First let me thank everyone in advance for any advice - after all, in my situation, anything free is good.
I am just now starting down the bankruptcy path. My main question is: is it worth it (based on info below) to try to file myself? I have no money, so this would be done out of sheer necessity, simply cannot afford attorney's fees. I will have to borrow additional money from family just to afford the filing fee. I am unemployed so I can sit at home and spend all the time I need getting the paperwork right. Anyway, the circumstances:
-never married, no dependents, 38 yrs old - approx. $65,000 in unsecured credit card debt accumulated over about four years, 7 different cards, all maxed out and charging me late and overlimit fees; I have not made any significant purchases with these cards - in fact, I believe none at all - over the past several months
-approx $14,000 in personal loans (3 family members and one friend) which were obtained about three months ago - that money is gone
-$0 in the bank - in fact I owe them $3000 on an "overdraft" account, monthly payment about $120, already behind; $1200 coming in late February (invoice for the last translation work I did), otherwise absolutely no income prospects
-unemployed for several months other than very occasional freelance work that comes in (I am a German translator), no prospects, looking diligently
-no house; rent a room from a friend, already two months behind ($1000), about to get tossed out
-old car, worth about $1600, paid off
-not a whole lot in personal assets - nothing major at all, doubt if I added it all up it would exceed the $1000 exemption by very much
I know that there are a zillion things to consider, but basically all I wanted to know to get started was whether I should consider self-filing based on the above. Has anyone does this, and what was the experience? I am in Florida.
Thank you
I am just now starting down the bankruptcy path. My main question is: is it worth it (based on info below) to try to file myself? I have no money, so this would be done out of sheer necessity, simply cannot afford attorney's fees. I will have to borrow additional money from family just to afford the filing fee. I am unemployed so I can sit at home and spend all the time I need getting the paperwork right. Anyway, the circumstances:
-never married, no dependents, 38 yrs old - approx. $65,000 in unsecured credit card debt accumulated over about four years, 7 different cards, all maxed out and charging me late and overlimit fees; I have not made any significant purchases with these cards - in fact, I believe none at all - over the past several months
-approx $14,000 in personal loans (3 family members and one friend) which were obtained about three months ago - that money is gone
-$0 in the bank - in fact I owe them $3000 on an "overdraft" account, monthly payment about $120, already behind; $1200 coming in late February (invoice for the last translation work I did), otherwise absolutely no income prospects
-unemployed for several months other than very occasional freelance work that comes in (I am a German translator), no prospects, looking diligently
-no house; rent a room from a friend, already two months behind ($1000), about to get tossed out
-old car, worth about $1600, paid off
-not a whole lot in personal assets - nothing major at all, doubt if I added it all up it would exceed the $1000 exemption by very much
I know that there are a zillion things to consider, but basically all I wanted to know to get started was whether I should consider self-filing based on the above. Has anyone does this, and what was the experience? I am in Florida.
Thank you
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