I often advise my clients that if they are sitting my office discussing their financial problems with a bankruptcy lawyer, then everything needs to be on the table. The house, the cars, the big screen tv, the electronics, and even the time share (!). My job, as the bankrutpcy lawyer is to help my client chart a course of living within one’s means and getting rid of debts that are not necessary for survival. Bankruptcy is about what you need, not what you want.
To this end, my colleage Cathy Moran from the Bankruptcy Law Network, forwarded to me a link to a web page entitled “10 Financial Lies We Tell Ourselves.” I recommend that you take a look at this web site, not as a means to chastise yourself, but as a tool for moving forward. Resolve that starting today, you will not make the mistakes of the past that have brought you to the brink of bankruptcy. Recognize that financial hardship can happen to anyone and that you should always prepare yourself for tough times. Whether you end up filing bankruptcy or not, use the experience of financial distress to clear away bad habits and bad decisions.