Bankruptcy

I also have several years of handling Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 Bankruptcies for individual clients and some businesses, primarily considered to be "Consumer Type" bankruptcies. Bankruptcies are Court actions in which the bankruptcy court is petitioned on behalf of a Debtor for relief under the Bankruptcy Code. Chapter 7 Bankruptcies are often called "Straight" Bankruptcies or "Liquidation" Bankruptcies in which the goal and the usual end result is for the Debtor to get a fresh start by making his or her debts legally unenforceable ("discharged"). There are extensive rules and regulations about what property a Debtor is allowed to keep in exchange for the discharge. Most of the cases that are filed are Chapter 7 Bankruptcies.

Following close behind are Chapter 13 Bankruptcies. A Chapter 13 Bankruptcy differs from a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy in many ways. Most importantly, it involves a plan to pay back creditors a certain percentage of the debt over a period of time in exchange for the discharge. A Chapter 13 Bankruptcy takes longer and is more expensive than a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, but sometimes they are more beneficial to a Debtor than a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy. The most common reasons why people file Chapter 13 Bankruptcies instead of Chapter 7 Bankruptcies are:

1. They have fallen far behind on mortgage payments on a house or other real estate and they need to try to save the real estate from foreclosure by entering into a plan to catch up the payments over a period of time;
2. They have substantial debts that cannot be discharged in a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy such as certain student loans, tax debts, alimony, or child support obligations; and/or
3. The Debtor owns substantial property which might have to be surrendered in a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, but which in a Chapter 13 Bankruptcy, the Debtor can retain ownership as long as the proposed Chapter 13 Plan is approved and the Debtor complies with the Plan.

Bankruptcy hearings and meetings for cases filed in the Middle District of Florida take place near or at the Federal Courthouse in downtown Tampa. Most bankruptcy cases can be handled for a flat fee, assuming no real complications or adversary proceedings are necessary. See the "Fee Structure" page for more details.

Miscellaeous Legal Matter

Other types of legal matters which I also handle on a regular basis are:

1. Preparation of Wills and Trusts;
2. Landlord/Tenant Litigation;
3. Mortgage Foreclosures;
4. Certain types of business disputes;
5. Other transactional matters such as preparing deeds and contracts.

If you have a question about whether or not I handle a particular type of case, I urge you to call and find out. Sometimes, even if I cannot personally handle your case, I can find an attorney for you on a referral basis.

Family Law

"Family Law" covers a wide range of services and legal situations. The most common is divorce also called dissolution of marriage in Florida. I have many years of experience handling all phases of divorce from the pre-planning and possible uncontested stage, through actual litigation, appellate work, and post-divorce matters including Petitions or Motions for Modification and Enforcement of Court Orders.

Paternity cases are similar to divorces with respect to the children's issues, with the obvious difference being that the parties are not married.

Other areas under Family Law that I handle are responding to Domestic Violence Injunctions, enforcing and establishing child support Orders, and Step-Parent Adoptions. Charges for my services in the family law area vary, depending on whether or not the matter is anticipated to be simple or complex. Please see the "Fee Structure" page of this website for more information.

Family Mediation

General Practice