As 2009 wraps up, I find myself reflecting on the happenings of the year—and not all of them are great. 2009 was a tough year for the entire country. St. Louis alone had over 1,700 people a month on average searching for protection from foreclosure. Even more people need credit card debt help and relief from their hounding creditors. That is why, in a year filled with economic turmoil, I opened two new offices right outside St. Louis. And now the books are filling up with people who know they need help with their financial situation at both our Wentzville Missouri location and our Fairview Heights Illinois location. Continue reading

Bankruptcy filings for Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 have hit a high in Missouri and Illinois—and all across the nation. We are expected to reach 1.4 million bankruptcy filings by the end of the year. Some areas of the country are seeing well over 100% increase in filings but, despite the high number of filings, there have been relatively few cases of bankruptcy fraud. Why is that? FBI financial-crimes section… Continue reading

Christmas is a great time for spending time with family and friends—and spending money on gifts for them. The cost of Christmas seems to only get bigger as the years go by. While credit card companies may have made it easier to spend more money, they’ve also made us dread the bills we get in January. So, for the sake of 2010, here are some tips on saving a few bucks that I’ve gathered after spending 15 holiday seasons working as a St. Louis Missouri and Illinois Bankruptcy attorney. Continue reading

Whether it is Missouri Chapter 7, Illinois Chapter 13, or vice-versa, you’ve decided to file bankruptcy to get help through the hard times. Maybe you need protection from foreclosure or a credit card debt solution—whatever the case, the first question on your mind might be, “So, how soon is help coming?” And, if you’ve already read the Missouri Bankruptcy Book or talked with a St. Louis Bankruptcy attorney, then you know the answer is soon. Continue reading

Unfortunately, divorce and debt problems are often related. Credit card debt notices, harassing creditor calls, or wage garnishments may have just been the “straw that broke the camel’s back.” But most people find that divorce doesn’t erase their credit card debt or remove their garnishment and some take responsibility and file for bankruptcy. While being divorced doesn’t necessarily make a bankruptcy harder, there are different precautions that must be taken when dealing with an ex that your experienced Missouri bankruptcy lawyer should be prepared to handle. Continue reading

Cold weather has swept St. Louis—and with it, comes the Missouri Cold Weather Rule, put forth by Attorney General Chris Koster. The rule requires that utility companies leave your utilities connected for the 24 hours following a forecasted temperature of below 32 degrees. So, if you are late on your utility bill, you won’t be “left out in the cold.” (Well, at least not immediately.) The utility companies are… Continue reading

Owner and Founder of Castle Law Office, James Brown, can now add best-selling author to his resume. His fifth publication, “Shift Happens,” was done as part of a venture with America’s Premier Experts. James was named one of the top 20 experts in America earlier this year for his efforts and knowledge in the world of bankruptcy. He, along with other experts, wrote Shift Happens to help the average American survive and thrive in the current economy. Since the release on November 19th, the book has been a hit and been named a best-seller in only four days for three different categories, including Direct Marketing, Entrepreneurship, and Communications. Continue reading

We are well into the information age—a time where you can find any little factoid that you wish by simply typing your question into a search engine. But when you are researching information for more serious matters, like your financial future, you may want to be more careful. After all, just because it is posted on the internet doesn’t mean that it is true; there are plenty of bloggers out there with no credentials telling you whether bankruptcy is right for you or not. And incorrect information is dangerous. It can cause people to count or discount things based on rumor and opinion. Continue reading

Why is it that people wait to make a move when they are under overwhelming amounts of debt? It is often hard to tell. When you are being harassed by creditors over the phone, suffering from wage garnishments, and suffering under a pile of overdue bill notices, sometimes you just want to give up. But, sticking your head in the sand won’t change your situation. In fact, waiting to do something about your debt can only make your situation worse. Continue reading

Papers like the Post-Dispatch and the News-Democrat have been riddled with stories about St. Louis based cable company Charter Communications throughout its bankruptcy. And now it seems that Charter has finally emerged from bankruptcy. They have cut their staggering $21.7 billion worth of debt by $8 billion. How did they get so far into debt? The same way millions of Americans are still getting into financial trouble: they were unable to get refinancing. Continue reading