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Filing for bankruptcy is a very personal choice and it’s never an easy decision. Even when drowning in debt, many individuals see filing for bankruptcy as a type of failure. Out of pride, they put off filing, not realizing that this decision can actually make their financial situation much worse.

In 2019, researchers from the Consumer Bankruptcy Project published an article in the American Journal of Public Health, revealing that they determined that medical expenses were a key factor in 66.5% of all bankruptcies.

According to data published by The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Federal Student Aid, California residents owe more than $131 million in student loans. Student loan payments can be overwhelming and many borrowers report that they feel unable to “get ahead” financially because of these loans. When bankruptcy is declared, can these loans be discharged, providing relief?

Any person or party who files for bankruptcy must attend a 341 creditor’s meeting. This meeting is a time during which the appointed trustee and any creditors who attend can ask questions about the debtor’s financial standing.

Choosing to divorce is never an easy decision and it can feel even more complicated when children are involved. Frequently, couples choose to prolong the relationship believing that divorce may negatively impact their children. However, there is a plethora of evidence that in many cases, divorce could actually be beneficial for children.

There’s nothing simple about divorce in California. When you legally break things off with your former spouse, you may be shocked to find so many matters to consider.

A common issue that comes up in California divorce cases is what happens to property owned by one spouse prior to marriage. It is a common misconception that upon marriage, all marriage property becomes community property. This is not true. Under California law property owned prior to marriage is that spouse’s separate property. However, circumstances can change during marriage, which could cause the community to acquire an interest.

A restraining order or protective order is an order used by a court to protect a person, business, company, establishment, or entity, and the general public, in a situation involving alleged domestic violence, assault, harassment, stalking, or sexual assault.

Also referred to as “alimony,” spousal support refers to court-ordered payments that a higher-earning spouse must pay to the lower-earning spouse during the divorce process and after divorce is finalized. The purpose of spousal support is so the lower-earning spouse can maintain his or her marital standard of living at least until he or she can become self-supporting.

Child support is the amount of money a court can order a parent or both parents to pay every month for the expense of raising a child (or children). A judge determines the amount of child support based on a state-wide guideline and will issue a child support order.