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We have been practicing law in Boston and throughout Massachusetts since 1985. I have represented clients in District Courts, Superior Courts, the Appeals Court, Housing Court, Probate Courts, Federal Bankruptcy Court and the Federal District Court.

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Bankruptcies Down in Massachusetts

Massachusetts bankruptcy filings fell in October 2011, which was the fourth straight month that we saw a decline in bankruptcies throughout the country. It is not clear if this was because folks have better control of their credit or because the next big wave, with respect to foreclosures, has yet to hit. It is also possible that lenders are not lending as much so folks are not credit restricted. The American Bankruptcy Institute reports a 19.6% decrease in personal bankruptcy filings in October 2011, from the October 2010 filings. Further, total consumer debt fell in the past two years. We have reported the decrease in Massachusetts bankruptcies in numerous blog posts. The news continues to be good!

Low Cost Boston Bankruptcy Lawyer

The costs and attorney fees for filing for bankruptcy in Massachusetts has increased, of necessity, since the Bankruptcy Abuse and Protection Act of 2005. We try to be the Boston low cost bankruptcy lawyer because our clients demand top quality effective legal representation at a fair and reduced cost.

Halloween Is Not Time To Be Scared Of Credit Scores

Credit scores are important to Massachusetts legal consumers. Why? They have an effect on your ability to get good interest rates on vehicle loans, personal loans and home mortgages. They can even have an effect on getting hired for a job. However, in a recent Visa credit card study, a large percentage of those surveyed believed that age, race, language and gender factored into someone’s credit score. None of those attributes are a factor in determining credit score. Nor do address, assets, or employment history factor in to one’s credit score. Another misunderstood factor is when creditors take a credit counseling class.

Massachusetts Bankruptcy and Foreclosure News

Boston bankruptcy lawyers are often contacted to file Massachusetts bankruptcy to stop a foreclosure. Sometimes they need to file bankruptcy so that they can discharge their consumer debt, giving them the funds available to avoid foreclosure. Sometimes, our clients buy property at foreclosure sales. Today’s blog entry on http://www.bostonbankruptcylawyerblog.com/ is concerning buying foreclosed property.

Social Security and Massachusetts Bankruptcy

The good news is that the Social Security Administration has announced that next year, for the first time since 2009, there will be a cost of living adjustment in Social Security benefits in the amount of 3.6%. As a Massachusetts bankruptcy lawyer, I often get asked: can the Massachusetts Bankruptcy Trustee take my Social Security Check? Does Social Security get factored into the Means Test in Massachusetts?

Massachusetts Homestead Law to Expand?

Not likely. However, in a ruling last month by the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, a decision came down that may affect how homestead law evolves. The ruling expanded the notion of what is exempt under the homestead law to include personal property. How will Massachusetts bankruptcy law be impacted? What are Boston bankruptcy lawyers advising about the Massachusetts Homestead Act? This is what we explore in our blog http://www.bostonbankruptcylawyerblog.com/ today.

Massachusetts Bankruptcy Lawyer Updates on CFPB

We have provided numerous updates about the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau since its establishment as a part of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010. The Act, usually referred to simply as Dodd-Frank, after the congressmen who were responsible for the law, has been a hot topic as of late. There have been many questions, perhaps generated by the Bank of America’s decision to add $5 per month fees to all who use the ATM cash machines. From the perspective of a Massachusetts bankruptcy lawyer and a Massachusetts consumer lawyer, we see the Dodd-Frank Act as a positive step in bringing these consumer banking questions to light.

How Does Massachusetts Bankruptcy Affect Your Credit Rating?

After 25 years of representing individuals in Massachusetts bankruptcy, clients often ask how filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in Massachusetts will affect their credit rating. What happens after the Boston Bankruptcy Court issues a Massachusetts bankruptcy discharge? How long will the words Massachusetts bankruptcy stay on your credit report? How long will a Massachusetts foreclosure stay on your credit report? Call Boston bankruptcy attorney Neil Burns for answers to your personal questions, or read on.

Intentional and Fraudulently Undervaluing Assets in Bankruptcy

In a case handed down by the First Circuit Court of Appeals earlier this month, the Court stated that a bankruptcy debtor who was denied a discharge was valid because the debtor “intentionally and fraudulently omitted” and undervalued assets from his Massachusetts bankruptcy petition. The case, called In Re: Sullivan, Brian J., and published by Judge Votolato, was appealed from a decision by Bankruptcy Judge Feeney.

Boston Bankruptcy Not Just For Poor, Uneducated, Or Those Who Lost Jobs

As a Boston bankruptcy lawyer who writes a bankruptcy blog, http://www.bostonbankruptcylawyerblog.com, to keep our Massachusetts bankruptcy clients appraised of the news and trends in bankruptcy law, we have come upon a fascinating new study we like to report on. The extensive research report looked at the changes in the demographics of personal bankruptcy filers since 2005 in the attempt to answer the following question: What does the person who filed for bankruptcy this year look like in comparison with those five years ago? The report was a topic of a blog post by bankruptcy attorney Richard Olson, of Perkins Olson, who practices commercial law in Portland, Maine.