Bankruptcy Lawyer in Village Of Garden City

Stop the Collections. Keep Your Home.

Get immediate relief from debt stress with a local bankruptcy attorney who understands Garden City’s financial pressures.

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Garden City Debt Relief Solutions

Your Fresh Start Begins Here

You’re not just getting rid of debt – you’re reclaiming your life. When you file for bankruptcy with proper legal guidance, the constant phone calls stop immediately. The sleepless nights end. The fear of losing your home gets replaced with a clear plan forward.

Most Garden City residents are surprised to learn they can keep their house, their car, and their retirement accounts while eliminating credit card debt, medical bills, and other unsecured obligations. Chapter 7 bankruptcy wipes the slate clean in about four months. Chapter 13 gives you up to five years to catch up on mortgage payments while protecting your assets.

The automatic stay kicks in the moment you file, which means creditors must stop all collection activities. No more wage garnishments. No more frozen bank accounts. No more foreclosure proceedings. You get breathing room to rebuild your financial foundation the right way.

Experienced Nassau County Bankruptcy Attorney

Local Expertise You Can Trust

We have been helping Long Island families navigate financial crises for years. We understand the unique pressures Garden City residents face – from high property taxes to expensive living costs that can push even successful families into debt trouble.

Our practice focuses exclusively on bankruptcy and debt relief in Nassau County. We know the local trustees, understand the court procedures in Central Islip, and have successfully guided hundreds of clients through both Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 proceedings.

You won’t get shuffled off to a paralegal or junior associate. When you work with us, you get direct access to an experienced bankruptcy attorney who will personally handle your case from start to finish.

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Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 Process

Simple Steps to Financial Freedom

First, we meet for a free consultation to review your debts, assets, and income. Most people are amazed to discover they have more options than they realized. We’ll determine whether Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 makes more sense for your situation.

Next, we gather your financial documents and prepare your bankruptcy petition. This includes listing all debts, assets, income, and expenses. We handle all the paperwork and make sure everything is filed correctly with the bankruptcy court.

Once filed, the automatic stay immediately stops all collection activities. You’ll attend a meeting of creditors about a month later – it’s usually brief and straightforward. For Chapter 7 cases, you typically receive your discharge in about four months. Chapter 13 cases involve a payment plan that lasts three to five years, but you’re protected from creditors the entire time.

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About Frank Law Firm, P.C.

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Comprehensive Bankruptcy Law Services

Complete Legal Protection and Guidance

You get full-service bankruptcy representation from petition to discharge. This includes reviewing your financial situation, determining the best chapter to file, preparing all required documents, and representing you at court hearings.

We also provide foreclosure defense when needed. Many Garden City homeowners don’t realize that filing Chapter 13 can stop a foreclosure and give you years to catch up on missed mortgage payments. We’ve saved countless homes using this strategy.

Our service includes credit counseling coordination, exemption planning to protect your assets, and post-bankruptcy guidance to help you rebuild your credit score. We also handle any issues that arise with creditors who don’t follow the automatic stay rules – some try to continue collection efforts illegally, and we shut that down immediately.

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Most Garden City homeowners keep their homes in bankruptcy. New York has generous homestead exemptions that protect significant equity in your primary residence. If you’re current on your mortgage, Chapter 7 typically won’t affect your home at all. If you’re behind on payments, Chapter 13 can stop foreclosure and give you up to five years to catch up on missed payments while keeping your house. The key is acting quickly – once a foreclosure sale is scheduled, your options become more limited.
Attorney fees for Chapter 7 cases typically range from $1,500 to $2,500, plus a $338 court filing fee. Chapter 13 cases cost more due to the ongoing work required, usually $3,500 to $4,500 plus a $313 filing fee. We offer payment plans because we understand you’re filing bankruptcy precisely because money is tight. Many clients pay half upfront and the remainder before filing. The investment pays for itself quickly when you consider the debt being eliminated and the stress relief you’ll experience.
Most unsecured debts get completely wiped out, including credit cards, medical bills, personal loans, old utility bills, and deficiency balances from repossessed cars. You’ll still owe secured debts like your mortgage and car loan if you want to keep those assets, but even then, you might be able to reduce the payments through Chapter 13. Student loans are harder to discharge but not impossible in cases of undue hardship. Tax debts can sometimes be eliminated if they’re old enough and meet certain criteria.
Chapter 7 cases typically take about four months from filing to discharge. You’ll attend one brief meeting with the trustee about 30 days after filing, then wait for your discharge papers. Chapter 13 cases involve a payment plan lasting three to five years, but you’re protected from creditors the entire time. The automatic stay stops collections immediately upon filing, so you get relief right away even though the case takes months to complete. Most clients say the hardest part is making the decision to file – the actual process is much smoother than expected.
Bankruptcy stays on your credit report for 7-10 years, but your score starts improving much sooner. Many clients see their credit scores increase within 12-18 months after discharge because they no longer have overwhelming debt dragging down their credit utilization ratios. You can often qualify for a car loan within a year and a mortgage within 2-3 years. The key is rebuilding responsibly with secured credit cards and making all payments on time. Staying buried in debt actually hurts your credit more long-term than filing bankruptcy and getting a fresh start.
Income limits exist for Chapter 7, but they’re higher than most people think. For Nassau County, a family of four can earn up to about $95,000 annually and still qualify for Chapter 7. If you earn more, you might still qualify through the means test, which considers your actual monthly expenses. If Chapter 7 isn’t available, Chapter 13 has no income limits and often provides better protection for high-value assets anyway. Even high earners can benefit from Chapter 13’s ability to reduce certain debts and create manageable payment plans.

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