Articles Posted in Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy is very complicated, and you should consult with an experienced and skilled bankruptcy attorney about your debt relief options. People with primarily consumer (not business debts) can file bankruptcy under either Chapters 7, 11, or 13 of the bankruptcy code. You must elect one chapter to proceed under at the very beginning of your…

The first thing that you should do when you’re having trouble paying your bills is set up a free consultation with a bankruptcy attorney to see what debt relief options are available to you. Financial struggles are stressful and can rip families apart. You might be uncertain as to whether you can be evicted from…

Bankruptcy is a federal law that allows people and businesses (even cities and municipalities) to manage or eliminate debt. Bankruptcy is available to most everyone, and you do not even need to be insolvent to file. Bankruptcy is important because it imposes an immediate “automatic stay” on all creditors, and these creditors must stop all…

By Alfred Villoch, III, with Savage, Combs & Villoch, PLLC Divorce is often the catalyst for bankruptcy. After divorce, finances are stretched. There are new budgetary constraints. One partner might lose health insurance or the insurance might become more costly for the ex-spouse. Alimony and child support become additional expenses to pay. Some start having…

By Alfred Villoch, III, Esquire, with Savage, Combs & Villoch, PLLC The judges of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Florida are considering new rules and proposed amendments to the Local Rules. The proposals are available HERE for public comment beginning on March 9, 2015. The public comment period ends on…

By Alfred Villoch, III, with Savage, Combs & Villoch, PLLC In October 2008, the State of Florida charged Casey Marie Anthony with first-degree murder in the death of her two-year-old child, Caylee Marie Anthony. The matter was highly publicized and dominated the national news for years. From May to June 2011, Casey Anthony stood jury…

By Alfred Villoch, III, Esquire, with Savage, Combs, & Villoch, PLLC No. An employer is strictly prohibited from terminating your employment or discriminating against you in any way solely because you filed bankruptcy. Section 525 of the Bankruptcy Code is entitled “Protection against discriminatory treatment.” Subsection (b) specifically states that no private employer may terminate…

By Alfred Villoch, III, with Savage, Combs & Villoch, PLLC Contrary to pop culture belief, bankruptcy existed long before the game show Wheel of Fortune. Remember when contestants would lose their prize money if they spun the wheel and randomly landed on the ominous black wedge, “BANKRUPTCY”? Bankruptcy also existed way before celebrities like M.C.…

By Alfred Villoch, III, with Savage, Combs & Villoch, PLLC On November 12, 2014, the New York Times published an article entitled “Debts canceled by bankruptcy still mar consumer credit scores.” In the article, the author, Jessica Silver-Greenberg, explains that “Tens of thousands of Americans who went through bankruptcy are still haunted by debts long…

By Alfred Villoch, III, Esquire, with Savage, Combs & Villoch, PLLC On November 17, 2014, the United States Supreme Court granted a petition for writ of certiorari in two cases: Bank of America, N.A. v. Caulkett (In re Caulkett), 566 Fed. Appx. 879, 2014 U.S. App. LEXIS 9407 (11th Cir. Fla., 2014) and Bank of…