Category: Consumer Columnists

NO one ever likes to talk about bankruptcy. However, it’s simply a fact of life. Things happen. Whether it’s losing your job, going through a divorce, having huge medical bills…

Q: I HAVE been employed by a mid-size company in Los Angeles for over 2 years. Recently, some co-workers privately talked to me that several workers in their department often…

THINKING about one’s demise is not something people want to spend time thinking about.  However reality is that we all have to face this one day.  It is just a…

THE client is 72, married, and owns a small business. He’s been operating the business for the last 30 years. At its height, when times were good, the business had…

WHEN people think of bankruptcy, oftentimes they think of the worst thing that could happen to them — losing their home, cars and other assets that they have. The truth…

MOISES Negrete worked at Conagra Foods, Inc.’s food processing facilities located all over California. Moises and other workers sued their employer in a class action, alleging failure to provide them…

THERE’S a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to harvest. There’s a time for everything. So states Ecclesiastes 3: “For…

The purpose of spousal support is not defined by the legislature in that its purpose varies according to the facts and circumstances of each case.  The facts and circumstances of…

CAROL Holaday and her husband Jim Willcoxson were employed by Colonial Van & Storage, Inc., a moving and storage company in Fresno, CA. Holaday was a supervisor and long-haul dispatcher….

ARE you seriously in debt and don’t know what to do about your situation? Are you afraid that unless you do something about it, thing will just continue to get…

ONE of the biggest problem of millenials and Gen Z are educational cost and student loan debt.  This eats up a large part of a households budget even among married…

WHAT’S the difference between Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy? Chapter 7 is called a fresh start because it wipes out all dischargeable debt while allowing the debtor to keep…

Q:  MY spouse and I are expecting a baby and we are trying to figure out how much family leave we are entitled to so we can each spend quality…

THERE is never the perfect time to think about who you would like to inherit from your estate in case you pass away or at least who among your closest…

WHEN a person wants to get into business, he or she can do business as an individual, or set up a different legal entity separate from him or herself to…

AS a bankruptcy attorney, I am often asked: “How will filing bankruptcy change my life?” I think people ask this question because of the negative things that they may have…

ONE of the biggest problems of millennials and Gen Z are educational cost and student loan debt. This eats up a large part of a household’s budget even among married…

JANE Doe worked in the office of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). She and another CDCR employee who worked in the same location, Correctional Officer Luis Serna,…

A person who files bankruptcy does not automatically lose everything they have, contrary to what some people may believe. Because the concept behind bankruptcy is to give the honest debtor…

LET’S give bankruptcy a historical and legal perspective. Right now, when we say bankruptcy law, we refer to Federal law called the “Bankruptcy Code” of 2005. Creditors did a lot…

ONE of the biggest problems of millennials and Gen Z are educational cost and student loan debt. This eats up a large part of a household’s budget even among married…

THERE are situations in both Divorce and Child Support cases where the Summons and Petition resulted to a default against one party for failing to respond on time.  In certain…

MANY people who need debt relief are afraid to file for Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 because they fear that life after bankruptcy will be difficult. The fear is that…

ARE you worried about your future due to having too much debt? You’ve probably heard the saying, “The failure to plan is a plan to fail”.  And yet so many…

Q: I HEAR a lot of talk about “diversity” and “pay equity” in the workplace. I live in California and, yes, I work with a “diverse” group of people in…

THERE are situations in both Divorce and Child Support cases where the Summons and Petition resulted to a default against one party for failing to respond on time.  In certain…

MATTHEW Flanigan worked as the Director of Information Technology (IT) for Rheumatology Diagnostics Laboratory, Inc. (RDL) in Los Angeles, California. He discovered that tens of thousands of patients’ information were…

Establishing parentage rights for Moms is a lot easier than establishing one for unmarried Dads.  Moms can establish this by simply showing proof of her having given birth to the…

OVER the last 35 years, many clients always ask me “Attorney, should I file for bankruptcy?” This question is asked after they have told me what their problem is. The…