Joshua Tree, California – 5 Star Affordable Lawyer
Free Initial Consultation:
- There is no charge for an initial consultation, so call us today!
- Attorney at Law Team (Lawyer) in private practice since 1975
- We Care About You and Your Loved Ones and About Adhering to Christian Principles in the Practice of Law
- Quality Legal Services at a Reasonable Price
- Located in Palm Desert, California – Serving all Coachella Valley and Morongo Basin Communities including Joshua Tree
- Call us at 760-851-4057
Bankruptcy
Chapters 7 & 13 Bankruptcy Attorney
The founding fathers of our country made specific provision for bankruptcy legislation in the United States Constitution. Congress then enacted the Bankruptcy Code to give honest but unfortunate debtors an opportunity for a fresh financial start.
The two most common forms of bankruptcy relief are known as “Chapter 7 Bankruptcy” and “Chapter 13 Bankruptcy.” Under Chapter 7, most of the individual’s debts are eliminated, and no further payment is made on them unless the individual voluntarily “reaffirms” specific debts (for example, car loans and mortgage debt). On the other hand, Chapter 13 is a debt consolidation program under which the individual makes regular monthly payments to a Chapter 13 Trustee for a period of between three and five years; the Chapter 13 Trustee spreads the money among the individual’s creditors. Chapter 13 is most useful where a person has fallen behind in his or her mortgage and/or car payments. If certain conditions are met, the individual may be able to spread out his or her missed mortgage and/or car payments over a period of up to five years.
Sweeping changes to the Bankruptcy Code took effect in October, 2005. Most newspaper and television news reports which came out at that time gave the impression that Chapter 7 Bankruptcy was essentially a thing of the past. Not true. Most people who qualified for Chapter 7 relief before October, 2005, still qualify. There are now more hoops to jump through, and the process has become more cumbersome — nevertheless, Chapter 7 relief is still available for most people who need it. Chapter 13 relief is also still available for people who wish to save homes from foreclosure and cars from repossession, or who have debts that are not dischargeable in Chapter 7 (for example recent income tax debt).
Most people exhaust every other available option before filing Bankruptcy. For most people, Bankruptcy is the very last resort and is turned to only when:
- Efforts at debt consolidation have failed;
- Hopes for increased income have faded;
- All savings have been depleted;
- The individual is exhausted by letters and harassing telephone calls from creditors and collection agencies;
- The individual and his or her family are emotionally drained by the constant pressure of too many bills to pay and too little money to pay them;
- The individual is on the brink of being sued or garnished and there appears to be no way short of bankruptcy to prevent this from happening;
- The individual is on the brink of losing his or her home to foreclosure, and all efforts to make payment arrangements with the mortgage company have failed.
If you feel you have reached the end of your financial rope, please give us a call at 760-773-0720. We will gladly help you explore your options. There is no charge for an initial consultation.
Estate Planning
Why Hire an Estate Planning Attorney in Joshua Tree, CA?
“Estate Planning” generally includes the following:
-
- Making effective use of trusts, wills, life insurance, family limited partnerships, and other estate planning tools so that, upon your death:
- Your assets will be distributed according to your wishes; and
- Your spouse, your minor children and any other persons dependent upon you for support will be adequately provided for; and
- Any business in which you have a substantial interest will either continue to operate or will be sold or liquidated in an orderly fashion, in accordance with your wishes; and
- Your heirs will pay as little estate and inheritance tax as possible.
Planning for the possibility that you may someday become disabled or incapacitated to the point that you are unable to make health care decisions or to manage your personal and financial affairs.
In many cases, estate planning also includes elements of financial planning and investment counseling. However, please note that Sever Law Office is a law firm, not an investment advisory firm. Daniel Sever is a lawyer, not a financial planner or investment advisor. Mr. Sever will work in conjunction with the financial planners, life insurance agents, and tax advisors of your choice to achieve an estate plan which is comprehensive and internally consistent. However, you can expect Mr. Sever to dispense legal advice only – not financial or investment advice.
OUR OBJECTIVE IS TO PROVIDE QUALITY ESTATE PLANNING SERVICES AT A REASONABLE PRICE.
We achieve our objective of “quality” by the following:
We carefully tailor each will, trust, power of attorney, and other estate planning document to your particular situation, needs, and desires. There is no “one size” that “fits all” when it comes to estate planning. We take the time to gather and analyze information about you and your loved ones so that your wishes can be clearly and accurately expressed.
We remain accessible and take the time to answer your questions. Most people do not encounter wills, trusts, and other estate planning documents every day. As a consequence, these documents can sometimes be confusing. We strive to eliminate the confusion by using plain, straight-forward language when preparing these documents and by addressing the particular questions or concerns you may have.
We remain alert to new developments in the law of wills, trusts, estates, guardianship, probate, and taxation. Mr. Sever has been practicing in this area for 30 years. He is confident about the work he does, but not complacent. The law is a dynamic and flexible instrument. Recent legislation, regulations, and court decisions are accounted for in all planning decisions
We achieve our objective of a “reasonable price” by the following:
-
- We are efficient in gathering the information we need to devise an estate plan and prepare the estate planning documents most appropriate for your situation.
- We are efficient in preparing, reviewing, revising, and obtaining your signature on those documents.
- Mr. Sever has been doing this work for so many years and has encountered so many different situations that he is not required to “reinvent the wheel” – even in cases that are somewhat unique.
Please give us a call at 760-851-4057 so that we can help you explore your options. There is no charge for an initial consultation.
Sever Law Office – Lawyers
Lawyer Contact Info
Daniel C. Sever
Attorney at Law
Sever Law Office
400 N Mountain Ave, Suite 230
Upland, CA 91786
760-773-0732 fax
760-851-4057 phone
