Bankruptcy Lawyer in Oak Beach, NY

Stop the Calls, Save Your Home

Get immediate protection from creditors and keep what matters most to your family.

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Debt Relief Lawyer Oak Beach

What Life Looks Like After Filing

The phone stops ringing. You sleep through the night without wondering which bill collector will call tomorrow.

Your paycheck stays in your account instead of getting garnished. You can actually plan a budget around money that’s yours to keep.

If you’re behind on your mortgage, Chapter 13 gives you up to five years to catch up while keeping your home. Credit card debt, medical bills, and other unsecured debts can be eliminated entirely through Chapter 7, or reduced significantly in Chapter 13. You’re not just buying time – you’re getting a genuine fresh start that lets you rebuild your financial life the right way.

Oak Beach Bankruptcy Attorney

We Know Long Island Bankruptcy Law

The Frank Law Firm P.C. has been helping Long Island families navigate bankruptcy for years. We understand the specific challenges Oak Beach residents face – high property values, expensive living costs, and the stress of protecting your home.

We file cases in the Eastern District of New York bankruptcy court regularly. We know the local trustees, understand how they operate, and can guide you through the process without surprises.

Your situation isn’t unique to us, but your solution will be tailored to your specific circumstances and goals.

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How to File Bankruptcy

The Process, Step by Step

First, we meet for a free consultation to review your debts, income, and assets. We’ll determine whether Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 makes more sense for your situation, or if there are alternatives to bankruptcy that might work better.

Once you decide to move forward, we handle all the paperwork and court filings. You’ll take a required credit counseling course online, which takes about an hour. We file your petition, which immediately triggers the automatic stay – stopping all collection activities against you.

About a month later, you’ll attend a brief meeting of creditors where a trustee asks basic questions about your finances. In most Chapter 7 cases, you’ll receive your discharge in about four months. Chapter 13 cases involve a repayment plan that lasts three to five years, but you get immediate protection and keep your assets.

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Chapter 7 Chapter 13 Options

What's Included in Your Representation

We handle everything from start to finish. That means preparing and filing all bankruptcy documents, representing you at the meeting of creditors, and responding to any trustee requests or creditor objections.

For Oak Beach homeowners, we pay special attention to protecting your property. Long Island real estate values can complicate bankruptcy cases, but we know how to use available exemptions to safeguard your home equity. We also coordinate with mortgage servicers to ensure Chapter 13 payment plans are structured properly.

You’ll get direct access to our office throughout your case. We return calls promptly and explain what’s happening at each stage. No surprises, no hidden fees, and no passing your case off to paralegals for important decisions.

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Not necessarily. Chapter 13 bankruptcy is specifically designed to help homeowners catch up on missed mortgage payments while keeping their home. You can spread missed payments over three to five years while making current payments going forward. Even in Chapter 7, you can keep your home if you’re current on payments and your equity is protected by exemptions. With Oak Beach property values, we carefully analyze your home equity and available exemptions before recommending which chapter to file. Many of our clients keep their homes and use bankruptcy to eliminate other debts that were preventing them from making mortgage payments.
Chapter 7 cases typically take about four months from filing to discharge. You’ll attend one meeting of creditors about 30 days after filing, then wait for the discharge. Chapter 13 cases involve a repayment plan lasting three to five years, but you get immediate protection when we file. The timeline can vary if complications arise, but most straightforward cases follow these standard schedules. We file in the Eastern District of New York bankruptcy court, which generally moves cases efficiently. During your free consultation, we can give you a more specific timeline based on your particular circumstances.
Most unsecured debts can be eliminated, including credit cards, medical bills, personal loans, and old utility bills. Chapter 7 wipes out these debts completely, while Chapter 13 may require you to pay a portion back through your repayment plan. However, certain debts survive bankruptcy, including recent taxes, student loans, child support, and criminal fines. Secured debts like mortgages and car loans are handled differently – you can keep the property by continuing payments, or surrender it and eliminate any remaining balance. We’ll review all your debts during consultation to explain exactly what will happen to each one.
Our fees vary depending on whether you file Chapter 7 or Chapter 13, and the complexity of your case. Chapter 7 cases are typically less expensive since they’re completed faster. Chapter 13 fees can often be paid through your repayment plan, so you don’t need all the money upfront. Court filing fees are additional – currently $338 for Chapter 7 and $313 for Chapter 13. We discuss all costs during your free consultation and can arrange payment plans in most situations. We believe cost shouldn’t prevent you from getting the debt relief you need, so we work with clients to make representation affordable.
Bankruptcy does impact your credit, but it’s not permanent damage. Chapter 7 stays on your credit report for 10 years, Chapter 13 for seven years. However, many clients see their credit scores start improving within a year or two after filing. This happens because bankruptcy eliminates debts that were hurting your credit, and it prevents future missed payments on those debts. You can start rebuilding credit immediately after filing by getting a secured credit card and making small purchases you pay off monthly. Many of our clients qualify for car loans within a year and mortgages within two to four years after bankruptcy.
Yes, having income doesn’t disqualify you from bankruptcy. For Chapter 7, we use the means test to determine if your income is low enough to qualify, or if your expenses are high enough that you don’t have disposable income to pay creditors. Many working families qualify for Chapter 7. If your income is too high for Chapter 7, Chapter 13 might be perfect for your situation – it requires income to fund a repayment plan, but you often pay back much less than you owe. Having steady income actually makes Chapter 13 more attractive because it proves you can complete the payment plan successfully.

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