When a person is on the verge of filing for personal bankruptcy, they may go through desperate measures to avoid it altogether. A Tom's River bankruptcy attorney does not end up processing every single client's case that he or she sees. Instead a Tom's River bankruptcy attorney must review all of the financial documents before making a decision based on the totalityof the circumstances. Sometimes the Tom's River bankruptcy attorney may find it in theirbest interest to delay a bankruptcy filing in an effort to try to avoid it altogether. Perhaps the financial situation is not as bad as originally thought and things can be done in order to get back on track financially. What are some things that I can try as an alternative to seeking bankruptcy protection? There are a number of different things that you can try to do in an effort to avoid bankruptcy. Your options will largely be determined by the confines of your current situation. Sometimes credit card companies do not want to provide hardship assistance until you have demonstrated that you need it by falling a few months behind on your payments. By that time, your credit report has already been impacted. Let's say that you are up to date on all of your payments but you know that you will be laid off soon and that will severely compromise your ability to maintain your bills. One of the things you can look for is an opportunity to consolidate any debt that you may have at a high interest rate. You may be able to get a zero percent interest rate which can certainly help you save money over time. In addition, some companies offer protection against major life events that render one incapable of paying their bills. Check with your creditor to see if they offer anything like that.