Situations5 min read
Business Partners and Personal Bankruptcy: What Happens to the Company
When one business partner files personal bankruptcy, it affects the company and co-owners. Learn what happens to LLC interests and personally signed debts.
The guide series
Bankruptcy in Plain English
The Bankruptcy Code was written for lawyers. This series translates it for everyone else: what each chapter does, what the deadlines mean, what you can keep, and how the decisions actually get made. No legal vocabulary required, and no judgment. Just clear information so you can think straight about your options.
80 guides and growing. General information, not legal advice about your situation.
Chapters & Process5 min read
Chapter 7 vs Chapter 13: The Timelines, Side by Side
A side-by-side timeline of Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy in Florida: every major deadline from the day of filing to discharge, and what the difference in duration buys.
Decisions & Myths5 min read
Debt Relief Scams: Red Flags That Should Send You Running
Debt relief scams target desperate people with assurances real help never makes. The warning signs, the rules legitimate companies follow, and how to verify.
Money & Property5 min read
Cosigners and Your Bankruptcy: What Happens to the Person Who Signed for You
Your bankruptcy discharge does not protect your cosigner. Learn how Chapter 7 exposes cosigners, how the Chapter 13 codebtor stay shields them, and options.
Situations5 min read
How Often Can You File Bankruptcy? The Waiting Periods Explained
How often can you file bankruptcy? Learn the 8-year, 4-year, and 2-year waiting periods between chapters, and what filing without a discharge can still do.
Decisions & Myths5 min read
The 12-Month Credit Rebuild Plan After Bankruptcy
A month-by-month plan to rebuild credit in the year after bankruptcy: report cleanup, secured card, credit builder loan, utilization, and score checkpoints.
Chapters & Process5 min read
Emergency Skeleton Bankruptcy Filings: Stopping a Sale With Hours to Spare
How an emergency or skeleton bankruptcy filing works: the minimum documents that trigger the automatic stay, the 14-day deadline to complete the case, and the risks.
Situations5 min read
Gig Workers and Bankruptcy: Uber, DoorDash, and 1099 Life in Florida
Gig workers for Uber, DoorDash, and Instacart can file bankruptcy. Learn how 1099 income works on the means test and how to protect the car that you drive.
Decisions & Myths5 min read
How to Stop Collection Calls Today: Your Rights Under Federal and Florida Law
Collection calls can be stopped, sometimes today. Your rights under the FDCPA and Florida law, how cease letters work, and what the automatic stay shuts down.
Money & Property5 min read
Credit Card Debt in Bankruptcy: How Discharge Works and the Exceptions
Credit card debt is fully dischargeable in bankruptcy, with narrow exceptions for fraud and recent splurges. See how the process works from filing to zero.
Chapters & Process5 min read
Bankruptcy Filing Fees and Waivers: What the Court Charges in 2026
Court filing fees for Chapter 7, 13, and 11, paying in installments, who qualifies for a Chapter 7 fee waiver, and the other case costs to budget for.
Situations5 min read
Removing a Second Mortgage: The Chapter 13 Lien Strip in Florida
A wholly unsecured second mortgage may be removed through a Chapter 13 lien strip in Florida. Learn the home value test, the steps involved, and the catch.
Decisions & Myths5 min read
Credit Cards After Bankruptcy: When Offers Return and Which Ones to Take
Card offers arrive surprisingly fast after discharge. Learn how secured cards rebuild credit, which fee-heavy offers to refuse, and how to use the first card.
Chapters & Process5 min read
Converting Between Bankruptcy Chapters: When and How Cases Switch Tracks
How conversion works when a bankruptcy case changes chapters: Chapter 13 to 7 after a job loss, Chapter 7 to 13 to save a home, and the rules that govern the switch.
Money & Property5 min read
Medical Debt in Bankruptcy: The Most Common Debt Is Also the Easiest to Clear
Medical bills are fully dischargeable unsecured debt with no dollar limit. Learn how bankruptcy clears hospital and doctor bills and what to time carefully.
