SHOULD I FILE FOR BANKRUPTCY?

The bill collectors are calling.  You hate the poor soul who delivers your mail.  You stopped using your credit cards in public to avoid that embarrassing look the teller gives you when the card is declined.  Your paycheck doesn’t look like it will ever stretch to meet your debt and you don’t know what to do… so what about that bankruptcy thing?

There are two main types of bankruptcy for the average person with a lot of consumer debt:  Chapter 7 and Chapter 13.

Chapter 7 is often preferred because it comes the closest to wiping the slate clean.  Your debt.  Gone.  (Of course there are exceptions, Ask Roxy readers know that there are always exceptions in law— that is what makes it fun!).  Chapter 13 has this ugly term associated with it called “repayment plan” so let’s dig into the details of Chapter 7 first. 

CONTINGENCY FEE, RETAINER FEE, FIXED FEE— WHAT DO THESE MEAN AND HOW MUCH IS MY LAWYER GOING TO CHARGE?

Okay, I admit it.  We lawyers use so many different terms for the different types of fees we charge, if you didn’t know what a wholesome and compassionate bunch we are you might suspect that we’re throwing legalese about just to distract you while our staff reaches into your pocket book.

Ask Roxy understands your confusion.  On my own website I try to be very clear about my pricing.

I’ll break it down for you here:

I WANT TO SELL GIFT CERTIFICATES AT MY NEW BUSINESS. ANY ISSUES?

 Like most subjects I cover here on Ask Roxy, the law regarding gift certificates is a state/federal combination, as in the federal government has some rules, your state has some rules, and they might not match up.  Of course, if there is an inconstancy between the two the federal law preempts the state law, but “inconstancy” is a term of art, folks, and your lawyer really needs to do a careful analysis in relation to the particular terms that may apply to you.