Need to file, and wife needs to go back to school

[dragondad]

All 3 of my kids will be in all day school starting the 15th. My wife has a Bachlor's in Liberal studies and has found by itself it doesn't do her much good. So she is going to go back to school to get her teaching credentials in special education (our son is autistic so it fits). 20 month masters program. She has asked around her various educator friends, and when she is done, she is almost gaurenteed a good paying full time job in one of our local districts. To get there, she will have to take out more student loans, about 25k more to add to the current 54k.

At the same time, we are going to need to declare ch13. Due to the housing collapse, her job with her mom's family business went from decent pay, to sporadic, to no pay. We stopped paying all our unsecured debt a year ago. My job is a security clearance job, and I don't see how we can go much longer without taking care of our financial situation. I can't afford to loos my job too.

How is getting more student loans going to look and affect filing ch 13?

Also, the lawyer we consulted with wanted $3375 up front. Seems kind of high and not sure how we could come up with that much. I just got a loan mod and my 1st is current for the first time in a year, so I can't just stop paying it. I hate this, feel trapped with no way out right now.

[tobee43]

so sorry to hear what you and yours are going through.

just a bit of advise. our son in law as a duel master in education and special ed. after 5 years in nj unable to get a job they moved to another state that claimed they needed teachers. they uprooted the family, he got a job only to be laid off the first year. he has his masters and they paid him less than 30k a year. now he moved into a charter school where he's getting at least over 30k but no security at all. so just make certain that teachers are needed in your area or the surrounding area. also many places will not hire masters since in some states the school systems are mandated to pay them more and since the budgets are diluted.

[keepmine]

Are you sure you can't file a Chapter 7?

[pamkev]

I would stay away for the education system and I'm in it. It is getting real tough. I work as a support staff and every year I hold my breath to see if I will have a job next year or not due to budget issues.
One district here in our area is asking teachers to take a 5 percent pay cut plus pay 5 percent more in insurance premiums. If they don't agree major furloughs will begin. They have already cut over 30 jobs now they are looking at more.