Blog

Student loan garnishment can start with little warning, reduce your paycheck every pay period, and make it harder to keep up with basic living expenses.  Many borrowers believe there is no way to stop student loan garnishment once it begins, but that is not accurate. There are several legal and administrative options available, and...

Student loans behave differently from most other debts in bankruptcy, and misunderstanding how they are treated in Chapter 7 can lead to bad decisions and missed opportunities. While Chapter 7 does not automatically erase student loans, it can still play an important role in stopping collection actions, stabilizing finances, and setting up a longer-term...

Chapter 13 bankruptcy is known as a reorganization bankruptcy. Its central component is the structured repayment plan, which is the vehicle by which you repay creditors through a three-year plan or a five-year plan before your remaining balance is discharged. A confirmed Chapter 13 repayment plan can help you stabilize your finances, pay off...

Creditors use a variety of informal and formal means to recover debts. One of the last measures a creditor will resort to is wage garnishment, which is a legal process to have some of your wages withheld to pay a debt. Federal and Washington state laws provide for wage garnishment. In this blog post,...

When you file for bankruptcy in Washington, your assets go into what is called your bankruptcy estate. In a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, also known as a liquidation bankruptcy, property in the bankruptcy estate that is not exempt is subject to liquidation by the U.S. bankruptcy trustee. Federal bankruptcy law provides for exemptions that protect...