Hear from Our Customers
You’re drowning in credit card bills, medical debt, or facing foreclosure. The collection calls won’t stop, and you’re losing sleep wondering how you’ll make next month’s rent in a neighborhood where housing costs average $3,095 monthly.
Here’s what changes after filing bankruptcy: The harassment stops immediately. Your wages stay in your paycheck. You keep your essential assets while eliminating overwhelming debt. Within months, not years, you’re building credit again instead of watching it crumble.
This isn’t about failure. In Kips Bay, where 72% of residents rent and face Manhattan’s rising costs, financial pressure hits even high earners. You’re taking control of a situation that was spiraling beyond your reach.
We’ve been serving New York residents since 1993, with over 30 legal professionals handling complex financial situations. We understand Kips Bay’s unique challenges – from the young professionals juggling student loans and high rent to established residents facing unexpected medical bills.
Our approach combines multiple strategies: bankruptcy protection, foreclosure defense, and debt negotiation. While Manhattan foreclosures recently hit a 10-year high, we’ve helped countless clients navigate these troubled waters and emerge financially stable.
You won’t get shuffled between paralegals or junior associates. Our experienced attorneys handle your case personally, understanding that your financial crisis deserves immediate, expert attention.
First, we evaluate your complete financial picture during a comprehensive consultation. Every debt, asset, and income source gets reviewed to determine whether Chapter 7, Chapter 13, or alternative solutions best fit your situation.
Next, we prepare and file your bankruptcy petition with the court. The automatic stay takes effect immediately, stopping all collection activities, wage garnishments, and foreclosure proceedings. Your creditors legally cannot contact you while your case proceeds.
Finally, you attend a brief meeting of creditors (usually 10-15 minutes) where a trustee asks basic questions about your finances. Most Chapter 7 cases receive discharge within 3-4 months, permanently eliminating eligible debts and giving you the fresh start you need.
Ready to get started?
Our bankruptcy services cover every aspect of financial recovery. Chapter 7 bankruptcy eliminates credit card debt, medical bills, personal loans, and old tax obligations. Chapter 13 creates manageable payment plans while protecting your home from foreclosure.
For Kips Bay residents facing foreclosure, we provide aggressive defense strategies. With Manhattan’s foreclosure activity reaching unprecedented levels, timing matters. We handle all court appearances, negotiate with lenders, and explore loan modification options while your bankruptcy case proceeds.
Business owners aren’t forgotten. Chapter 11 reorganization helps viable businesses restructure debt and continue operations. Whether you’re a small restaurant owner on Second Avenue or manage a professional practice, we customize strategies that address both personal and business financial challenges.
Bankruptcy stops wage garnishment immediately upon filing. The automatic stay is a powerful federal protection that takes effect the moment your petition reaches the court, typically within 24 hours of filing.
Your employer must stop deducting money from your paycheck once they receive notice of your bankruptcy filing. This includes garnishments for credit card debt, medical bills, personal loans, and most other unsecured debts.
The protection is comprehensive and immediate. Even if garnishment papers were already served on your employer, the automatic stay supersedes those orders and restores your full paycheck while your case proceeds through the court system.
Yes, you can typically keep your apartment when filing bankruptcy in Kips Bay. If you’re current on rent, bankruptcy doesn’t affect your lease agreement or tenancy rights.
Chapter 7 bankruptcy focuses on eliminating unsecured debt like credit cards and medical bills, not disrupting your housing situation. Your landlord cannot evict you solely because you filed bankruptcy, and the automatic stay actually protects you from eviction proceedings related to pre-filing debts.
If you’re behind on rent, Chapter 13 bankruptcy can help you catch up through a court-approved payment plan while stopping eviction proceedings. This gives you time to stabilize your finances without losing your housing in one of Manhattan’s most desirable neighborhoods.
Certain debts survive bankruptcy and must still be paid after your case concludes. These include recent student loans, current child support and alimony obligations, recent tax debts (typically less than 3 years old), and debts incurred through fraud.
Criminal fines, penalties, and most court-ordered restitution also cannot be discharged. Additionally, secured debts like car loans and mortgages remain if you want to keep the property, though you can surrender the property and eliminate any deficiency balance.
However, the majority of common debts – credit cards, medical bills, personal loans, old utility bills, and deficiency balances from repossessed vehicles – are completely eliminated in bankruptcy, giving you genuine relief from overwhelming financial pressure.
Chapter 13 bankruptcy immediately stops foreclosure proceedings through the automatic stay, giving you breathing room to address mortgage arrears. You can catch up on missed payments over 3-5 years through a court-approved repayment plan.
This is particularly valuable in Kips Bay, where property values remain high despite recent foreclosure increases. Instead of losing your home and equity, Chapter 13 lets you spread past-due amounts over time while making current mortgage payments.
The court-approved plan is binding on your mortgage company – they cannot refuse reasonable proposals that meet legal requirements. Many clients save homes they thought were lost forever, preserving both their housing stability and accumulated equity in Manhattan’s competitive real estate market.
Chapter 7 bankruptcy eligibility depends on passing the means test, which compares your income to New York’s median income levels. For 2024, the median income threshold is approximately $78,000 for single filers and $95,000 for married couples.
If your income exceeds these thresholds, you can still qualify by demonstrating that your necessary living expenses leave insufficient funds to pay creditors. This is common in expensive areas like Kips Bay, where housing costs consume large portions of even high incomes.
The calculation includes your average monthly income over the six months before filing, not your current income. If you recently lost a job or experienced reduced hours, you may qualify for Chapter 7 even if your previous income was higher than median levels.
Chapter 7 bankruptcy typically takes 3-4 months from filing to discharge in Manhattan’s Southern District of New York bankruptcy court. Chapter 13 cases last 3-5 years depending on your repayment plan length, but debt elimination begins immediately upon confirmation.
The timeline includes a meeting of creditors approximately 30 days after filing, where you answer basic questions about your finances. This meeting usually lasts 10-15 minutes and occurs at the bankruptcy court in lower Manhattan.
Most clients receive their discharge order and can begin rebuilding credit within 4 months of filing Chapter 7. Chapter 13 provides immediate protection while you complete your payment plan, after which remaining eligible debts are discharged and your financial fresh start is complete.
Useful Links
Here are some lawyer-related links:
Other Services we provide in Kips Bay