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Santa Barbara Bankruptcy Attorney

In 2005 the United States Congress passed and the President signed into law the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act (BAPCPA) of 2005. BAPCPA made significant changes in the bankruptcy laws that had been in place for over 25 years. This legislation - to my mind one of the clearest examples of how big corporations and their money can pervert the democratic process - was drafted by lobbyists for the credit card and lending giants and never received any reasonable hearings before being passed by the Congress. The net effect of this law was to make it more difficult and more complicated to file bankruptcy. Many parts of the bill were so poorly drafted that to this day neither bankruptcy attorneys nor judges know how to interpret them - they do the best they can under the circumstances and wait for the courts of appeal or the Supreme Court to determine what it all means. Individuals trying to file their own bankruptcies face a minefield of potential missteps and hidden traps, not to mention the emotional toll involved in trying to figure out what it all means and whether you’ve done it right.

That’s the bad news.

The good news is that most people can still file bankruptcy and use it to get the “fresh start” promised by the original bankruptcy legislation many years ago. And bankruptcy can still represent a powerful tool for stopping garnishments and foreclosures and, in the right circumstances, catching up on mortgage arrears or in special cases even getting rid of second mortgages on properties whose value has dropped significantly.

Because these laws are so complicated, we offer a free in-office consultation to review your personal circumstances to see whether bankruptcy might represent a solution to the financial problems you are experiencing. In order to make that process more productive, we ask those coming in for a consultation to fill out a short form that will give us a quick snapshot of your financial picture, and a long disclosure form that the new law requires us to have you read and sign (it does contain a lot of helpful information about bankruptcy - so please do read it.) You can download those forms in .pdf format by clicking here.

Compassionate & Confidential

We pride ourselves on doing good work at a fair price and treating our clients with compassion and respect. We try to make a difficult process as smooth and painless as possible because that’s what makes us feel good.

We encourage you to call us or email us to make an appointment for a free initial consultation. Please do be sure to fill out the forms to bring with you when you come in.

A brief word about
who we are

I have been practicing bankruptcy law since 1971 (with a few side trips along the way) and for many years now have been certified by the California State Bar Association Board of Legal Specialization as a Certified Legal Specialist in Bankruptcy Law.

My wife, Julia, is the office manager and Maricela Torres, my paralegal, has been with us for over 15 years. So it’s kind of a family affair.