankruptcy lawyer reported on January 5, 2011 in our bostonbankrutpcylawyerblog.com bankruptcies were up in 2010 by 9%, with over 1.55 million being filed in 2010. In 2005, the year the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 went into effect, there were over 2 million personal bankruptcies filed.
Read MoreSocial Security Numbers and Massachusetts Bankruptcy
We are often asked how to file bankruptcy in Massachusetts when our clients do not have a social security number. This question comes at the intersection of bankruptcy and immigration law. All bankruptcy petitions have a page in which you are expected to report your social security number. However, the bankruptcy code does not require that page of the standard petition to be completed. Nevertheless, many folks who do not have a social security number are concerned about filing for Massachusetts bankruptcy.
Read MoreMassachusetts Credit and Debit Card News
Questions to a Boston bankruptcy lawyer often center around getting good credit in Massachusetts, which we discuss in the Life After Bankruptcy section of our website. However, there is always news that we can relate, products that we can evaluate, and ideas worth mentioning.
Read MoreMassachusetts Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Update
After practicing bankruptcy in Boston for over 25 years, we often get asked questions about Chapter 13 bankruptcy. We focus mostly on Boston Chapter 7 bankruptcy cases. One important advantage of the Massachusetts Chapter 13 bankruptcy is that it offers you the chance to bring down the amount that you owe to your creditors. When you lower the secured debts that you owe it is called a cram down.
Read MoreMassachusetts Bankruptcy Court Sanctions Attorney
The rules of procedure in Massachusetts bankruptcy court are clear; just as the rules of civil procedure are in state and federal courts: When you file a “complaint” to initiate a civil lawsuit in court, the rules require a “short and plain statement” regarding 1. Jurisdiction, 2. What is the “claim” and 3.What kind of relief is sought.
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