Bankruptcy Lawyer Locator

Law Offices of Andrew S. Wentworth

2000 S. Eastern Avenue
Las Vegas, NV 89104

Phone: 702-385-3530
Fax: 702-385-4173

Law Offices of Andrew S. Wentworth's Websites:
www.andrewwentworthlaw.com

Counties Served:

Clark

Areas of Practice:
Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy in Las Vegas, Nevada

Many people have trouble paying their bills, especially when they lose their job. If you're drowning in debt and can't pay your bills on your own, you may have to file for bankruptcy. There's no magic formula for deciding when bankruptcy is the right choice. It's an option you might consider if you:

• Are paying only minimum amounts on your bills
• Can't budget yourself out of debt within five years
• Are getting notices that your mortgage or loans are being foreclosed
• Have had a severe financial setback, such as losing your job or a major client, a divorce or a costly illness

Bankruptcy doesn't get rid of all debts. You're still responsible for:

• Alimony
• Child support
• Most recent back taxes
• Most student loans
• Recent large purchases of more than $550 for luxury goods bought within 90 days of filing
• Fines or penalties of government agencies
• Fraudulent debts
• Cash advances of $825 within 70 days of filing

As a consumer, you can file for bankruptcy in Las Vegas and the state Nevada under either:

• Chapter 7 (Straight Bankruptcy) to wipe out all debts except those listed and get an immediate fresh start or
• Chapter 13 (Wage Earner Bankruptcy) to set up a repayment plan to pay back your debts over several years' time.

Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act

On April 20, 2005, the President signed into law the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act, which limits individual access to US bankruptcy courts. Some of the changes, which were effective October 17, 2005, included:

• New bans on Chapter 7
• Increased Chapter 13 payments
• New presumptions against debtors with increased penalties
• The reduction of judicial discretion to balance competing interests

What Can I Keep?

There are certain items you may keep after you file for bankruptcy. The items and amounts in this section may change in the future. Updated information can be found in the Nevada code.

A bankruptcy in Las Vegas, Nevada does not wipe out voluntary liens, like mortgages and deeds of trust, or tax liens. So the lender still has the right to foreclose if you do not pay. If you pay, everyone is happy. Remember, the lender does not want the property; it wants you to pay regularly on the loan. Foreclosure is a last resort for the lender if it concludes it can't get the owed money any other way.

If you still owe money on your car, you can choose to reaffirm the debt to the secured lender. Under the new law, you have to reaffirm your car loan within 45 days after the "341 meeting." You no longer have the option of continuing your car payments without reaffirming the loan. Once the loan is reaffirmed, if you default on your payments and the car is repossessed, you are liable for the repossession deficiency.

You also have the option to redeem the car within 45 days of the "341 meeting" by buying it from the secured creditor in a single payment for its present value.

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Creditors are subject to state law provisions incorporated into bankruptcy cases. If a bankruptcy court lifts the automatic stay and permits a specific creditor to seize and liquidate property subject to a lien, creditors must obey all state law limitations on collection practices. For more information, see legal assistance for debtors. Also, all statutory provisions depend on conformity with the prohibition against fraudulent conversions creating exempt property.