Situations5 min read
Seniors and Bankruptcy in Florida: Your Social Security Is Protected
Social Security is exempt in bankruptcy. Learn how Florida seniors can handle medical bills and credit cards while keeping benefits, homes, and retirement.
Decisions & Myths4 min read
Documents to Bring to Your First Bankruptcy Meeting: The Complete Checklist
Walk into your first bankruptcy consultation prepared. The full document checklist: pay stubs, tax returns, debts, property records, and what to flag early.
Money & Property5 min read
Child Support and Alimony in Bankruptcy: What Changes and What Never Does
Child support and alimony survive every bankruptcy, but filing can still help you afford them. See how each chapter treats support debts and back arrears.
Chapters & Process5 min read
Dismissal vs Discharge: The Two Very Different Ways a Case Ends
A discharged bankruptcy erases qualifying debts. A dismissed one returns you to where you started, sometimes with fewer protections. The difference, and the refiling rules, explained.
Situations5 min read
Lawsuits, Judgments, and Bankruptcy: What Florida Filers Should Know
Bankruptcy can stop lawsuits, wage garnishments, and judgment collection in Florida. Learn what the automatic stay covers and how judgment liens get handled.
Decisions & Myths5 min read
Car Loans After Bankruptcy: Keeping Your Car, Getting a New One, and Avoiding Traps
How car loans work during and after bankruptcy: reaffirmation, redemption, when you can finance again, realistic rates, and the dealer traps to step around.
Chapters & Process4 min read
Redeeming Property in Chapter 7: Keep the Car, Pay What It Is Worth
How redemption under 11 U.S.C. § 722 works in Chapter 7: pay the lender the property's current value in a lump sum, keep it lien-free, and discharge the rest.
Money & Property5 min read
Which Tax Debts Can Bankruptcy Erase? The 3-Year, 2-Year, and 240-Day Rules
Older income taxes can be discharged in bankruptcy if they pass the 3-year, 2-year, and 240-day tests. Learn which IRS debts qualify and which never do.
Situations5 min read
Immigration Status and Bankruptcy in Florida: What You Need to Know
You do not need to be a US citizen to file bankruptcy in Florida. Learn what documents are required, how ITINs work, and what to discuss with counsel first.
Chapters & Process5 min read
Reaffirmation Agreements: When You Sign Back Up for a Debt
What a reaffirmation agreement does in Chapter 7, the deadlines and court approval rules, the 60-day rescission right, and the alternatives before you sign one.
Decisions & Myths5 min read
Should Both Spouses File Bankruptcy, or Just One? How Couples Decide
Married couples can file bankruptcy jointly or one spouse can file alone. How joint debts, Florida property rules, and the means test shape the decision.
Money & Property6 min read
Student Loans in Bankruptcy in 2026: Harder Than Other Debts, Not Impossible
Student loans can be discharged in bankruptcy only by proving undue hardship. See how the 2026 process works, the Brunner test, and what filers can expect.
Situations5 min read
Divorce and Bankruptcy in Florida: Which Should Come First?
Should you file bankruptcy before or after your divorce in Florida? Learn how timing affects court costs, the means test, support debts, and settlements.
Chapters & Process5 min read
The Bankruptcy Discharge Explained: What It Erases and What Survives
What the bankruptcy discharge actually is, which debts it erases, which debts survive, when it arrives in Chapter 7 and Chapter 13, and the time bars between cases.
Decisions & Myths5 min read
Buying a House After Bankruptcy: Real Timelines for FHA, VA, and Conventional Loans
Homeownership after bankruptcy is a timeline, not a fantasy. FHA loans around 2 years after Chapter 7, conventional around 4. Here is the full roadmap.
Money & Property5 min read
Priority Debts in Bankruptcy: The Bills That Get Paid First
Some debts outrank all others in bankruptcy. Learn which debts get priority status, why most survive discharge, and how Chapter 13 must pay them in full.
Decisions & Myths5 min read
Florida vs. Federal Bankruptcy Exemptions: Why Florida Filers Don't Get a Choice
Florida opted out of federal bankruptcy exemptions, so Florida filers must use state exemptions. What that means for your home, car, wages, and savings.
