On June 27, 2024, the Supreme Court issued a pivotal decision in the case of Harrington v. Purdue Pharma L.P., fundamentally shaping the landscape of bankruptcy law. In...
In a surprising turn of events, Red Lobster, the popular casual dining seafood chain, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. This news has left many all-you-can-eat shrimp fans...
Entering into marriage is a significant milestone, often filled with excitement and hope for the future. However, financial considerations, such as a fiancé's previous bankruptcy, can introduce complexities...
Expert Bankruptcy Attorney in Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Muskegon, Big Rapids, and Lansing Chapter 7 Bankruptcy: Fresh Start for Residents of West Michigan What is Chapter 7 Bankruptcy? Chapter...
What can I keep in my Michigan Bankruptcy Case: Protecting Assets with Exemptions Bankruptcy can be a daunting prospect for individuals facing overwhelming debt. However, for many, it...
Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians V. Coughlin A Native American tribe, through one of their businesses, provided a payday loan to Brian Coughlin. Coughlin...
Plan payments are essential to a successful Chapter 13 case. Not only does the Chapter 13 plan payment pay something to your unsecured creditors (credit cards, personal loans,...
The Bankruptcy Steering Committee for the Bankruptcy Section of the Western Michigan Chapter of the Federal Bar Association hosted their 2022 FBA Bankruptcy Seminar at the Mission Point...
Bankruptcy can assist a person in eliminating personal liability on debts. This means that a creditor cannot attempt to collect on debts that are included and discharged in...
Attorney Johnson-Ellis recently submitted an article to the Western District of Michigan Federal Bar Association Bankruptcy Steering Committee Winter 2022 issue of the Michigan Bankruptcy Journal. Attorney Johnson-Ellis...
Real estate prices are changing rapidly in the current marketplace. Values continue to rise which is great for homeowners looking to sell and townships looking at increasing property...
Congressional Democrats proposed legislation that would drastically change consumer bankruptcy law on December 9, 2020. It is unlikely this proposal will see any action in 2020 and its...
The COVID-19 outbreak has upended many Michigan residents’ lives. Many people in Michigan have been laid off, permanently lost employment, or have had reduced hours. This loss of...
Attorney Jeremy Shephard submitted an article to the Summer 2020 issue of the Michigan Bankruptcy Journal. This is quarterly journal produced by the Western District of Michigan Federal...
Bankruptcy is typically an option of last resort for debtors in Michigan who can't afford to continue making payments to creditors. While it may harm a person's credit...
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act established strict rules that collection companies in Michigan and around the country must follow. The FDCPA was passed in 1977 to put...
A May report from CreditCards.com revealed that roughly 120 million Americans have credit card debt. That figure represents about 47% of adults in the United States, and the...
In 2018, the average person in Michigan spent $11,172 on health care expenses. By 2028, health care spending in the United States is expected to rise to $6.2...
In Michigan and across the US, millennials, a term that refers to individuals who were born between 1981 and 1996, are struggling with debt. This age group earns...
Debt collectors might suggest that individuals who owe credit card debt could be sent to jail. However, Michigan residents who are struggling to pay current or past due...
One of the long-held rules in a Michigan bankruptcy was that debtors could not escape their student loan debt, even after filing for bankruptcy. Now, a recent court...
You may feel as if debt settlement is a preferable alternative to bankruptcy. However, Michigan companies that provide debt settlement services may not necessarily be able to convince...
Many people in Michigan and throughout the United States believe that the impact of a bankruptcy is disqualifying for future employment. People have been told that employers view...
Covid-19 has disrupted our lives and it will likely disrupt some people’s financial lives. We know that not everyone will be able to travel to meet with an...
It is unfortunate that so many people in Michigan and across the United States are experiencing financial difficulties. There are, however, solutions to this problem and protections accorded...
People in Michigan can find themselves facing overwhelming debt for many reasons. Common causes include job loss, medical expenses and personal problems. However, one of the most prevalent...
People in Michigan who have medical bills to pay might wonder whether to put them on a credit card. There are several other options the person should try...
Don’t let board games fool you. Bankruptcy doesn’t leave you broke. Bankruptcy does the opposite. Filing for bankruptcy helps you eliminate debt through the bankruptcy discharge. A bankruptcy...
