Iowa Bankruptcy Lawyer : Paul Gandy Iowa Bankruptcy Attorney: Iowa Bankruptcy, Fairfield Iowa Bankruptcy Lawyer, Bankruptcy Attorneys

"I was in a bad place in my life. Being a single mom trying to raise children was hard on the budget. I got behind. But thanks to you all at Gandy Law Offices, I have a new start." - R.W.

Having called us is a good sign that some part of you knows you're in trouble; that your financial problems have gotten, or are getting, out of control. One very reliable objective indicator used to determine if debt has gotten out of control is whether your monthly expenses are usually more than your monthly income.

If you have back due bills (taxes, child support, small debts to a number of creditors) that you have been unable to take care of, then the odds are that your finances are strained to the point where bankruptcy may make sense. Another rule of thumb is that if 25%-30% of your take-home pay is going for debts other than house payments, then your debt is probably in the unmanageable realm.

Another indicator may be if there is tension in your personal relationships regarding money issues. It is usually better to swallow your pride, put aside your vanity, and get rid of money worries rather than jeopardize your most important relationships with something that can be so easily taken care of by the simple act of getting a fresh start through bankruptcy. According to Congress, one of bankruptcy's primary goals is to try and save marriages and preserve families where money tension is straining the relationship. In addition, if you are depressed about money issues then it may be time to remove this cloud of despair from your life by the simple act of erasing your debts out of existence through this process.

Other indicators may be specific to the type of debt: for instance, if the thought of destroying all of your credit cards is unthinkable, or if you have taken cash advances on one credit card to make payments on other credit cards, or if you are routinely able to make only minimum payments on your credit cards, then you pretty well know your credit card debt is unmanageable. If you have recently been denied credit then you know that your creditors probably consider you to be insolvent. If one or more of your creditors has referred you to "Consumer Credit Counseling Service" (CCCS), or a similar debt consolidation service, then you can conclude that your creditors have determined that you are essentially bankrupt and that they hope to string you along for a while making payments to CCCS (CCCS was created by, and is solely funded by, the major credit card companies; a notation on your credit report that you have used CCCS may cause future creditors to deny you credit since generally only people with serious financial troubles get directed to CCCS).

Other signs can become such a part of your life and so routine that you cannot even recognize the signals. For instance, if you have to work overtime just to keep up with your bills then you are probably in need of some financial help. If coming up with the monthly car or house payment is always a stressful challenge, then your budget is probably stretched to the breaking point. Or, if you have taken more than one major cash advance on your credit cards within the last year, you probably do not have enough cash coming in to meet bills and expenses.

As a general rule, by the time folks finally call us to ask questions about a bankruptcy they are usually in relatively serious financial trouble and have no problem at all qualifying for fresh start bankruptcy protection. Generally speaking, if you feel you can't make ends meet and need bankruptcy relief no one will argue with you. At the same time, determining eligibility for bankruptcy relief is a big part of what we do when we initially review your paperwork. Most people who file Chapter 7 have more in monthly bills and expenses than they have income to cover those bills. Please call us to discuss your situation in greater detail. You may very well qualify, even if you have an income that is enough to meet your monthly bills and expenses. It just depends on your total situation.

Common events that may cause money problems include: retirement, loss of a job, too much credit, gambling losses, tax underpayment, death of a spouse, failure of a business, a recent, pending or planned divorce or separation (please immediately call us about the issues that can arise from this), loss of overtime hours, adverse civil court judgments, excessive monthly car payments, illness or mounting medical bills, injury at work or in a car, uninsured accidents, excessive credit card interest payments, impoverishment following lengthy schooling, loss of cash flow due to attempts to start a new business, or simply an inability to keep up with monthly bills. Moyea Web Player

MORE THAN 20 YEARS EXPERIENCE

CLIENT TESTIMONIALS

"You guys rock" -- L.K.

"I'd stand on my head for you guys, but I'd look silly doing it." -- P.G.

"Now, I can sleep tonight" -- R.C.

"If you need the help, Gandy's the one to go to." -- P.G.

"Thanks again for helping us out. You all treated us like people, not criminals." -- G.G. & B.G

"You really go to bat for your clients." -- M.H.

"The knot in my stomach is gone." -- K.G.

"Freedom is amazing, we can answer the phone again and actually have money in the bank." -- K.

"I thought your service was excellent. I felt so badly about having to take bankruptcy and so nervous, but your staff helped me feel at ease and were so understanding and helpful. Thank you." -- P.B.

"You are wonderful people, very helpful & friendly! We have a new lease on life!!" -- S. & J. R.

"Excellent service, never felt uncomfortable with subject." -- R.R.

"This was a very hard decision for us, your office made it go smoothly & easy. Thank you." -- G.B.

"Everything was explained so that I understood which made me feel at ease with the staff. Thank you so much for the fresh start." -- A.S.

"Personnel was very courteous, helpful, cordial & looking out for my best interests. I would highly recommend GANDY LAW OFFICES to anyone" -- V.F.

"I was very pleased and relieved to have an honest and outstanding firm as yours. I have had a couple of bad experiences in the past - Thank you very much" -- R.H.

"I think you folks were great. I could hardly believe how easy and smooth it all went. Keep up the good work." -- D.S.

"Professional, yet caring." -- B.H.

"I wish everyone who was suffering financially like I was would find out how easy it is to get out of the mess they're in." -- Anonymous

"Thank you for your guidance and legal assistance. You did a very good job of keeping me informed." -- M.S.

"I was very pleased with Mr. Gandy and staff, and would recommend your law firm." -- C.S.

"Your service was great. An enormous weight has been lifted." -- R.F.

"... thanks for getting me through a very difficult time. I went to court much better prepared than others represented by other firms." -- S.J.

"Deciding to file bankruptcy was hard & I was embarrassed about it. But coming to your office and being treated with respect... it made the whole experience a lot easier, and more pleasant then I imagined it would be." -- Anonymous

"... You took our stress and made life better for us with a new beginning." -- P.H.

"I am glad I chose your firm." -- D.L.

"When I first came into your office, I was so down on myself and truly felt like a failure, but now I am really at peace with myself, and I have started a new life. I owe it all to you, Mr. Gandy, and your wonderful, caring staff." -- G.S.

"The service was wonderful." -- B.H.

"I just want to thank you for all your kindness and help in this matter! You and your staff were so kind, considerate and helpful... You really made me feel at ease about the whole process." -- S.N.

"You all rock!" -- K.

"I was VERY satisfied with your personnel and the way you guys handled everything for me." -- R.O.

"Keep up the good work and thank you very much." -- M.A.

"[You] made us feel like family... We weren't made to feel embarrassed about our decision." -- T.T.

And a very special story was shared to us by one of our valued clients:
"My true feelings about the Gandy Law firm:
I prayed for guidance how to get those bills paid. I was looking in the stand for something and the telephone directory fell out and opened to the yellow pages with the Gandy ad showing. After reading the ad I sat there wondering 'could they be the one's to help me?' My inner thoughts told me 'sure, give them a call and see what happens.'
Well, the rest is history... I'm so grateful to all of you. You people seemed concerned about my health, about me climbing those steps [to the office]. I want you to know since the burden has been lifted from me, my health has gotten better." -- H.B.

Get Started Now. HOW DO I KNOW IF I NEED A FRESH START THROUGH BANKRUPTCY?

Get Started Now.

HOW DO I KNOW IF I NEED A FRESH START THROUGH BANKRUPTCY?