Situations5 min read
Inheritance During Bankruptcy: The 180-Day Rule Explained
An inheritance within 180 days of filing bankruptcy becomes estate property. Learn the disclosure rules, the Chapter 13 difference, and timing questions.
Chapters & Process5 min read
What a Bankruptcy Trustee Actually Does (and Does Not Do)
The roles of the Chapter 7 panel trustee, Chapter 13 standing trustee, Subchapter V trustee, and the U.S. Trustee, explained in plain English for Florida filers.
Money & Property5 min read
Rebuilding Credit After a Bankruptcy Discharge: A Step-by-Step Plan
A practical step-by-step plan for rebuilding credit after bankruptcy discharge: report cleanup, secured cards, utilization, and the habits that move scores.
Chapters & Process5 min read
Bankruptcy Schedules and the SOFA, Explained Without the Jargon
What the bankruptcy schedules and Statement of Financial Affairs actually ask, why they are due 14 days after the petition, and why accuracy decides how smooth your case goes.
Decisions & Myths5 min read
Life After Discharge: What to Do in the First 90 Days
Your bankruptcy discharge is the starting line, not the finish. A 90-day plan for paperwork, credit report cleanup, budgeting, and your first rebuild steps.
Situations5 min read
HOA and Condo Dues in Florida Bankruptcy: What Gets Wiped Out
How HOA and condo dues work in Florida bankruptcy: which dues can be discharged, which keep accruing, and how Chapter 13 stops an association foreclosure.
Money & Property5 min read
Your Credit Score After Bankruptcy: What Really Happens and for How Long
Chapter 7 stays on credit reports for 10 years and Chapter 13 for 7 years, but scores often start recovering sooner. Here is what to expect, year by year.
Decisions & Myths5 min read
Filing Bankruptcy Without a Lawyer: The Real Risks of Going Pro Se
You can legally file bankruptcy without a lawyer, but pro se cases fail far more often. Here are the specific mistakes that sink them and what they cost.
Chapters & Process4 min read
The Financial Management Course: The Class Between You and Your Discharge
The post-filing debtor education course explained: the 60-day deadline after the 341 meeting, what the course covers, and what happens if you skip it.
Decisions & Myths5 min read
When Not to File Bankruptcy: 7 Situations Where Waiting or Skipping It Wins
Bankruptcy is powerful but not always the right move. Learn seven situations where waiting, negotiating, or doing nothing may serve you better than filing.
Chapters & Process4 min read
The Credit Counseling Requirement: The Course You Take Before Filing
Every bankruptcy filer must complete credit counseling from an approved agency within 180 days before filing. What the course covers, what it costs, and the narrow exceptions.
Situations5 min read
Self-Employed? How to Prove Your Income in a Florida Bankruptcy
Self-employed in Florida? Learn how the bankruptcy means test counts your income, what records you need, and how to document your earnings without pay stubs.
Money & Property5 min read
Surrendering Property in Bankruptcy: Walking Away Without the Debt
Surrendering a house or car in bankruptcy lets you walk away and discharge the leftover balance. Learn how surrender works in Florida and what to expect.
Chapters & Process5 min read
The Automatic Stay Explained: What Stops the Moment You File
How the automatic stay under 11 U.S.C. § 362 works: what collection activity stops immediately, the exceptions, repeat-filer limits, and what happens if a creditor violates it.
Situations5 min read
Parent PLUS and Cosigned Student Loans: Where Bankruptcy Fits
Parent PLUS and cosigned student loans rarely vanish in bankruptcy. Learn the undue hardship test, the Chapter 13 codebtor stay, and the realistic options.
Decisions & Myths4 min read
Who Actually Finds Out About Your Bankruptcy? Less Than You Fear
Bankruptcy is a public record, but almost nobody searches it. Here is who gets notified, who can look it up, and who realistically never learns you filed.
Money & Property5 min read
Keeping Your Car in Bankruptcy: Reaffirm, Redeem, or Pay Through a Plan
Most Florida filers keep their cars. Compare your four options in bankruptcy: reaffirmation, redemption, surrender, and Chapter 13 payment plans explained.
