subject: Avoid These Common Mistakes [print this page] Avoid These Common Mistakes Avoid These Common Mistakes
Hiring Springfield bankruptcy lawyers is the first part of the bankruptcy process. With experienced Springfield bankruptcy lawyers working for you, you can avoid many of the common mistakes that befall other people who wish to file for personal bankruptcy. The first mistake is assuming that, because you are not legally required, that it is all right to file bankruptcy without hiring Springfield bankruptcy lawyers. The bankruptcy process, however, is too complex to undergo without legal help. Springfield bankruptcy lawyers can also help you avoid most pitfalls. For example, they will tell you to stop using your credit cards once you have decided to file for bankruptcy. Charges for luxury goods and services provided by one creditor totaling to more than $500 within 90 days of filing or totaling up to $750 within 70 days of filing are presumed nondischargeable. This means that they can be found to be due and you have to pay them back, despite your bankruptcy case. You also must treat your family members as any other creditors. You cannot repay a loan or debt to them first or do it off the books. Generally, within a year of your filing, a creditor can reclaim a repaid debt to a family member. However, loans under $2000 are generally too small to be bothered with. Also, don't liquidate your retirement account. Those are generally protected, meaning that while you are eliminating your debt the money you have saved in a retirement account does not have to be touched. It's yours to keep. Don't try to transfer property out of your name. A bankruptcy trustee can block any transfer if it happened within 4 years of your filing for personal bankruptcy if the intent was to hinder, delay, or defraud a creditor, or if the price simply wasn't fair.
