Bankruptcy myths, and what's actually true.

"Bankruptcy will ruin my credit."

Probably not true. In fact, for most people that file bankruptcy, their credit score does not drop at all.

"Everyone will know that you have filed for bankruptcy."

Not true. While a bankruptcy is a public legal proceeding, unless you are a prominent person or a major corporation, it is very unlikely that anyone but your creditors will know you have filed. Most newspapers do not report routine bankruptcy filings. Certain public information is reported, such as divorces, real estate transactions and some other public filings — but most newspapers do not publish lists of the people who have filed bankruptcy. The most likely way that your friends or family members will find out is if you tell someone and then the secret spreads.

"You will lose everything that you own."

Not true. When filing for bankruptcy you are allowed to “exempt” a certain amount of property. This is the property that you are allowed to keep and which will not be sold for your creditors. The amount of property you are allowed to keep is very generous, and most people that file bankruptcy are allowed to keep all of their property. Part of your free initial consultation would be to analyze your property and determine whether it is likely that you would be able to fully exempt all of it.

"You are a bad person for filing bankruptcy."

Not true. Over 2,000 people file for bankruptcy every day, and it's not because they are bad people. Bankruptcy is a solution that can help good people through a bad time. Many people whose names you might recognize have filed bankruptcy: Walt Disney, Henry Ford, Charles Goodyear, Milton Hershey, H.J. Heinz, P.T. Barnum, President Thomas Jefferson, President Abraham Lincoln (twice), President Ulysses S. Grant and President William McKinley.

"You can pick and choose what to put into bankruptcy."

Not true. You have to list all of the debts that you owe and property that you own when you file for bankruptcy. If you want to continue paying a certain creditor after filing you can do that, but it is illegal to not disclose all of your debts when filing a bankruptcy petition.

"It's hard to file for bankruptcy."

Not true. There is a lot of paperwork involved, but competent assistance can remove unnecessary guesswork and make the bankruptcy process much smoother.

"You will never be able to own property again."

Not true. After filing for bankruptcy, you will be able to own whatever you can afford. If you have the money, no law prevents you from buying anything you want after your bankruptcy case.

"Both you and your spouse have to file bankruptcy together."

Not true. You can file together if you want to, but there is no law that requires both of you to file together. For example, if most of the debt is in just one spouse's name, it might make sense for that person to file bankruptcy alone.

"You can only file for bankruptcy once."

Not true. There is no limit on how many times someone can file bankruptcy. However, an individual would have to wait between two and eight years after the first case to receive a discharge in a second bankruptcy case. Many people think that the wait is seven years or ten years. There is no such waiting period.

"Filing bankruptcy causes more family trouble and divorce."

Not true. Usually, the problem is not the bankruptcy filing, but rather the financial stress that comes from not being able to pay your bills on time. Filing for bankruptcy might be the solution to your situation, not an additional problem.