Your Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Lawyer and your Recovery

One of the main things that keeps people from filing with a Chapter 13 bankruptcy lawyer is the

knowledge that rebuilding credit will be a herculean task. Make no mistake about it, you may be in for

some hard times. That said, it's important to separate myth from fact. Corporations run America and it is

in their best interests to foster a culture of fear as it pertains to discharging debt. In reality, people don't

file because they don't want to pay back their debts. They file because it genuinely is the best financial

decision. This may not be what a credit card company wants to hear, but it's what you need to

understand. After you've done so, here are some things you can do to recover.

chapter 13 bankruptcy lawyer

Forgive Yourself

A Chapter 13 bankruptcy lawyer can help you with debt forgiveness, but he can't help you with

something equally important: self forgiveness. Too many people file for debt discharge and then spend

the next year wrestling with the ethics of it all. While there may be valid ethical concerns-and one can

hardly impart their morals onto someone else-wallowing in disgust and self-pity isn't going to do you

any good. It's time to release the past, realize you made some mistakes, and resolve to do better this

time. When your debts are discharged, you are essentially given a blank slate. It's up to you what you do

with it.

Ask Yourself Questions

While it does no good to wallow in guilt; you are doing yourself no favors if you forget the past

altogether. After all, those who do not learn from their mistakes are doomed to repeat them. To avoid

this, you'll need to be honest about what those mistakes were. Some people wind up needing a Chapter

13 bankruptcy lawyer through no fault of their own. A lost job can result in unmanageable debt in a

hurry. Many, however, made some crucial financial mistakes that must be corrected. Ask yourself some

questions about how you got to this point and what you can do differently in the future. Debt counseling

classes can give you some tangible tips.

Create a Budget

The only way you can avoid winding up back in financial dire straits is to create a budget. This budget

should not only be realistic, but somewhat sparse. You need to become the very definition of living

within your means, if not below them. Chapter 13 bankruptcy lawyers will tell you that most of their

clients are bad about keeping a budget. Many have no idea how much they bring in as opposed to how

much they spend. You need to get a grip on those numbers and stick to them if you want to improve

your situation in the future.