“I'd been hiding the mail in a kitchen drawer for two years. Emmett went through every envelope with me and never once made me feel stupid.”
Dana R.Chapter 7, Salem
Bankruptcy and debt help in Roanoke
Find out where you stand before the next envelope comes
Pick the line that sounds most like you. Each one opens a plain page on what can happen next, and none of them asks for your name.
The first questions
What happens to my house, my car, my kids?
Almost everyone asks about the same four things in the first five minutes. Here are the short answers; the long ones depend on you.
My house
Filing doesn't hand your home to anyone. Many people keep it, and Chapter 13 can stop a foreclosure while you catch up on what's behind.
Keeping a homeMy car
If you're current and want to keep paying, you can usually keep it. If you're behind, there are ways to catch up or lower the payment.
Keeping a carMy kids
Child support keeps being paid, and your children's things and accounts aren't on the table. Your kids don't need to know unless you want them to.
More questions like thisMy paycheck
The day a case is filed, most garnishments have to stop. Retirement accounts like a 401(k) are generally protected too.
Stopping a garnishment
Your lawyer
The same person from the first call to the last letter
I'm Emmett. I run a one-lawyer practice, so the person who hears your story is the person who files your case and sits beside you at the trustee meeting.
Most people wait a year longer than they needed to, mostly out of shame. There's none of that here. We'll look at what you owe and what you own, and I'll tell you plainly whether bankruptcy makes sense, or whether something smaller will do.
Emmett Amburgey
Bankruptcy attorney
How it goes
Four steps, taken at your pace
Nothing is filed until you've seen the plan in writing and said yes.
- 01
Step 1: A free first talk
Thirty minutes by phone or at the office. Bring a rough list of what you owe; a shoebox of envelopes is fine.
- 02
Step 2: A written plan and fee
Which chapter fits, what you'd keep, and what it costs, all on paper before you decide.
- 03
Step 3: Filing, and the calls stop
Once the case is filed, collectors have to stop calling, suing and garnishing while it runs.
- 04
Step 4: One short meeting
About a month later you answer a few questions from the trustee. I'm there with you, and most meetings take minutes.
From people who sat where you are
It was easier than the worrying
“We were three months behind on the house. The plan let us catch up a little each month, and we're still in it.”
Marcus and Jo T.Chapter 13, Vinton
“They were taking a quarter of my pay. Two weeks after I called, my check was whole again.”
Luis P.Wage garnishment, Roanoke
Clients' words, shared with permission. Every case is different, and what happened for them may not happen for you.
Questions
Things people are afraid to ask out loud
If yours isn't here, ask it on the phone. Nothing you say in a first talk is shared.
Will my employer find out?
Usually not. Your employer only hears about it if there's a garnishment to stop or a Chapter 13 payment taken from your pay, and you'd know about either first.
Will I ever get credit again?
Yes. A bankruptcy stays on a credit report for years, but many people see offers within a year or two, and a score often starts climbing once the old debt is gone.
Do I have to go to court?
Most people never see a judge. The one meeting you attend is with a trustee, often by video, and I prepare you for every question beforehand.
What if my spouse doesn't file?
One spouse can file alone. We'll look at which debts are in whose name, because that decides whether one filing is enough.
How much does it cost?
It depends on the chapter and your situation. After the free first talk you get the fee in writing, and a payment plan if you need one, before you decide anything.
When you're ready
Bring the envelopes. We'll open them together.
A first talk is free, takes about thirty minutes, and doesn't commit you to anything.
