Bankruptcy

Are you weighed down by debt? Our bankruptcy lawyers are experienced and compassionate. You can get debt relief and start fresh today.

WHEN SHOULD YOU CONSIDER BANKRUPTCY?

  • Your house is in foreclosure
  • Your car is in danger of being repossessed
  • You have been sued in collections
  • You are receiving multiple and harassing collection calls
  • You are using loans or credit to pay your bills
  • You are cashing out your retirement assets to pay your bills
  • You have crippling medical debt
  • You have crippling student loan debt

HOW LONG DOES BANKRUPTCY TAKE?

Our experienced bankruptcy attorneys can handle most qualifying bankruptcy cases in 4 – 6 months. We work with you quickly and efficiently to achieve your bankruptcy goals – debt relief and a fresh start.

WHAT DOCUMENTS DOES YOUR BANKRUPTCY LAWYER NEED?

To help you achieve your bankruptcy goal quickly and efficiently, you should bring the following documents to your bankruptcy lawyer:

    Your home documents:

  • Deed
  • Contract for Deed
  • Deed of Trust and Promissory Note
  • Most recent correspondence from the mortgage company showing your account number and outstanding balance
  • Appraisal
  • Your Lease if you do not own your homeInsurance documents related to your home
    Your mobile home, car, boat, trailer or other vehicle documents:

  • Title and registration
  • Lien documents, including account number and outstanding balance
  • Any other contracts
  • Any correspondence from the lien holder
  • Your payment book or history
  • Insurance documents
    Your student loan documents

  • Your contractsYour payment history
  • Letters and correspondence related to your student loans
    For each contract you have with a finance company (for example: Best Buy or Aaron’s Rent to Own)

  • The contract
  • Your payment history
  • Any correspondence you have from the finance company
    For every unsecured debt (credit card, doctor bill, signature loans)

  • The most recent bill – must be in the original format
  • Any letter or email regarding collection of the bill

Your most recent credit report from all 3 credit agencies:
Equifax
Trans Union Consumer Relations Division
Experian

• A certificate of completion of credit counseling
• Last 2 years of tax returns
• Last 6 pay stubs
• Bank statements for the last 6 months for all of your bank accounts
• Any document you have received from any Court concerning lawsuits pending against you or judgments taken against you
• If you are divorced, a copy of your divorce decree. If the divorce is not final, bring your divorce attorney’s name and number with you.

    Retirement documents

  • Pension statements
  • IRA statements
  • 401(k) statements
  • A summary plan description from your employer

WHAT CAN BANKRUPTCY DO?

Bankruptcy will immediately stop collection calls. This is called the “automatic stay.”
Bankruptcy can stop a foreclosure and help you keep your home.
Bankruptcy can wipe out your debt or restructure your debt to permit you to repay it over time.
In short, bankruptcy lets honest everyday people who are in a financial pickle get a fresh start.

WILL BANKRUPTCY IMPACT YOUR CREDIT?
Bankruptcy will impact your credit – but probably not as much as you think it will.
If you are in a pickle and have debt up to your eyeballs, your credit is probably already not too good.
Bankruptcy can help you start fresh quickly and efficiently so you can start rebuilding your credit immediately.

TYPES OF BANKRUPTCY

Our experienced bankruptcy attorneys are available to help you with a Chapter 7 or a Chapter 13 Bankruptcy.

CHAPTER 7 BANKRUPTCY
A Chapter 7 Bankruptcy will wipe out most of your debt. A Chapter 7 bankruptcy is often called a “liquidation.” There is no repayment of debt in a Chapter 7. When your debt is wiped out, it is called “discharged” and you no longer have to pay it.
There are tests, called “means tests” that may allow you to keep your house and your car. The “means tests” also let us know if you are eligible for a Chapter 7 liquidation, or if you must file under Chapter 13.

HOW CHAPTER 7 WORKS
A Chapter 7 Bankruptcy is a complicated process. Our experienced bankruptcy attorneys make it as easy as possible for you to complete this process. Here’s a brief summary of how it works:

You will have a brief phone call with our attorney to determine if bankruptcy is right for you.
If bankruptcy is right for you, you must immediately attend a credit counseling class. We recommend the following:
Money Sharp

    You will assemble and bring all the documents we need to help you.
    We will prepare the court documents for you:

  • Bankruptcy Petition
  • Schedule of assets and liabilities
  • Schedule of income and expenditures
  • Statement of financial affairs
  • Schedule of executory contracts and unexpired leases

We will file these documents with the court and debt collection will immediately stop
We will meet with you to prepare you for the court appearance called the 341 meeting, or the meeting of creditors
Your debts will be wiped out, or discharged, and you will start fresh

CHAPTER 13 BANKRUPTCY

A Chapter 13 Bankruptcy will allow you to restructure your debt so you can repay all or part of your creditors. A Chapter 13 is usually called a “wage earner” “repayment plan” bankruptcy. The repayment plan can last from 3 to 5 years.

A Chapter 13 Bankruptcy allows you to save your home from foreclosure. A Chapter 13 also allows you to avoid contact with all creditors during the repayment period. A Chapter 13 Bankruptcy acts like a kind of powerful consolidation loan.
When you have completed your repayment plan, you will receive a Chapter 13 discharge.

HOW CHAPTER 13 WORKS

A Chapter 13 Bankruptcy is a complicated process. Our experienced bankruptcy attorneys make it as easy as possible for you to complete this process. Here’s a brief summary of how it works:
You will have a brief phone call with our attorney to determine if bankruptcy is right for you.

If bankruptcy is right for you, you must immediately attend a credit counseling class. We recommend the following:
Money Sharp

    You will assemble and bring all the documents we need to help you.
    We will prepare the court documents for you:

  • Bankruptcy Petition
  • Schedule of assets and liabilities
  • Schedule of income and expenditures
  • Statement of financial affairs
  • Schedule of executory contracts and unexpired leases

We will file these documents with the court and debt collection will immediately stop
We will meet with you to prepare you for the court appearance called the 341 meeting, or the meeting of creditors
Your debts will be wiped out, or discharged, and you will start fresh

Disclaimer: We are a debt relief agency. We help people file for bankruptcy relief under the Bankruptcy Code.

To make an appointment, please call us at 816-256-5440.

We are available to help you with your family law or estate planning needs in the following Missouri counties: Buchanan and Andrew.

BY APPOINTMENT ONLY::
Kiske Law Office, LLC
1911 Jules St.
St. Joseph, MO 64501
Phone: 816-256-5440
Fax: 816-298-8855

Office Hours: BY APPOINTMENT ONLY
Click here to email us

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