Chapters & Process5 min read
The 341 Meeting of Creditors in Florida: What Actually Happens
What to expect at the 341 meeting of creditors in a Florida bankruptcy: when it happens, who attends, the questions trustees ask, and how to prepare.
Situations5 min read
Crypto Assets in Bankruptcy: Disclosure, Valuation, and Risk
Crypto is property of your bankruptcy estate and must be disclosed. Learn how Bitcoin and other coins get valued, exempted, and what hiding them can risk.
Money & Property5 min read
Bank Account Frozen by a Creditor? How Levies Work and How Bankruptcy Helps
A creditor froze your bank account in Florida? Learn which funds are exempt, how to claim them, and how filing bankruptcy stops levies and garnishments.
Situations5 min read
Car Repossession and Bankruptcy in Florida: Timing Is Everything
Facing repossession in Florida? Filing bankruptcy stops a repo the moment your case begins. Learn what happens if your car was already taken or sold at auction.
Decisions & Myths5 min read
How to Choose a Bankruptcy Attorney in Florida: Questions That Reveal Everything
How to evaluate a Florida bankruptcy attorney: the questions to ask, fee structures explained, warning signs of volume mills, and what a good fit feels like.
Chapters & Process5 min read
The Florida Bankruptcy Means Test, Explained With 2026 Numbers
How the Chapter 7 means test works in Florida: the median income figures effective April 1, 2026, the 6-month lookback, the expense step, and the business debt exception.
Money & Property5 min read
Secured vs Unsecured Debt: Why the Difference Decides Your Bankruptcy
Secured debts have collateral, unsecured debts do not, and that single difference shapes everything in bankruptcy. Learn how each type is treated and why.
Situations5 min read
Eviction and Bankruptcy in Florida: What Renters Can Really Stop
Bankruptcy can pause many Florida evictions, but timing decides everything. Learn the judgment-of-possession exception and what renters can and cannot stop.
Money & Property5 min read
Are Retirement Accounts Safe in Bankruptcy? 401(k)s, IRAs, and Pensions
401(k)s, pensions, and IRAs are generally protected in Florida bankruptcy. Learn how ERISA and state law shield retirement money and the mistakes to avoid.
Decisions & Myths4 min read
Can Your Employer Fire You for Filing Bankruptcy? What Federal Law Says
Federal law bars employers from firing you solely for filing bankruptcy. Learn what 11 U.S.C. 525 protects, its limits, and whether your boss even finds out.
Chapters & Process5 min read
Which Bankruptcy Chapter Fits You? A Plain-English Decision Guide
Chapter 7, 13, 11, or Subchapter V? A plain-English walkthrough of how the chapter decision actually gets made: income, assets, goals, and whether the debt is personal or business.
Money & Property5 min read
The Florida Wildcard Exemption: $4,000 of Extra Protection Explained
Florida's $4,000 wildcard exemption protects extra property in bankruptcy if you skip the homestead claim. Learn who qualifies and how filers stack it.
Situations5 min read
Married but Filing Bankruptcy Alone in Florida: How It Works
You can file bankruptcy without your spouse in Florida. Learn how household income, joint debts, and entireties property affect a case filed by one spouse.
Chapters & Process5 min read
Subchapter V: Small Business Bankruptcy, Streamlined
Subchapter V of Chapter 11 explained: the $3,424,000 debt cap, the day 60 status conference, the day 90 plan deadline, and why small business owners keep control.
Decisions & Myths5 min read
Bankruptcy vs. Debt Consolidation: Which Path Gets You Out of Debt Faster?
Debt consolidation rolls debts into one loan but does not shrink what you owe. See how it compares to bankruptcy on cost, risk, timing, and credit impact.
Money & Property5 min read
Tax Refunds in Bankruptcy: Who Gets the Money, You or the Trustee?
Your tax refund is part of the bankruptcy estate unless an exemption covers it. Learn how Florida filers protect refunds and why filing timing matters.
