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.
The Patriots don’t play the Philadelphia Eagles until Thanksgiving Sunday —November 27. The question is not who will win. We here in Massachusetts know the New England Patriots will be ready for them come Week 12. The question, for those of us who follow Massachusetts bankruptcy law, is how can Philadelphia quarterback
Read MoreA Boston bankruptcy lawyer will not ask you your age when offering advice for a Massachusetts bankruptcy. It’s irrelevant. So long as you are of legal age and your income and assets qualify under the “new” 2005 bankruptcy law, we can file a bankruptcy petition and schedules for you. However, it is concerning that the rate of personal bankruptcy filings are up for senior citizens. Our Boston Bankruptcy Lawyer Blog at http://www.bostonbankruptcylawyerblog.com/ set out to see what the research is showing.
Read MoreThe largest municipal bankruptcy is happening just outside of Massachusetts. Central Falls, Rhode Island, a city of 18,000, filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection in Federal Bankruptcy Court. The filing was in the Massachusetts Bankruptcy Court, in Boston. The alleged culprit is the city’s pension plan: they promised much to city retirees and made no plan to pay for it. The city’s annual budget is just over $16 million, and the deficit is over $5 million.
Read MoreDown the street from the Boston Bankruptcy Court is the giant Borders Books bookstore at the historical intersection of Washington Street and School Street. This is two blocks from our Boston bankruptcy law office. Borders Group, filed for bankruptcy protection in New York, and will be liquidated shortly. However, there is a large effect for consumers here in Boston. A Boston bankruptcy lawyer‘s perspective:
Read MorePresident Obama is expected to reject interim director and Harvard Law professor Elizabeth Warren and appoint Richard Cordray, former Ohio attorney general, to be the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, according to reports learned by Boston bankruptcy lawyer Neil Burns. The CFPB officially opens July 21.
Read MoreBoston bankruptcy lawyer Neil Burns reports good news: the rate of personal bankruptcies was lower in the first half of 2011 than the first half of the prior year. According to the American Bankruptcy Institute statistics, personal bankruptcies were down about 8% for the first half of the year. The numbers are as follows: there were 709,303 personal bankruptcies filed between January 1 and June 30; this is down from 770,117 filed the previous year.
Read MoreBoston bankruptcy clients have been asking us about applying for credit cards under the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 (Credit Card Act of 2009). One “new” aspect of The Card Act, which goes into effect in October, 2011, is regulation regarding consumers who don’t have their own income. In fact, a new ruling by the Federal Reserve forbids banks and credit card issuers from issuing credit cards to folks by using “household” rather than personal, income. Household income is too vague, they say. This may adversely affect clients who have filed for a Massachusetts bankruptcy in that it will make it harder to get credit after the bankruptcy discharge. (See our Life After Bankruptcy article for more detailed information.)
Read MorePatricia Kluge, 62, filed for chapter 7 bankruptcy this month. She went from simple beginnings in Bagdad, Iraq, to a billion dollar divorce settlement from the richest man in America, and now to a no asset bankruptcy in Virginia. Presently married to William Moses, the couple filed for joint bankruptcy protection. Their bankruptcy petition and schedules indicate that they have $50 million in debt.
Read MoreIn Massachusetts, marriage between gay men or women is legal. But it’s a state law. There is a contradictory federal law. The Defense of Marriage Act was enacted into law in 1966 and signed into law by President Bill Clinton. It says that the federal government does not acknowledge same sex marriage, notwithstanding what the various state laws say.
Read MoreThe Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act commonly known as RESPA, and passed into law in 1974, was designed to protect mortgage consumers, i.e. homebuyers and sellers, in the transactions of real estate. Our Boston bankruptcy clients frequently ask about how the foreclosures on their Boston homes could, or should, proceed. Sometimes they report that the foreclosures are being transacted improperly. In two noteworthy cases, one in Florida and one in Pennsylvania, consumers effectively “foreclosed” on their banks, using RESPA rules.
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