Rogers Bankruptcy Law Blog

Plan to address holiday debts now

On behalf of Chris Harris of Hatfield Harris, PLLC posted in Personal Bankruptcy on Thursday, January 9, 2020.

Now that the holiday season is over, some people are faced with a harsh reality as the credit card bills start rolling in. You really can't avoid checking the mail, and ignoring the credit card statements won't help the situation at all. Instead, you need to find out what you owe and plan to get those bills taken care of.

One of the first things that you need to do is to find out exactly what you owe. This includes all your debts, and the minimum payment for each account. Once you have this information, you can sit down to create a budget. This lets you know whether you can realistically make all the payments while keeping up with your regular bills.

Drug possession: Potential defense strategies to consider

On behalf of Andrew H. Hatfield of Hatfield Harris, PLLC posted in Drug Charges on Wednesday, January 8, 2020.

Drug charge convictions can impact a person for a long time, so many defendants choose to fight the charges they are facing. There are many different options that you have when you are trying to determine what defense strategy is appropriate for your case.

One of the primary considerations is that you need to remember in these cases is that you can only use defense components that represent what actually happened. Your defense must be based on the truth, as you are stating the components in court under oath.

Credit card debt in America is creeping higher than last year

On behalf of Chris Harris of Hatfield Harris, PLLC posted in Credit Card Debt on Tuesday, December 31, 2019.

Credits cards are a primary source of payment for many Americans. The debt that comes with this is easy for some to pay off when the time comes; however, there is an increase in people who are having problems with remaining confident that they can pay their bills. Part of this is due to the high interest rates on some cards.

In the second quarter of 2019, there has been an increase in the total debt load for this country. Americans carry around $830 billion in credit card debt, which is a 6% increase from this time last year. While personal loans are the fastest growing type of debt, credit card debt isn't far behind.

Medical debt is overwhelming Americans: Here are the facts

On behalf of Chris Harris of Hatfield Harris, PLLC posted in Medical Debt on Tuesday, December 31, 2019.

Medical debt can lead to many problems for people who are struggling with it, but one of the worst issues is that it can impact their ability to get mortgages and buy homes. According to a Dec. 16 report, it's unexpected medical bills that are increasing the debt load of Americans.

With medical debt, potential buyers are finding it harder to get a mortgage. In fact, 38% of buyers who owe money for expenses related to health care claim that they were not given a loan for a home because of the debt that they're in. The rejection rate is allegedly higher than those who have student loans or credit debt.

Find a way home if you are drinking alcohol this holiday season

On behalf of Andrew H. Hatfield of Hatfield Harris, PLLC posted in Drunk Driving on Thursday, December 26, 2019.

The holiday season is full of festive events, but you have to be careful if you are going to have some alcoholic beverages. You can't drive after you've had a couple or more because you run the risk of being arrested for the suspicion of drunk driving. In this state, any driver who has a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08% or higher can't legally drive. People who are under 21 years old have a much lower limit of .02%.

When you get your driver's license here, you agree to the implied consent law. This means that you must submit to a chemical test to check for the presence of alcohol in your system. If you don't comply, you can face serious penalties. If you are trying to decide whether to take the chemical test, you have to think about the possibilities you are facing if you take the test, as well as the ones you are facing if you don't.

Medical debt affects around a third of Americans today

On behalf of Chris Harris of Hatfield Harris, PLLC posted in Medical Debt on Wednesday, December 18, 2019.

When you suddenly had to go to the hospital, you knew that you were going to end up with a huge bill. You did everything you could to avoid it, but in the end, you needed emergency care.

You're not the only person that this has happened to, and you're right to be frustrated by the debt you've accrued. Medical debts are some of the most significant that Americans deal with thanks to high deductible health care plans and other factors.

Many people in debt can't afford to file for bankruptcy

On behalf of Chris Harris of Hatfield Harris, PLLC posted in Personal Bankruptcy on Tuesday, December 17, 2019.

Many people opt to file bankruptcy to try to get back on top of their finances. While this might sound like it would work, it often doesn't. The issue that many people face is that they don't have the money to file their case. They have to cover the cost to file, as well as attorney fees. But, people who file bankruptcy shouldn't skimp on the attorney.

National filing data shows that people who have an attorney fare much better in Chapter 7 cases than those who go through the process pro se. People who use petition preparer services typically fare just as bad as those who prepare everything on their own.

Plan for paying off your holiday debts

On behalf of Chris Harris of Hatfield Harris, PLLC posted in Credit Card Debt on Tuesday, December 17, 2019.

Many Americans opt to use credit cards to pay for holiday expenses. Unfortunately, this means that they start the new year in debt. Trying to pay these bills off becomes a priority because the account is constantly accruing interest. If you plan on using your credit accounts to pay for Christmas gifts, you need to make a plan to pay off the balances soon after the new year, so you aren't saddled with it all year long.

First, figure out how much extra you can pay toward the balances each week. Include this amount in your budget so that you can knock the balances down as quickly as possible. Your goal should be to pay as much as you can, so you aren't accumulating too much interest on the balances.

Medical debt is difficult for all Americans; get help

On behalf of Chris Harris of Hatfield Harris, PLLC posted in Medical Debt on Thursday, December 5, 2019.

People in America spend more on health care per capita than in any other developed country. On average, each person spends $10,000 annually. One of the big problems with health care in America is that much of it comes out of pocket. This can be particularly true in cases of accidents, where patients are left with whatever emergency care providers are needed, not just those who are in network. With the combination of high prescription drug costs and high out-of-pocket expenses, it's no wonder that so many people struggle with medical debt.

Did you know that over 42.9 million Americans have medical debts?

Drug charges come with many consequences

On behalf of Andrew H. Hatfield of Hatfield Harris, PLLC posted in Drug Charges on Thursday, December 5, 2019.

Drug charges can impact almost every area of your life, including your school, work and personal life. The exact consequences you face depend on the circumstances surrounding the situation where you are found to be in possession of drugs or using drugs and the activities you are involved in.

Students who are in high school and middle school can be tested for drugs randomly if they participate in extracurricular activities of a competitive nature, according to a United States Supreme Court ruling in 2002. This isn't meant as a way to punish student athletes, but instead, to discover when there is a problem, so it can be addressed.