Middle District of Florida Advice

[el222]

Hi All,

This seems like a great forum and I'm hoping for advice. This is my first post and I'm not sure where to start, but here's my background:

I feel my situation is hopeless because 80% of my debt is student loan debt. My credit cards are only $24,000, but my student loans are $100,000. I know $24,000 for CC isn't much, but when you have to deal with student loans, it is a lot. The big unfortunate problem is that $35K of the student loans are private so I have exhausted all the deferments for that this month. I have no other low payment options. I am unemployed, but even when I was working I never made more that $36,000/yr.

Originally I was going to file Pro Se, but after reading the messages on this forum, I see that I may have a few complications that may be worth my hiring an attorney. I certainly will need to file chapter 7. My case becomes a bot complicated in part because though I am a no asset case, I have to claim personal exemptions from Georgia since I only moved to Florida in October.

Anyway, my first question is who has had experience in filing in the Middle District of Florida? What advice can you give me about the process here as well as trustees and judges. (I live in Sarasota, but I believe I will be filing in Tampa.)

Thanks!

[DivorceRuinedMe]

I was in the middle district of FL. Not sure what advice I can give though. I had a super tough trustee but that doesn't mean they all are. Just learn as much as you can, interview a lot of attorneys and hire the one you think is best for you and ask tons of questions whenever you have them.

[deadbroke99]

$100,000 in student loans? Wow did you go to Med School?

[AngelinaCatHub]

I don't think any area of the Federal bankruptcy is too different. Some may wish forms in one way than the other but it is only one basic Court.

For the OP, yes a lawyer in your case may be good. I ask the same question, what on earth did you study that you can only get a 36K job, and are now unemployed? Just curious as this info can help us help you.

Art and decorating is not highly paid unless you have some great talent. A manager at a McDonalds gets that much.

Hey, I'm on your side. Welcome and I don't mean to be cutting, but you do have a strange delemma. HAS to be more to this. 'Hub

[AngelinaCat]

Hi el222. Welcome to the forum.

My first piece of advice is to go to nolopress.com and purchase their online downloadable book on Ch 7 BK. It is written in plain English, and will become your textbook. It is around $18.00 and comes in a PDF file. Nolo usually offers a freebie with their purchase, so take that too. It will be guide to simple do-it-yourself legal matters.

Whatever you do, read this forum and get educated in BK law. When you interview prospective attorneys, the more you know, the more you will understand and pick out the knowledgable attorneys from the ones that may try to 'snow' you to suck in your money. 'Hub and I wish we had found this forum WAY before ever hired the attorney or filed. It would have saved us a whole lot of grief.

For the Middle District of Florida, here is a link:

http://www.bkforum.com/showthread.php?t=23829

Though this goes to the Jacksonville Court, you will be able to navigate to the Tampa area.

Good luck to you.

[el222]

$100,000 in student loans? Wow did you go to Med School?

-You would think.

AngelinaCatHub, you guessed it- Graphic Design. I got an MFA degree from a private art and design college. I took out the max in supplemental loans to get me through living expenses. I obviously had no concept about how a $40,000/yr job wouldn't pay that off. In my mind, it sounded like I'd have it paid off in 3 or 4 yrs. I was an idiot. I never was even able to get a job doing graphic design. I ended up being a kitchen designer and was actually on my way to making a good salary when the real estate market tanked.

I guess I was hoping people would have info on how sympathetic/unsympathetic the judges and trustees were in this district.

Oh, and I did download the Nolo book already. It has been very helpful, thanks.