Law Office of Gwendolyn M Santos
Los Angeles law office handling immigration petitions, citizenship matters, and Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy.
Bankruptcy attorneys in Los Angeles
Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 filings, means testing, exemptions and creditor negotiation.
About Bankruptcy matters in Los Angeles
Consumer bankruptcy in California is mostly Chapter 7 and Chapter 13. Chapter 7 discharges qualifying unsecured debt relatively quickly but requires passing a means test and involves a trustee who can sell non-exempt property. Chapter 13 keeps property and reorganises debt into a multi-year repayment plan, which is the route people take to cure a mortgage arrears or to keep a vehicle.
Exemptions are what determine whether Chapter 7 is safe for you. California has two alternative exemption systems and you must choose one for the whole case; one protects more home equity, the other is more generous for people without significant equity. That choice is made once and is not easily reversed, which makes it one of the more consequential decisions in the filing.
Some debts survive a discharge — most tax obligations, domestic support, and student loans absent a separate showing. A consultation that does not tell you which of your debts fall into that category has not answered the question you came in with.
Filing costs are more than the attorney fee: there is a court filing fee and required credit counselling, and both are separate line items. Ask for the total, and ask when the automatic stay begins — the point at which collection activity, wage garnishment and foreclosure proceedings must stop is usually the reason timing matters.
Bankruptcy firms in the directory
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Law Offices of Pauline Chernick
Los Angeles bankruptcy practice led by Pauline Chernick, assisting individuals with Chapter 7 eligibility, filings and debt-related concerns.
Aragon Law Offices
Aragon Law Offices is a Los Angeles firm handling Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy and assessing alternatives for clients with debt problems.
Law Office of Marc Weitz
Downtown Los Angeles law practice handling bankruptcy, business disputes, real estate matters and financial arbitration.
Sanchez & Baltazar Attorneys P.C.
Sanchez & Baltazar Attorneys P.C. handles personal and business bankruptcy and criminal defense, with an appointment-only Los Angeles office and English and Spanish services.
Chekian Law Office
Bankruptcy and debt practice serving individuals, businesses, and creditors in California, with a focus on Southern California.
RHM LAW LLP
Bankruptcy firm with Los Angeles and Encino offices handling consumer and business cases, debt relief, and home loan modification.
Law Office of Mark J. Markus
Bankruptcy practice representing individuals, businesses, and creditors in Chapter 7, Chapter 11, and Chapter 13 matters.
Cal West Law
Bankruptcy and debt-relief firm handling Chapters 7, 11, and 13, foreclosure prevention, creditor disputes, and debt settlement in Southern California.
Law Offices of Karen Ware, PC
Consumer bankruptcy and debt practice handling Chapter 7, Chapter 13, tax debt, garnishment, collection lawsuits, and bank levies.
Martin & Bontrager, APC
Consumer-rights firm representing Californians in matters involving debt collection abuse, credit reporting errors, consumer protection violations, bankruptcy, and employment disputes.
The Law Offices of John C. Lackner
Downtown Los Angeles practice handling bankruptcy matters and injury claims arising from vehicle, premises and other accidents.
Law Office of Joseph Collier
Los Angeles attorney Joseph Collier provides direct representation for individual and joint Chapter 7 bankruptcy cases.
Resolve Law Group
A multi-state consumer law firm headquartered in Encino that began as a bankruptcy practice and now also handles debt, consumer protection and several other practice areas.
LO & LO, Attorneys at Law
A family-run Alhambra firm founded in 1981 that handles business, real estate, estate planning, probate and bankruptcy matters, along with related civil litigation.
None of the firms on this page match those filters.
Listing information is compiled from publicly available sources and may not reflect recent changes. LA Law Hub does not endorse or recommend any lawyer or law firm solely by inclusion in this directory. Law firms may contact us to claim or update their profile. Directory
Common questions
Will I lose my house or my car?
Not necessarily. California exemptions protect a defined amount of home equity and vehicle value, and Chapter 13 exists in part to let people keep secured property while curing arrears. Which chapter is safe for you depends on your equity and on which of California's two exemption systems you elect.
Which debts are not wiped out?
Most tax debt, child and spousal support, and student loans absent a separate showing generally survive a discharge, as do debts arising from certain kinds of wrongdoing. Confirming which of your specific debts are dischargeable is the main thing a first consultation should produce.
What is the means test?
A comparison of your household income against a state median figure, with allowances, that determines eligibility for Chapter 7. Failing it does not close off bankruptcy — it generally points toward Chapter 13 instead.
When does collection activity stop?
The automatic stay takes effect on filing, and at that point most collection efforts, wage garnishment and foreclosure activity must pause. That timing is often the reason a filing date matters more than people expect.