A careful analysis of the fundamentals of bankruptcy law.

The most comprehensive and reliable guide for consumers--by the nation's preeminent bankruptcy attorney. This information-packed guide offers consumers all the help they will need to protect themselves through every step in the bankruptcy process.

Don't get down, get started instead-with Fresh StartBankruptcy Well over a million Americans suffer the trauma of bankruptcy everyyear. But many don't know that bankruptcy may be the idealopportunity to rein in their out-of-control finances, get back ontheir feet, and start over anew. Fresh Start Bankruptcy is a friendly and non-intimidating guidethat walks you step by step through the filing process and providesthe sympathetic, expert advice you need to survive the ordeal.Attorneys Deborah Herman and Robin Bodiford provide the informedperspective that makes tough decisions simple. They'll help youdecide whether you should retain legal counsel or move forward onyour own. And if you do decide to go it alone, you'll find all theprofessional advice you need to make the process as quick andpainless as possible. You'll learn which chapter to file and how todo it, how to protect your assets and deal with creditors, how torepair your credit, and how to navigate bankruptcy court. Personal anecdotes included in the book prove that people of allwalks of life have gone through the process and come out strongerthan before-- and you can too! So, no matter how your financialtroubles came about, stop worrying and start over with the positiveoutlook and thoughtful guidance you'll find only in Fresh StartBankruptcy.

Financial Fresh Start sifts through the jargon of significant but little-understood changes to the US financial landscape--including the Dodd-Frank Act, the Making Home Affordable program, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau--to shed light on financial reforms and, ultimately, help you reach your financial goals. By taking a big-picture lens to a wide spectrum of money matters, the book provides answers to questions such as: How can you repair your credit quickly and avoid high costs? What are the safest places for saving and investing? Can you legally avoid repaying what you owe? Will your home ever be worth what you paid for it? Is there life after foreclosure? Are you missing out on programs that can put money in your pockets? And is it possible to make up for recent losses and still retire on time? By learning all this and more, and by gaining a deeper understanding of what the new rules and reforms really mean, readers will find the motivation to shake off their malaise and make significant financial changes. Through the application of Shari Olefson’s sound legal, financial, and real estate expertise, those changes will not only result in positive financial decisions--they’ll lead to greater financial freedom.Your credit, savings, employment benefits, real estate value, and investments can be complex and confusing. But successful navigation of financial systems isn’t just for major corporations and the mega-wealthy whose professionals keep them abreast of significant changes. The expert guidance and practical solutions found in Financial Fresh Start offer readers an unprecedented opportunity to right their finances today and improve their outlook for the future.

Every year, more than a million people file for bankruptcy. This book gives them a clear and complete overview of the bankruptcy process, explains the repurcussions of filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and provides step-by-step instructions and all the forms necessary to file. It clearly outlines what debts can and cannot be eliminated in bankruptcy, what property debtors risk losing, how to protect assets and rebuild credit and how to deal with aggressive credit card companies seeking speedy credit repayment. State-by-state exemption tables included.

Forty-one years of a life in the law, and then, one day, no more law. Just like that. With humor and self-deprecation, this book presents observations on my life before during and after I dreamed my way into my law afterlife.