Michigan residents and others who file for Chapter 13 bankruptcy protection may be able to consolidate or reorganize debts without losing property. However, they still have many obligations...
Excessive medical bills, job loss and other situations sometimes send debtors in Michigan to bankruptcy court. Bankruptcy laws generally provide a path out of financial hardship, but people...
Individuals in Michigan who are interested in reorganizing their debts may want to do so by filing for Chapter 13 bankruptcy. Chapter 13 allows a filer to make...
Michigan debtors will be relieved to know that they cannot go to jail for credit card debt. The notion of debtors' prisons has been thrown out of the...
Sometimes even the best budgeting won’t help you get out of debt. Bankruptcy may offer a needed way out from under crushing debt. Our office offers a free...
Attorney Rebecca Johnson-Ellis is on the Bankruptcy Steering Committee for the Bankruptcy Section of the Western Michigan Chapter of the Federal Bar Association. This organization organizes many educational...
People are often concerned about burdening their family with their debts when they pass on. Many people in Michigan fail to realize that those debts won’t become the...
It is not uncommon for individuals experiencing financial difficulties to get concerned about assets they own. A creditor, once they have sued you and obtained a judgment, can...
Attorneys Rebecca Johnson-Ellis and Jeremy Shephard went to Eight West to discuss bankruptcy. At the law offices of Andersen, Ellis & Shephard, we have represented thousands of individuals...
Filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection allows a debtor to eliminate their debt (some debts are non-dischargeable) to creditors. As part of the Chapter 7 process, the debtor...
The question of co-signers comes up regularly from individuals I meet with. It is not uncommon to hear, “I’m not primary on a debt” or “I’m secondary”. Unfortunately,...
Student loans remain one of the few debts that are extremely difficult to get rid of in bankruptcy. Now it’s possible the government may be changing the parameters...
Student loans are notoriously difficult to eliminate in bankruptcy under the current standards. While there are options for federal student loans, many private student loan lenders offer few...
People facing foreclosure oftentimes reach out to our office too late in the process to avoid needing to file bankruptcy. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t other options...
Attorneys Jeremy Shephard and Rebecca Johnson-Ellis recently went to WZZM to discuss options under the Bankruptcy Code. Click on video below to watch: At the law offices of...
Attorneys Rebecca Johnson-Ellis and Jeremy Shephard sat down with EightWest to discuss tax time and options under the Bankruptcy Code. Check out the link below to learn more:...
I have a belief that creditors perpetuate the stigma that bankruptcy makes you a bad person because of their own self-interests. Does it make you a bad person...
One of the biggest mistakes I see from debtors that meet with me is that they have liquidated their retirement accounts to pay down their debts. For those...
I’ve filed hundreds of bankruptcies and I encounter a common issue in my practice; especially, this time of the year. Debtors (what they call people who owe money)...
Filing for a bankruptcy is a difficult decision to come to but if you are considering filing then there are some things to consider. When money is tight,...
Potential clients come into my office to determine if bankruptcy is the right step for them. A common question that I’m asked is whether or not they will...
What is a bankruptcy trustee? A bankruptcy trustee is an individual assigned to your bankruptcy to determine if there is anything to be administered on behalf of the...
When can I file bankruptcy again? Unfortunately, people sometimes get in a situation where they need to file bankruptcy more than once. If you filed a Chapter 7...
What to do after your bankruptcy discharge? You filed bankruptcy and your debts were discharged. Hopefully, your case closed shortly thereafter. You may ask yourself, what should I...
What is bankruptcy protection? You might find yourself searching the internet for solutions to your mounting debt. The words “bankruptcy protection” may continue to pop up from time...
What Is A Bankruptcy Discharge? A bankruptcy discharge is one of the primary reasons that an individual files for bankruptcy protection. A bankruptcy discharge is a Court order...
How long does bankruptcy stay on my credit report? This is a common question that we are asked by our prospective clients. If you file Chapter 7 bankruptcy...
How to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on your own? You are allowed to represent yourself in legal proceedings and bankruptcy is a legal proceeding. Filing Chapter 7...