Bankruptcy & Foreclosure Attorney Services

Are you overwhelmed by debt? Behind in your mortgage payments? Unable to pay your bills without using credit cards? Filing for bankruptcy protection may be the answer for you.

There are many myths about filing for bankruptcy protection. Get accurate information from an attorney with over 25 years of experience. Joyce Leary Clark offers a free initial consultation. You will meet with Attorney Clark – not an assistant or paralegal – for up to one hour. During your initial meeting, Attorney Clark can give you an overview of the bankruptcy process, including the different chapters available, and help determine if filing makes sense for you, and what to expect.

We pride ourselves on offering professional services at a fair price.

Chapter 7 Bankruptcy is also sometimes referred to as “liquidation” bankruptcy. This is the most common type of bankruptcy filing in Maine. Attorney Joyce Leary Clark can determine if you qualify to file for Chapter 7 protection, which of your assets will be protected, and whether filing is the best solution to your financial problems.

Debts that can typically be discharged in a Chapter 7 case include:

Chapter 13 Bankruptcy, also known as a “Wage Earner Plan,” is a good option for many people. A Chapter 13 payment plan lasts for 3-5 years. Through a Chapter 13 repayment plan, you may be able to pay past due mortgage payments, rework some vehicle loans, discharge debts that cannot be discharged in a Chapter 7 case, and pay a dividend to unsecured creditors.

Some clients may choose to file under Chapter 13 because they aren’t eligible to file for Chapter 7 – for example, clients who received a bankruptcy discharge within the past few years, or whose income is too high for them to qualify for Chapter 7. Some clients choose to file because their creditors won’t work with them.

Attorney Joyce Leary Clark also represents homeowners in foreclosure cases. Maine has a “Foreclosure Diversion Program,” which gives their homeowners in foreclosure a chance to try and work out an agreement with their lenders through the mediation process. To qualify, a homeowner must live in the home, and they must request mediation in writing.

Attorney Clark represents homeowners in foreclosure mediations, where homeowner, their attorney, their lender, and the lender’s representative meet with a mediator, a trained, neutral third party. The mediator can help the parties talk about the case, and explore options, including selling the house or renegotiating the terms of the mortgage loan.