Consult #2

[flyinbroke]

and I think we may have a winner. She will cost a little more to retain, but she said that none of my numbers are suspect (except recreation, but she said she can pad other areas because gas prices are shooting up and i can make more allowance for car repair.) 401K is fine at 5 percent, should not raise it though (bummer.) Also said that since I don't have a homestead to protect I can have up to 12K in cash and highly recommends that I stockpile $$$.

I don't have the hard numbers yet, but it will look like I will pay about 40-50 percent back...until my car is paid off then we will step up. She does not want my car in the BK since it is nearly paid off and current.

Have to postpone about 6 months...had to use a CC for the vet because kitty bloodwork was way more than budget allowed. Also had to change withholding which changes my income substantially to the negative.

[optimistic1]

Any attorney who tells me they will pad my expenses, is hired.

[flyinbroke]

This one only does BK as well. She said my expenses looked realistic, and those that the TT will object to can be shifted to other areas that I may underestimate on. I like that approach. I also like paying my car off myself..helps the credit thing and keeps a truckload of cost out of my 13 as the TT doesn't get paid for that.

I will have to see what magic the computer spits out, and have to wait, but she said if I am definitely filing I need to stop paying all CCs (except one I bought a mattress on) and worry about stockpiling $$$.

[nodollarsnomo]

That is great news! I like the part about having the $12,000.00 because you have no homestead. Do you think that it is just for ch 13?
I would also be interested in knowing how she suggest you stockpile cash.

[flyinbroke]

Not in an account that you also owe money to lol. In a 13, I get the impression that more is declared exempt than if you were in a 7 since you are in a payback mode. I am thinking this may be a 13 thing that they can work if need be. I will have to ask how...but atty def. recommended having a cushion since your budget in a 13 will not allow for any emergencies and you won't have any plastic to fall back on.

[Lissy]

Good for you! She sounds a lot like my atty. He told me the same thing - stop paying on everything except my car and save that cash. He also told me not to keep any money in my bank account. He said if a creditor gets a judgment against you, one of the first things they will do is seize your bank account. If there's nothing in it, you won't be out anything. That's not usually a problem for me, unfortunately. I need to look into exemptions in my state (Florida). I have no homestead either and I'm hoping I can exempt at least some of my potential bonus.

[flyinbroke]

Mine did tell me to pay on a card I bought a mattress on before I decided that I had to do this. I will also pay on tires I had to buy before the crash and burn lol. Both are over 600, so I think I want to eliminate any doubt. I think minimum payments will suffice though.

[debtinohio]

Mine did tell me to pay on a card I bought a mattress on before I decided that I had to do this. I will also pay on tires I had to buy before the crash and burn lol. Both are over 600, so I think I want to eliminate any doubt. I think minimum payments will suffice though.

Some minimum good-faith payments are a good idea on those.

[flyinbroke]

I was doing that anyways. Anyone I used recently has been getting good faith minimums.

[debtinohio]

I was doing that anyways. Anyone I used recently has been getting good faith minimums.

Yeah - I did that for a few months. It was a struggle at the end, you had no choice to use the cards for living expenses so it was tough to time stopping payments yet having enough money to live at the same time!

[flyinbroke]

That is just it..just when I think I can do it, something comes up. Vet bills, car repairs, something came along to blow the cashflow.

[debtinohio]

I eventually just stopped all payments, I figured most creditors would be too busy to fight for some of these small amounts I spent in the end anyway. They were all basic necessities. I had well over 200K in unsecured, and triple that in secureds and not one creditor showed up to my 341. Many were locally owned banks/credit unions too. That amazes me.