Columbus Chapter 7 Lawyer

Bryson Legal, LLC is a small firm in Columbus, Ohio with a practice focused on providing individualized advice to clients regarding personal or small business bankruptcy. The owner of Bryson Legal, Sondra O. Bryson, has experience representing debtors and creditors in complex Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 cases before the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Ohio. Sondra can also advise you on how to take advantage of your non-bankruptcy options, if bankruptcy is not your best solution.

Bryson Legal, LLC is not a volume practice or a mill; if you become a client after your free initial consultation, you can be assured that you will have routine and individual attention from your attorney to address all of the issues related to your bankruptcy case. At Bryson Legal, your case is handled personally and professionally, because individual problems need individual solutions.

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Many people in Columbus, Ohio struggle to pay their bills. They may lose hope that they'll ever be able to cover their debt. One option they may turn to is bankruptcy.

There's no magic formula for deciding when bankruptcy is the right choice. It's an option you might consider if you:

• Are paying only minimum amounts on your bills
• Can't budget yourself out of debt within five years
• Are getting notices that your mortgage or loans are being foreclosed
• Have had a severe financial setback, such as losing your job or a major client, a divorce or a costly illness

Bankruptcy does not get rid of all debts. You're still responsible for:

• Alimony
• Child support
• Most recent back taxes
• Most student loans
• Recent large purchases of more than $550 for luxury goods bought within 90 days of filing
• Fines or penalties of government agencies
• Fraudulent debts
• Cash advances of $825 within 70 days of filing

As a Columbus, Ohio consumer, you can file for bankruptcy in Ohio under either:

• Chapter 7 (Straight Bankruptcy) to wipe out all debts except those listed and get an immediate fresh start or
• Chapter 13 (Wage Earner Bankruptcy) to set up a repayment plan to pay back your debts over several years' time.

Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act

On April 20, 2005, the President signed into law the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act, which limits individual access to US bankruptcy courts. Some of the changes, which were effective October 17, 2005, included:

• New bans on Chapter 7
• Increased Chapter 13 payments
• New presumptions against debtors with increased penalties
• The reduction of judicial discretion to balance competing interests

What Can I Keep?

"Exempt" property is property that you are allowed to keep. What property is exempt is determined by state law. The items and amounts in this section may change in the future. Updated information can be found in the state code.

In Ohio, you may take only state exemptions. You may not take the exemptions provided by federal bankruptcy laws even though the federal exemptions may be more beneficial.