Decatur Bankruptcy Lawyer

Our Decatur bankruptcy lawyers are currently charging a flat rate attorney fee for most Chapter 7 bankruptcies and a low up front fee for Chapter 13 cases. The Harris Firm helps individuals in Decatur, Hartselle, Athens, and the surrounding areas of Limestone and Morgan County file for debt relief through the Bankruptcy Court.

To get the bankruptcy process started, you can call and let our Decatur bankruptcy attorney counsel you over the phone and determine your options.

After the consult we can email you a questionnaire for you to print off (or we can mail it to you) and drop it off at our office along with all the paperwork necessary to file. We will need you to gather certain documents such as your tax returns for the prior two years, bank statements, and pay stubs. We have bankruptcy lawyers in Madison, Huntsville, and Decatur that can give you a free phone consultation today.

Our Decatur bankruptcy attorney can counsel you over the phone today and let you know your bankruptcy options. Whether it is Chapter 7 or Chapter 13, we can guide you in the right direction. Give our bankruptcy attorney in Huntsville and Decatur a call today for more information.

If you call our Decatur bankruptcy lawyer today we can go over the process of filing for debt relief and discuss your options. There are generally two types of consumer bankruptcy you can file, Chapter 7 and Chapter 13.

Chapter 7 bankruptcy is where all of your unsecured debts (except certain un-exempt debts such as child support and most student loans) get discharged or eliminated fairly quickly and easily. The process takes about three months from filing to discharge in most cases.

When you file a Chapter 7, there is a hearing about a month later called a Meeting of the Creditors. Despite the name, no creditors typically show up. Someone called a Trustee will generally administer your case and will ask you several questions under oath at the hearing. There is no judge there and the questions are usually fairly simple such as your phone number and whether you listed all your property in the filings.

In a Chapter 7 there are two main considerations before filing a case. First, you have to qualify to file. To qualify, they look at your average gross monthly income for the entire household. This means if you are married and your spouse is not filing, they still will consider your spouse’s income in looking at the household.

In order to qualify, the average gross monthly income in your household for the six months prior to filing must be below a certain amount on an IRS chart for a family of your size in Alabama. They only look at the six months prior to the month you are filing in. The numbers on the charts change based on census data that is updated every quarter.

Household income includes your spouse’s income if they live with you. If they are not filing, then your spouse is not a party to the bankruptcy and it should not affect their credit or debts when you file without them. However, it is assumed that their income is commingled with yours and can be used to pay your debts since they are part of your household. That is why their income counts for purposes of qualifying.

If your household income is above that number on the chart, then you have to pass a budgetary test called the means test. Our Decatur bankruptcy lawyer can run this test for you. All we would need to do this would be a questionnaire filled out properly and your pay stubs or other proof of income (and proof of spouse’s income) for the previous six months. If you need a bankruptcy attorney in Athens, Hartselle, Florence, Cullman, Decatur, or anywhere else in North Alabama then we can help.

Chapter 13 is basically a payment plan. Our bankruptcy attorney in Decatur will run the means test, do a budget, and look at your debts and other factors to come up with a payment plan that the judge will approve.

The up front costs for Chapter 13 can be cheaper than a Chapter 7. There is sometimes a flat attorney fee of a hundred dollars or less to be paid up front to get it filed, but then you have to start making your payments shortly after that. So it is cheaper to file, but the monthly payments begin immediately.

The Harris Firm has an office in Decatur that serves the entire Morgan County and Limestone County areas. If you live in Decatur or the surrounding areas of Hartselle, Athens, Ardmore, Moulton, Cullman, and Madison then your bankruptcy will be filed in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Alabama Northern Division.

When your bankruptcy case is filed in this particular Division, then your Meeting of the Creditors will be held in the U.S. Courthouse in downtown Decatur. Our attorney will be with you at the hearing and we will provide support throughout the bankruptcy process.  If you are drowning in debt and need some relief, then giver our Decatur bankruptcy attorney a call today for a quick phone consultation.