Bankruptcy Indiana

The fact that, in the past two years, there's been a substantial increase in the number of people visiting the Mark Zuckerberg bankruptcy law offices in Anderson asking for Indiana bankruptcy help is no surprise, given the state of the economy in general and the state of the auto manufacturing in particular. 

But, as a debt consolidation lawyer offering bankruptcy information in Indiana, what has surprised me is the increase in the number of women who, in the last two years, have filed personal bankruptcy in Indiana.   In fact, in each of the Zuckerberg bankruptcy law offices, we've begun to offer a no-obligation, woman-to-woman talk as the start of the process.

Here's what my thoughts are about this female filing of bankruptcy in Indiana, and particularly in Anderson area:
 

• Many of the women are custodial parents, and some are working moms.  But, in many cases, the health insurance coverage was coming from the ex-husband's job.  With all the downsizing and layoffs in the Anderson automotive plants, many non-custodial dads lost jobs.  Some, even those with help from COBRA and unemployment benefits, have trouble keeping up with health insurance premiums for themselves and  their children. The moms then incurred credit card debt trying to keep medical bills paid.
• Divorced and single moms have a lot of difficulty finding affordable child care.  When the women herself is laid off, it's extremely difficult for her to keep up with a job search and still pay for child care.

I've had more than one women show me an article in MSN Money with advice they've tried to follow prior to coming to see me. called "15 Steps If Bankruptcy Is Inevitable".  I think there are some very good suggestions made in that article, some of which are ideas I stress with all my clients prior to filing personal bankruptcy in Indiana.

• Leave your retirement accounts alone.  401ks and IRAs are protected from creditors in bankruptcy, so you don't want to spend those down prior to filing bankruptcy.
• Make a list of what you owe. Not only will you need a complete list of debts for the paperwork that needs to be submitted to the bankruptcy court, just making the list will help you work with effectively with your Indiana lawyer for bankruptcy to prepare for the process.
• Start getting your paperwork together. Collect bank statements, account statements, and bills for the most recent few months, any lease contracts, and any legal documents or papers that have been sent to you. The more organized you are, the smoother a process bankruptcy can be.