Experienced Debt Relief Lawyers
Providing a high level of bankruptcy representation, Urban & Burt, Ltd., advises clients about a wide range of financial issues related to filing bankruptcy. Led by Edmund G. Urban III, an attorney with 35 years of experience, our bankruptcy team is committed to answering clients’ questions and helping them select the best option for their financial circumstances.
Common Questions About Bankruptcy
Clients come to us with questions about matters such as:
Can I stop creditor harassment?
Yes, filing of a bankruptcy petition immediately stops all calls and collection efforts by your creditors.
Can I discharge utility bill debt?
Yes, you can discharge back utility bills. However, if you are seeking to continue service the Bankruptcy Code requires that you place a deposit with the utility for new service.
Can I protect my co-signers?
Yes, Chapter 13 can protect non-filing co-signers from actions by the creditor
Can I discharge student loan debt?
Yes, under certain circumstances student loan debt can be discharged. Discharge of guaranteed loans is difficult and a complex area of the law.
Can I recover my driver’s license after suspension for nonpayment?
Yes, a bankruptcy can assist you in lifting a suspension caused by nonpayment of fines or judgments or failing to have valid liability insurance.
Can I discharge property tax debt?
No, while a property tax can’t be discharged a Chapter 13 or Chapter 11 can be used to bring those taxes current to prevent the loss of the propoerty.
Can I discharge state and federal income tax arrears?
Generally most taxes can’t be discharged in a bankruptcy, however certain old stale taxes can be discharged. Penalties and interest can be reduced in Chapter 13 canses.
Can I discharge back child support?
No, Federal law exempts from discharge valid back child support and domestic support obligations. Chapter 13 can be used to restructure past due obligations along with your other creditors.
Do bill consolidation services really work?
Most “bill consolidation” programs are a band-aid at best. They often can’t get all your creditors to agree and have no power to force them to participate. A consolidation under Chapter 13 of the Bankruptcy Code can force all your creditors to accept a restructuring plan which we would propose and the court would approve.
What if I am late on a Chapter 13 payment?
If you get behind in your Chapter 13 plan payments you should contact your attorney to discuss you circumstances. We can potentially ask the court to modify the plan to adjust the plan to your change in circumstance. Also, most judges are willing to give you some time to catch the payments back up. Their goal is to be assist you in completing your payments under the plan. The court however can not let you case go beyond 5 years, as that is the maximum allow by law. You should discuss your issues with you attorney as one possible course of action is to let your current case get dismissed and file a new case. In this situation we will need to show the court that there is a change in circumstances which warrants the new case moving forward.
Contact the Oak Forest debt relief attorneys at 708-381-5426 to learn more about our Illinois law firm and how our lawyers help clients start their financial lives again through bankruptcy. As a full service law firm, we are also able to help clients with legal matters that may have a bankruptcy component.