I CAN’T believe this year is almost over. This morning, I saw a lot of my neighbors starting to put up their Christmas lights. It seems like 2016 just started. Where did the time go? For me, it’s going a little too fast these days.
It is usually around this time of the year that people reflect on what they have done or have failed to do in the passing year. As a bankruptcy attorney, I know that one of the things that people worry about all the time is their finances.
Plagued by the anxiety brought about by debt problems and foreclosure in the last several years, many people found themselves filing for bankruptcy protection in order to recover financially and start over. As we close another year, wouldn’t it make sense to have a plan on how you can better manage your finances this coming year? If you are still in debt and your situation has remained unchanged from last year, what is your game plan in resolving your financial difficulties?
Last month, several people came to our office saying that they had decided to file bankruptcy because they wanted to start their new year fresh and realized that they really had no other way out of debt. They said that they had given their decision a lot of thought and realized that the longer they procrastinated about making a decision to start fresh, the longer they were putting their life on hold. I’ve heard this many times from clients. Most of the time, these people already know what they need to do but what stops them from filing bankruptcy is their fear that once they do, their situation will only get worse instead of better.
Thus, I am often asked by clients whether life will ever become “normal” again after filing for bankruptcy. First of all, what does the word “normal” really mean? If by “normal”, you mean being able to rid your life of the stress brought about by the problems of heavy indebtedness, I would say that the answer has to be “yes”. If by “normal” you mean being finally able to regain control of your life again once again instead of going through every day with your fingers crossed and simply hoping that your debt problems would somehow solve themselves, I would say “yes” again. As a bankruptcy attorney, I find that a lot of people are so misinformed about the purpose of our bankruptcy laws that they think filing bankruptcy is admitting that they’ve failed. So they continue to suffer needlessly when the law actually provides a solution for their situation.
Don’t get me wrong. I am not saying that bankruptcy is the solution to all financial problems. If you are having a tough time financially and are struggling to pay your creditors, I am not suggesting that you should quickly take the easy path by bailing out and giving up without first seriously considering all other options that may be available to you. If at all possible, you should find out whether there are non-bankruptcy alternatives in dealing with your debt problems.
However, if you’re already past that point and have exhausted all your options, what I’m saying is that you shouldn’t sit around thinking that your life is over just because bankruptcy is inevitable and that you will never have a second chance. Sure, maybe you’ve made some mistakes that led to your present situation but filing bankruptcy doesn’t mean that you’re a failure. If you focus on reliving the negative experiences of the past, you’re likely to miss opportunities that lie ahead. So get back up again and dust yourself off.
Someone said: “Success truly is the result of good judgment. Good judgment is the result of experience, and experience is often the result of bad judgment!” You know what that means? That means that you can make mistakes, learn from them and eventually still be successful! Your life can be better and it’s your attitude that makes the difference!
If you are ready to make 2017 a better year but are still struggling financially with debt problems and don’t know where to turn for help, we can help you figure out all available options. For more information and to schedule a free consultation, please call Toll-Free 1-866-477-7772. We have offices in Glendale, Cerritos and Valencia.
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None of the information herein is intended to give legal advice for any specific situation. Atty. Ray Bulaon has successfully helped thousands of clients in getting out of debt. For a free attorney evaluation of your situation, please call Ray Bulaon Law Offices at TOLL FREE 1 (866) 477-7772.