I have no idea what to do

[trickey280]

Me and the hubby want to file but have no idea where to start or what to expect. I am just finishing school for Medical assistant ( not a big income earning job) and the hubby is a laid off construction worker/ Stay at home dad. We have a trailer that is in the hubby and his mom's name. Our total belongings only total less than 5,000$. We have 2 kids.

Where do we start? should we trust a lawyer? One big thing is how do we come up with all the money to do this? Every month we don't have enough money to pay our basic bills and support a family. To pay thousands of dollars to do this it would take years. I did an online means test and it said we qualify for Ch 7.

I am so lost and have no idea what to do. We want to get our credit back on track so when I am working we can get a bigger place, We don't want to rent because there are too many people who are renting then their house being foreclosed upon, It is scary.

We live in , NO surprise, Michigan.

Thanks for the help.

[deadbroke99]

Make an appt with a lawyer. It's usually free to go see what your options are. Most people pay the lawyer by stopping any payments on unsecured debt like credit cards or anything else your going to get rid of in bankruptcy. Your trailer should be exempt but check your exemptions for MI up at the top under WIKI.

[trickey280]

Well our total monthly income is $1548, our total monthly bills add up like this:

$50 - water
$475- electric/gas
$314 - rent
$120 ($30 x 4wks) - gas for car
$100 - phone and internet
$200 - household items like soap, tp, animals food ($50 x 4wks)
$200- for unexpected car probs, home repair and kid school activities

that all adds up to $1459 which leaves $89. I didn't count food because we currently get food stamps so we make our food last.

[AngelinaCat]

Hi Trickey280:

Welcome to the Forum. Before you do anything else, please DO NOT PANIC!!! I have to say that, because my husband and I did, and hired the first lawyer we came across. NOT good.

Take your time and read through all the various boards here--especially the 'Stickys' that explain and will answer many of your questions. The world will NOT end tomorrow--though you think it will, [AngelinaCatHub and I certainly were there, and lived to tell the tale. You will too.]

Please take care and read some of those 'Stickys'.

BTW have you heard of AngelfoodMinistries.com? You can buy food there and use your EBT cards.

My best~~~~

[liz417]

Hi Tricky and welcome to this forum

I know this is stressful, but you will make it. I agree with AngelinaCat, read everything you can about BK, other poster's experiences and the 'stickys' at the begining of each forum, it will really ease your mind...
When you're done with that, make at least 3-4 appt with local BK attorneys (they are usually free), leave your $$ at home and don't hire the 1st attorney you consult with (typical "rookie" mistake, I made that one too! "), talk to all of them and then decide what you'll need to do.

Also, angelfoodministries.com is a great site if you are struggling to feed your family...please check it out...

Best of luck to you.

[keepmine]

I'd not file until, your finances are stable. If you can't cover your basic living expenses, bk is a wasted execrise. After all, you have to be able to support yourself post bk.
Forget about a mortgage at a reasonable rate for a few years after filing. People with great credit are having trouble qualifying for a loan. A recent bk won't help repair your credit.
The big thing you 2 need to do is raise your income. Can your husband work nights or weekends at something while you watch the kids? The bk option will always be there. Just don't play the card too soon.

[zpbk13]

Your situation sounds like my sister's. She went to see our bk attorney and was told that bk would not improve her situation. It sounds like as the previous poster commented, unless you guys can get your income up, a bk does not sound like it will help you. Our attorney asked my sister if she was in danger of being sued immediately and since she is not, she told her to wait it out until her income improved. I don't have any advice to offer other than that and I hope you and your family are able to find a way to make ends meet. Please take care.

P.S. I notice your utility payments (including electric/gas, phone/internet) cost almost $600 a month. Do you think you could qualify for utility assistance? They call it HIP or PIP (I think) in my state Ohio. My mom is on it and her gas bill was outrageous but she only pays a small portion and the same with the electric. Also, could you get dial up internet service or even eliminate the home phone? After we are discharged, we plan to use our cell phones only and cut the home service off. Just thought I would throw out some additional suggestions.