Law Office of Gordon Mosley
Seeking debt relief does not make you a bad person
On Behalf of Law Office of Gordon Mosley

No matter what you do, you just can’t seem to get your head above water financially. In the last little while you’ve experienced loss of income, or you’ve had unexpected emergency expenses that you had to put on credit cards, or you or a loved one may have suffered a serious medical event, costing your family a small fortune. Maybe it was a combination of these or other hardships. Now you need help, but feel you are a bad person for seeking debt relief.


There is and always has been a certain stigma surrounding bankruptcy in the United States. The truth of the matter is, Texas residents who need financial help are not bad people and no one should make them feel bad for asking for help. It is their right to pursue bankruptcy if it is what will best serve their interests.


Stigmas attached to bankruptcy


There are three types of stigmas often associated with bankruptcy. These are:


  • Financial
  • Emotional
  • Social


Emotional and social stigmas are often combined. They refer to how you see yourself after pursing a bankruptcy filing and how you believe people view you. People are afraid to let others down or do not want others to know they are struggling. When drowning in debt, the only thing that should concern you is fixing the situation. It shouldn’t matter how you do it and it really is no concern of anybody else’s. You do what will best serve you.


The financial stigma sounds bad, but it can be a good motivator. Will your credit score go down if you file for bankruptcy? Yes. Will it stay that way forever? Will you be financially doomed for the rest of your life for seeking relief? No. While credit recovery after bankruptcy can take time, it is possible to do if you take full advantage of the bankruptcy filing and are cautious in your future financial decisions.


Don’t let the stigmas stop you


At the end of the day, you have to do what is best for you and your family. That may involve pursuing a bankruptcy filing and that is okay — it does not make you a bad person. Don’t let the stigmas stop you from seeking the relief you need. If you are not sure if it is the best course of action, you can seek legal counsel on the matter and then go from there.

Facing garnishment, lawsuits? Bankruptcy may be able to help.

By On Behalf of Law Office of Gordon Mosley • February 21, 2022
During the day, you may have the ability to keep your financial worries somewhat at bay by concentrating on other tasks. However, when the time comes to get in bed for the night, those thoughts that stayed at the edge of your mind all day may come flooding forward. How will you make your next credit card payment? When will the next creditor call? What can you do about your garnished wages? These concerns affect numerous people who must contend with overwhelming debt. No matter what led to your debt, you do have options for effectively addressing those liabilities. In particular, bankruptcy may act as a significant step toward a fresh financial start. However, you may wonder whether taking this action really suits your circumstances. Has action been taken against you? When you face overwhelming debt, you may also face letters and calls from creditors every day. Over time, you may have become adept at avoiding these attempts at contact or requested a stop to such actions. However, more significant actions may have been taken against you with which bankruptcy may be able to help. Two actions that may make you consider this debt relief option more seriously include: Wage garnishment: If creditors are directly garnishing wages from your paychecks in attempts to pay your outstanding balances, you already face serious financial trouble. You may need every penny you earn to make ends meet as it is, and when you cannot hold on to your wages, bankruptcy may be able to help stop garnishments. Lawsuits: When creditors feel that they cannot effectively get you to pay your balances on their own, they may sue you for payment. Lawsuits are serious matters that could cause you to face even more financial strife while also facing orders to pay your liabilities. Fortunately, bankruptcy could help stop judgments in such cases. Because these actions can have serious outcomes, taking steps to stop them may help you in the long run. Can you attempt other debt relief methods? If you are not yet facing wage garnishments or lawsuits, you may wonder whether you could first attempt other actions before bankruptcy. Certainly, creditor negotiation and credit counseling could act as possible avenues to try. Of course, not all creditors feel willing to negotiate, and you may still need to address your full balances. Additionally, you may want to remain wary of services which claim they can reduce your debt or help you become debt free as many of these claims turn into scams that cost unsuspecting individuals more money. Though it can be frightening to consider such a major action, exploring your bankruptcy options further may help you get your financial affairs in order and bring back your restful sleep.

Bankruptcy may be the missing item in your financial toolbox

By On Behalf of Law Office of Gordon Mosley • February 21, 2022
Living in Texas definitely has its pros and cons, same as any other state. You’ve likely heard humorous remarks about everything being “big” here. The trouble is, not everything that’s big is good; for instance, big health problems, marriage problems or financial problems are anything but good. When big financial problems arise, it can have immediate and long-lasting negative effects on your life. Perhaps none of this is news to you because you are currently trying to overcome a particular financial crisis. Maybe things have gotten out of hand due to losing your job or facing an unexpected medical emergency. Then again, perhaps you’re still employed and in good health, but you got into a bad habit of spending more than you earn. Regardless of the exact reasons for your money trouble, if a lender is threatening to take ownership of your home, you’ll likely want to access all options available to halt the process. Valuable tools that may help you avoid foreclosure It’s worrisome enough to face several unpaid bills for substantial amounts than to be at risk for losing your home. If you have a spouse and children, the stress of it all may be a bit overwhelming. If you take a deep breath and do a bit of research, you may be able to access support that can help you get things back on track. In the meantime, the following information might be helpful as well: A lender can’t simply take over your home if you are unable to make a mortgage payment. There are foreclosure laws about such matters, and you have mortgage rights. Knowing your rights and how to protect them can help you avoid major problems. Foreclosure generally means a lot more work for a lender. In short, your lender may be willing to come up with an alternate payment plan so you get to keep your home and the lender does not have to take on the burden of foreclosure. There are certain debt relief options that halt the foreclosure process in its tracks, such as bankruptcy. There also happen to be various types of bankruptcy, each with its own eligibility requirements. To find out if a form of bankruptcy would help you solve your financial crisis (and keep your house), you may wish to speak with someone who is well-versed in bankruptcy law. There may also be immediate, practical, tangible things you can do to help resolve your money problems, such as cutting back on spending, selling assets or obtaining additional gainful employment to bring in more cash. If you know someone who has successfully avoided foreclosure, he or she may have some good ideas to help you rise above your current financial problems. Many other people who have gone through similar experiences in Texas have relied on experienced bankruptcy attorneys for support.
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