Categories

The Free Consultation
The Free Consultation Some lawyers offer prospective clients a free initial consultation, others do not. Why do some lawyers do it and others not? It really comes down to the lawyer's individual business model. Many lawyers offer the free consultation as an...

The Financial Guru Series – Part 5: A Bankruptcy Lawyer Answers the Question: Should I Pay Off My House?
Should I pay extra on my house each month, sometimes referred to as power paying, to get it paid off more quickly, or should I invest the extra money? There is confusion on this point because some financial Gurus say you should pay off your house as soon as possible,...

The Financial Guru Series – Part 4: How To Avoid Bankruptcy
I am often asked by clients how they could avoid bankruptcy, or if they had any other options. Obviously, the answer is different each time based on their unique circumstances. But, in this article I will go over some of the tips I give most frequently. Often a person...

The Financial Guru Series – Part 3: How Will Filing Bankruptcy Affect My Credit?
Financial Gurus are frequently discussing credit scores, all bringing their own unique perspectives to the conversation. Everyone knows that filing bankruptcy will hurt their credit score, but how badly does it really hurt your credit? If you have a very high credit...

The Financial Guru Series – Part 2: Should I File Bankruptcy?
Should I File Bankruptcy? Should I file Bankruptcy? As a bankruptcy lawyer, I would love to tell you, "Yes, by all means, you should file bankruptcy." But that would be incorrect advice for most people. Bankruptcy really should be a last resort. There are many things...

The Financial Guru Series – Part 1: Should I Listen to “Financial Gurus”?
A Bankruptcy Lawyer Answers the Question: "Should I Listen to Financial Gurus?" Listening to certain financial Gurus has inspired me to write a six-part blog series dealing with issues that they sometimes touch upon. Each month, over the next six months, I will post a...

Will Filing a Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Stop a Foreclosure on Property I Inherited, but the Mortgage Is Still in the Deceased’s Name?
Sometimes a person will inherit a property where the mortgage payments are behind, and the property is being foreclosed on. In many cases, the new owner will just catch up the mortgage payments or pay off the balance to avoid foreclosure. Sometimes the new owner will...

Virginia Abolishes the Death Penalty
For all recorded human history societies have employed the death penalty to seek justice and punish the wicked. More than two millennia ago Plato and Aristotle wrote about capital punishment. In the mid to late 1800s a few U.S. States began to limit or abolish the...

Non-Compete Clauses in Employment Contracts
A non-compete clause, or covenant not to compete, in an employment contract is used to prevent an employee from leaving and going to work for the employer’s competition. Employers argue that these non-compete clauses are necessary to protect their trade secrets,...

Virginia Tax Debt Relief
Most tax debt is not dischargeable in bankruptcy. Bankruptcy will not discharge taxes that are (1) secured by a lien, (2) came due within three years of the bankruptcy filing, (3) where a tax return was not filed, (4) when the return was filed within the two years...
Categories

The Free Consultation
The Free Consultation Some lawyers offer prospective clients a free initial consultation, others do not. Why do some lawyers do it and others not? It really comes down to the lawyer's individual business model. Many lawyers offer the free consultation as an...

The Financial Guru Series – Part 5: A Bankruptcy Lawyer Answers the Question: Should I Pay Off My House?
Should I pay extra on my house each month, sometimes referred to as power paying, to get it paid off more quickly, or should I invest the extra money? There is confusion on this point because some financial Gurus say you should pay off your house as soon as possible,...

The Financial Guru Series – Part 4: How To Avoid Bankruptcy
I am often asked by clients how they could avoid bankruptcy, or if they had any other options. Obviously, the answer is different each time based on their unique circumstances. But, in this article I will go over some of the tips I give most frequently. Often a person...

The Financial Guru Series – Part 3: How Will Filing Bankruptcy Affect My Credit?
Financial Gurus are frequently discussing credit scores, all bringing their own unique perspectives to the conversation. Everyone knows that filing bankruptcy will hurt their credit score, but how badly does it really hurt your credit? If you have a very high credit...

The Financial Guru Series – Part 2: Should I File Bankruptcy?
Should I File Bankruptcy? Should I file Bankruptcy? As a bankruptcy lawyer, I would love to tell you, "Yes, by all means, you should file bankruptcy." But that would be incorrect advice for most people. Bankruptcy really should be a last resort. There are many things...

The Financial Guru Series – Part 1: Should I Listen to “Financial Gurus”?
A Bankruptcy Lawyer Answers the Question: "Should I Listen to Financial Gurus?" Listening to certain financial Gurus has inspired me to write a six-part blog series dealing with issues that they sometimes touch upon. Each month, over the next six months, I will post a...

Will Filing a Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Stop a Foreclosure on Property I Inherited, but the Mortgage Is Still in the Deceased’s Name?
Sometimes a person will inherit a property where the mortgage payments are behind, and the property is being foreclosed on. In many cases, the new owner will just catch up the mortgage payments or pay off the balance to avoid foreclosure. Sometimes the new owner will...

Virginia Abolishes the Death Penalty
For all recorded human history societies have employed the death penalty to seek justice and punish the wicked. More than two millennia ago Plato and Aristotle wrote about capital punishment. In the mid to late 1800s a few U.S. States began to limit or abolish the...

Non-Compete Clauses in Employment Contracts
A non-compete clause, or covenant not to compete, in an employment contract is used to prevent an employee from leaving and going to work for the employer’s competition. Employers argue that these non-compete clauses are necessary to protect their trade secrets,...

Virginia Tax Debt Relief
Most tax debt is not dischargeable in bankruptcy. Bankruptcy will not discharge taxes that are (1) secured by a lien, (2) came due within three years of the bankruptcy filing, (3) where a tax return was not filed, (4) when the return was filed within the two years...