Bankruptcy Lawyer: Know the Alternatives to Going Bankrupt

Jul 15
08:33

2011

Abraham Avotina

Abraham Avotina

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Prior to visiting a bankruptcy lawyer, you should find out all your options. Get to know the pros and cons of negotiating your debts and using a debt consolidation company instead of declaring bankruptcy.

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Before you go to a bankruptcy lawyer,Bankruptcy Lawyer: Know the Alternatives to Going Bankrupt Articles you should know that there are some alternative methods of getting out of debt. Of course, the other methods cannot always get rid of debt as quickly or as successfully, but they might have less of an impact on your credit score. Consider some of the best ways to avoid going bankrupt.

If you only have a few outstanding bills, you can contact the companies you owe money and try to compromise. In many cases, they would rather get a portion of the money now rather than all of the money in a few years. They would prefer either option to you going bankrupt, since most unsecured debts are wiped out completely during that process. Therefore, if you have some medical bills or old credit card balances that you are thinking about getting rid of after talking to a bankruptcy lawyer, you should first try contacting the creditors. Negotiate a little by asking that they lower the bill so you can pay cash now and have the debt wiped out. If they are not willing to go for this plan, ask if you can make payments on the bill so that you do not get any more late fees or interest added. This can prevent your credit score from dropping.

You can also use a debt consolidation company to put all your debts into one large bill. This is helpful if several smaller bills overwhelm you every month, as this allows you to add them all up into one check, which you then send to the debt management company monthly. As a bonus, many such companies can negotiate your balances down for you, allowing you to pay a small portion of each bill, or at least get a lower interest rate. In fact, such companies usually make money by negotiating your bills, as they get a percentage of the cash they save you. Therefore, they have an incentive to help lower your costs.

You should know that there are a few disadvantages to these options. First, your creditors can turn you down when it comes to negotiation, especially if they think they can get more from you if you declare chapter 13 since you might have to pay them back. They might also know that they cannot be included in bankruptcies, such as student loans, so they have no chance of losing the money once you file. If you choose to use a debt management or consolidation company, you have to find one you can trust to handle the money you send to pay your bills. Some are not legitimate and may just take your cash, while others simply do not work well.

You are advised to see a bankruptcy lawyer for an initial consultation before making any decisions. This way, you will know your options, allowing you to make the best choice for your situation. The result should be that you get rid of your debts while slowly increasing your credit score.