Personal Bankruptcy Laws For Dummies [Paperback]

James P. Caher (Author), John M. Caher (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 4, 2006

With tips on understanding -- and surviving -- the new bankruptcy laws

If you're considering bankruptcy, you need straightforward answers and reliable advice. This handy guide covers it all -- so you can get your finances in line and your life back on track. This updated new edition covers everything you need to know about the new bankruptcy law and includes even better resources. Don't get desperate -- get out of debt instead!

Discover how to
* Weigh the consequences of bankruptcy
* Manage your spending
* Find professional help you can trust
* Decide on the right type of bankruptcy
* Pass the means test
* Keep more of your stuff

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

With tips on understanding — and surviving — the new bankruptcy laws

If you're considering bankruptcy, you need straightforward answers and reliable advice. This handy guide covers it all — so you can get your finances in line and your life back on track. This updated new edition covers everything you need to know about the new bankruptcy law and includes even better resources. Don't get desperate — get out of debt instead!

Discover how to

• Weigh the consequences of bankruptcy
• Manage your spending
• Find professional help you can trust
• Decide on the right type of bankruptcy
• Pass the means test
• Keep more of your stuff

About the Author

James P. Caher, a practicing attorney with 30 years of experience, is a nationally recognized expert on consumer bankruptcies and authority on the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005.
Jim coauthored, with his brother John, Debt Free! Your Guide to Personal Bankruptcy Without Shame (Henry Holt, 1996) and two highly regarded books for lawyers: Discharging Marital Obligations in Bankruptcy (LRP, 1997) and Discharging Credit Card Debts in Bankruptcy (LRP, 1998).
In addition, Jim has published scores of articles for bankruptcy professionals and is frequently called upon to analyze and interpret the complicated provisions of the 2005 bankruptcy law. He was labeled the “online guru” by a national legal weekly because of his regular appearances on the Internet as an expert analyst on bankruptcy law. Jim also serves on the editorial board of the American Bankruptcy Institute.
Jim graduated from Niagara University and then earned his law degree from Memphis State University Law School, where he was a member of the Law Review and recipient of the American Jurisprudence Award for Excellence in the field of debtor-creditor relations. He filed his first consumer bankruptcy case shortly after graduating in 1975. Jim lives and practices in Eugene, Oregon.

John M. Caher is a legal journalist who has written about law and the courts for most of his 25-year career.
Currently the Albany bureau chief for the New York Law Journal, John previously was state editor and legal affairs reporter for the Times Union of Albany, New York. His legal reportage has won more than two dozen awards, including prestigious honors from the American Bar Association, the New York State Bar Association, the Erie County Bar Association, and the Associated Press.
John coauthored, with his brother Jim, Debt Free! Your Guide to Personal Bankruptcy Without Shame (Henry Holt, 1996). He is the author of King of the Mountain: The Rise, Fall and Redemption of Chief Judge Sol Wachtler (Prometheus Books, 1998). In addition, John was the principal writer assisting former U.S. Treasury Secretary William E. Simon in preparation of his memoirs. Mr. Simon’s autobiography, A Time for Reflection, was published in 2003 by Regnery.
John is a 1980 graduate of Utica College of Syracuse University, where he received his bachelor’s degree in journalism, and a 1993 graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where he earned a master’s degree in technical communications/graphics. John lives in Clifton Park, New York.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 2 edition (January 4, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471773808
• ISBN-13: 978-0471773801
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #104,263 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #12 in Books > Law > Business > Bankruptcy

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Personal Bankruptcy Laws for Dummies, March 5, 2008

By 

Susan Gibson (East Aurora, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Personal Bankruptcy Laws For Dummies (Paperback)

Personal Bankruptcy Laws for Dummies is the one and only book I found that explains the intricacies of the new bankruptcy law, gives the reader all the information needed to make a rational decision on whether bankruptcy is the appropriate remedy for his or her financial illness, and provides a wealth of information in a manner that neither patronizes nor condemns. Although it recognizes the emotional toll that financial difficulties inevitably place on individuals and couples, its strength is in giving the reader all the information necessary to make a reasoned decision on whether bankruptcy is the best route and, if so, under which chapter of the Bankruptcy Code.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book, November 26, 2010

By 

Kathy A Lopes - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Personal Bankruptcy Laws For Dummies (Paperback)

This book gave me all the information I needed, along with some comfort. Bankruptcy is heartbreaking, I'm appreciated the comforting side notes and encouragement.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Got prep for your meeting with the laywer., October 6, 2010

By 

Jeff Chandler (Grand Junction, CO) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Personal Bankruptcy Laws For Dummies (Paperback)

This book will help you be conversant on some complex legal subject. You won't be able to do your own bankruptcy, but you'll be so much further ahead than talking 'cold' to an attorney. Did you know lawyers lie? Yes they do. I met with three different lawyers, and they all gave me a different line about my financial status. You will need to make some decisions yourself, and this book is a good resource.