9:11 AM
MrDebtBuster
As the Marketing Director for Foster Law Offices, I spend hours promoting our bankruptcy business, making our website and social media applications more user-friendly and educational for our clients, and asking myself the "million dollar question" what is it, that people look for when choosing "the right" bankruptcy attorney ?
I knew a local lawyer was important, but I realized local was imperative after one woman shared her story of horror that caused her even more sleepness nights and thousands of lost dollars.
We will call her, "Betty". Betty has a good job, a reliable vehicle and also owns home but Betty also is over her head in medical debt, school loans and credit card debt. Betty didn't choose to be buried in debt, instead she was a "victim of circumstance" just like so many others who find themselves buried in debt after years of careful planning to protect their financial future. Due to the poor economy, her position was cut completely, leaving Betty unemployed; she decided to go back to school. When Betty was a full time, adult student she was also diagnosed with a medical condition, that required hospitalization, expensive medications and long-term treatment including therapy and follow-up appointments which added up quick, since Betty did not have insurance.
Betty created a payment plan with the hospital and did the best she could to make monthly payments. To make ends meet Betty often had to put common purchases such as fuel, medication and groceries on her credit card. Over time, Betty graduated from college and got a good job; but the medical bills, school loans and mounting credit card debt was weighing her down. Just as she got home from work to eat dinner, her phone would ring - a creditor from the hospital, then a creditor from the credit card company after explaining her situation to each and feeling emotionally exhausted she would settle in to relax and watch TV and the second and sometimes third wave of creditors would call - creditors for the same bills, Betty described the ringing, endless calls and letters as being in a "financial prison" she often had to un-hook the phone just to think. She was working as hard as she could, she planned to pay all of her debts back but the interest of the credit card debt continued to rise and the medical bills and their harassing collectors did not go away.
Betty knew she needed to at least talk to a local bankruptcy attorney in Erie and see if there was anything she could do to make her situation better, to make sure she didn't lose her home. Betty was busy and she wasn't behind on any payments yet, so she decided to just try to "hang in there" for another month.
A couple weeks later, during dinner, her phone rang and Betty answered it... This time it was a debt consolidation company offering her financial freedom without having to file bankruptcy. Betty was interested, the salesman on the phone was from out of state, but he said that he had helped several others in the Erie area. He told Betty that he could arrange a plan to help her pay off approximately $10,000 dollars of credit card debt in 4-5 years. The salesman explained that the first payment would be drawn directly from her checking account the next month.
Reluctant at first, since the man on the phone was not an attorney and also wasn't local; she had an instinct to pass and talk to someone who was a licensed lawyer with a local office who she could meet face to face; but the man on the phone sympathized with how busy she was and as a "closing technique" he reminded Betty how his debt consolidation plan could help her credit and she wouldn't have to, "well, settle for bankruptcy." Betty caved, she said she was a fighter and he made bankruptcy sound like a failure so she said, "let's do it."
The payment was drawn from her checking accounty, Betty felt a wave of relief. The next month her false sense of financial freedom was replaced with feelings of anger and panic. The credit card company calls had increased! This time they asked Betty why she stopped paying her bills completely ? She told the creditors that her "debt consolidation" company was handling the payments. She immediately called her debt consolidation company, and asked for "John P" the man who sold her the plan. He was not available, but a new rep was on the line to help, he re-assured Betty that they send out proposals to the creditors and were paying the credit card. "Proposals" Betty asked, I thought this was a concrete plan? The man on the phone said he would have to transfer Betty to a different department, and during the transfer the line went dead.
This vicious cycle continued for months, and finally Betty checked her credit score and was shocked at what she found, she had 6 months of 30 day late fees, no payments had been made and her credit score looked more like the cost of a gallon of gas. The Debt Consolidation company has scammed her, keeping her payments and turning a promise of financial freedom into a prison of deepening debt.
Betty was forced to re-evaluate her course of action, and she went back to her original plan, to call a local, licensed bankruptcy lawyer who served Erie, PA and was forced to abide by the laws. She found Foster Law Offices, a local, licensed law firm whose firm helps people file for Bankruptcy under the US Bankruptcy code. They are experienced with debt consolidation scams and determining the correct course of action including filing Chapter 11, Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 Bankruptcy.
Betty never got her thousands of dollars back from the debt consolidation company, but she did get her financial freedom. After working with Foster Law Offices, she was able to file bankruptcy, keep her home and start fresh. Finally, she can eat dinner and she is happy to answer the phone when the phone rings.
BEFORE you become a victim of deceptive debt consolidation practices, take the time to consult with an Erie Bankruptcy Lawyer, someone local. At Foster Law Offices, there is no pressure to commit. There is NO consultation is free.
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