Situations5 min read
Disability, SSDI, and Bankruptcy in Florida: Benefits Stay Safe
SSDI and SSI are protected in bankruptcy and excluded from the means test. Learn how Florida filers on disability can handle debt without risking benefits.
Chapters & Process6 min read
Chapter 11 Reorganization Basics: How Businesses Restructure in Bankruptcy
Chapter 11 bankruptcy explained in plain English: debtor in possession, first-day motions, the 120-day exclusivity period, disclosure statements, plan voting, and monthly operating reports.
Money & Property5 min read
The Florida Vehicle Exemption: Can You Keep Your Car in Bankruptcy?
Florida protects $1,000 of vehicle equity in bankruptcy, plus a possible $4,000 wildcard. See how the math works and what happens when equity runs higher.
Decisions & Myths5 min read
Taxes, Refunds, and Timing: When in the Year Should You File Bankruptcy?
Tax refunds, old tax debts, bonuses, and holiday spending all change bankruptcy outcomes. How the calendar affects your case and when timing beats speed.
Situations5 min read
Payday Loans in Bankruptcy: Breaking the Cycle in Florida
Payday loans are usually dischargeable in bankruptcy. Learn how Florida filers stop the ACH withdrawals, end the rollover cycle, and handle recent advances.
Money & Property5 min read
Behind on Your Mortgage? How Chapter 13 Lets You Catch Up Over Time
Chapter 13 can stop a Florida foreclosure and spread missed mortgage payments over 3 to 5 years. See how the cure process works and what it takes to finish.
Decisions & Myths5 min read
What Does Bankruptcy Cost in Florida? A Plain-Numbers Breakdown
Florida bankruptcy costs explained: court filing fees, credit counseling courses, typical attorney fee ranges, payment plans, and what affects the price.
Chapters & Process5 min read
What Is Chapter 13 Bankruptcy? The Florida Repayment Plan Explained
Chapter 13 bankruptcy in plain English: how the 3 to 5 year repayment plan works in Florida, who it fits, how it stops foreclosure, and what happens at the end.
Decisions & Myths5 min read
Bankruptcy vs. Debt Settlement: An Honest Comparison for Florida Families
Bankruptcy and debt settlement work very differently. Compare taxes on forgiven debt, lawsuit risk, credit impact, total cost, and timing in plain English.
Money & Property5 min read
Florida Homestead Exemption in Bankruptcy: How Your Home Is Protected
Florida's homestead exemption can protect unlimited home value in bankruptcy. Learn the acreage limits, the 1,215-day rule, and how each chapter treats it.
Situations5 min read
Bankruptcy Options for Small Business Owners in Florida
Florida small business owners can use Chapter 7, Chapter 13, or Subchapter V to deal with crushing debt. Learn how each path works and which debts qualify.
Money & Property5 min read
How to Stop Wage Garnishment in Florida: Your Rights and Options
Florida wage garnishment can take up to 25% of your pay, but filing bankruptcy stops it immediately. Learn the head-of-family exemption and how it works.
Situations5 min read
How Bankruptcy Stops a Foreclosure Sale in Florida
Filing bankruptcy in Florida triggers an automatic stay that stops a foreclosure sale right away. See how Chapter 13 lets you catch up on missed payments.
Decisions & Myths6 min read
10 Bankruptcy Myths That Keep Florida Families Stuck in Debt
You will lose everything, ruin your credit forever, lose your job. None of it is true. Here are ten common bankruptcy myths corrected with the real facts.
Chapters & Process5 min read
What Is Chapter 7 Bankruptcy? A Plain-English Guide for Florida
Chapter 7 bankruptcy explained in plain English for Florida filers: how liquidation works, what the trustee does, the typical 4 to 6 month timeline, and what debts are wiped out.
Reading is a good start. Knowing your options is better.
Three minutes in the portal gives you a first read on which chapter could fit your situation. An attorney reviews everything before you pay a cent.
Free, confidential, no obligation. Se habla español. Court costs and filing fees may apply and are explained in writing before any case begins.