Help!

[lostinlove]

I ran up a TON of gambling cash advances and purchases with my girlfriend. I know I have a problem and started attending gambler's anonymous. I don't think I have any choice but to file for bankruptcy, and to top it all off, my girlfriend (who makes 2x more money than me) broke up with me. The cards are all in my name. Here are my details:

103,000 CC
75,000 Student Loans
15,000 Car payment
42,000 Income (English teacher)

My question is that I was able to use her salary as well as mine when I applied for the cards ("household income") - we were together for 6 years. What are the creditors going to say about the income I put on the application??

Any advice? Should I just move to Canada????

HELP!

[Minnymouth]

Well, sounds like you have some "clean up work" to do......................

First, contact someone about your "gambling problem", attend classes, etc so that the Court KNOWS that you realize you have a problem and are doing something about it..........

If you have cash advances (large amounts) in the past 3-6 months then you need to hold off filing BK till at least 4-6 months have passed....

Your student loans are not dischargable in BK..... those will have to be paid, but can be deferred during the BK process.

Best advice I can give you is contact at least 3 attorneys (free consultation), discuss your options and take it from there.

Let us know what they offer you as options.....

Minny

PS Don't feel like your the only one that has ever done this, because you are NOT..... but now that you realize there is a problem - it's time to get it straightened out............. and clean it up.......

[bobby125]

I have $85,000 in credit card debt and I am filing bk this month. much of it is due to past gambling and stock (another form of gmabling) loses.

I used to drink as well. I have been sober for over 2 years. Gambling has continued to be a problem but things have gotten better

I would make this reccomendation: You can file bankruptcy and I think you should, weather a chapter 13 or a chapter 7 is right for you, I cannot say.

I would say that you should go a certain length of time before filing and make sure you are not gambling, I dont know how recently you lost the money but set a goal, weather it be 3, 6, 9 months before filing.

You have to ensure that you will not get into the same kind of trouble before you start over.

Addicts have a tendencey to always want a quick fix on the way down....step back and then do it. It is like drinking, you hurt someone, and right away you want them to forgive you, you cant fix things quickly, it takes time.

i would speak to an attorney, i wouldnt worry about credit card applications. talk to an attorney, get straight, and file and move forward. but i would say get straight and sober for 30-90 days beofre doing anything

all is just my opinion

[bobby125]

adding: much of my gambling loses were in years past, recently alot of my debt has come from stocks, but that is documented, i am unsure how they will want proof of the gambling loses if they are in the past 6 months, so you may have to wait out that 6 month period

once again, that probably is not the worst thing for you, even if you just balance transfer the minimums back and forth, you woud have 6 months to not gamble and know you can move forward.

i mean if you are going to gamble again, go do it now, and get it all out of your system, as i have heard many times, you may not be sick and tired of being sick and tired yet, so make sure you are before you try and start over.

[SinkingFast]

One thing the Court likes to see from people with addictions that contributed to their BK's is treatment. Get some sort of therapy and/or join a group. If you're a Gambler, go to Gambler's Anonymous. If you're and Alcoholic or a Drug Addict, join the appropriate group. If you need a 30 day "dry out" or "withdrawal treatment" get it.

For people with addictions who file BK, nothing screams "I'm sorry. And I've ammended my ways." to the Court better than being in therapy.

Even tho the Court is not supposed to treat debtors differently because of how they came to be in debt, it does happen. So if an addiction of some sort drove you to financial ruin, you'd best be in some sort of treatment program if for nothing more than CYA. Just in case you happen to run up against a prejudicial Trustee or Judge in your Court.

[aa06a47]

They didn't ask crap from me about my gambling at the 341 meeting, except to ask if I had won any money in the past 6 months. My attorney said they were not interested in my gambling. Of course, if one of the creditors objects, then if it goes to a hearing, there is the possiblity of treatment coming into play there as a viable defense.