The rest of what people ask

Most retirement accounts, such as 401(k)s and IRAs, are protected up to limits the law sets. We look at each account’s type and balance before you decide anything.

Child support and alimony, most student loans, most recent taxes and fines owed to a court usually stay. A secured loan, like a mortgage, stays too unless you give up the house.

No. A married person can file alone, though a joint case sometimes saves a fee. A debt in only your spouse’s name isn’t part of yours, but a house or car you own together is, and we talk it through.

Often, but the wait between cases depends on which kind you filed and which you want now, and it can run from a couple of years to eight. Tell us the dates and we’ll check them.

Not without the court looking at it. Every debt goes on the list, and a large repayment to a friend or relative shortly before filing can be undone. Please talk with us before you pay anyone back a large sum.

You can still file. We will ask for a recent profit-and-loss statement along with your bank statements, and we help you pull it together.

A phone call works just as well. We can also meet at the Franklin Street office by appointment, and send every paper by mail.

No, and nobody honestly can. We tell you what usually happens in a situation like yours and what could change it.