National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys

Washington DC Bankruptcy Lawyer, Serving Maryland and Northern Virginia

Financial hardship is stressful, isolating, and deeply personal. Whether you’re drowning in debt, facing a lawsuit, or afraid of losing your home, you need someone in your corner who knows the law and actually picks up the phone. I’m Brian Lee. I’ve been helping people in the DC region get out from under debt for more than 20 years, and when you call, you reach me. I’ll tell you where you stand, what your options are, and what it will cost. No pressure, no judgment, no runaround. Call (202) 448-5136.

What Are You Facing Right Now?

Debt you can’t repay. Credit cards, medical bills, personal loans. Chapter 7 can wipe most of it out in months. Chapter 13 catches you up over time while you keep your property.
A foreclosure notice or a sale date. Foreclosure defense in DC and Virginia, and Chapter 13 in all three states, can stop the sale in most cases if you call before it happens.
Sued by a creditor, or garnished. Debt lawsuit defense in DC and Virginia. The creditor has to prove its case. Many can’t.
A business under creditor pressure. Chapter 11 and Subchapter V let a small business restructure and keep operating.

More than 20 years in practice. More than 600 bankruptcy cases filed since 2005. Admitted in the bankruptcy courts for the District of Columbia, Maryland and the Eastern District of Virginia. One attorney, start to finish.

I represent clients throughout Washington DC, Northern Virginia, and Maryland, including Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William County, Falls Church, Manassas, Prince George’s County, and Montgomery County.

Bankruptcy

The DC region is one of the most expensive places in the country to live. Housing, healthcare and everyday costs push financially responsible people past the breaking point. If you’ve taken on more debt than you can repay, you have options. Bankruptcy wipes out the debt that qualifies, stops most collection the day you file, and gives you a real fresh start.

Bankruptcy isn’t failure. It’s a legal tool. I’ll handle the process from the first consultation to the discharge, keep you informed at every stage, and work to protect your rights throughout.

Chapter 7: eliminates most unsecured debt in three to four months. No repayment plan.
Chapter 13: a three-to-five-year plan that stops foreclosure in most cases, catches up your mortgage, and protects property Chapter 7 wouldn’t.
Chapter 11 and Subchapter V: reorganization for businesses and for individuals over the Chapter 13 limits. Subchapter V gives qualifying small businesses a faster, less expensive path.

Do you have to file bankruptcy to fix this? No. Sometimes the right move is defending a lawsuit, negotiating with a creditor, or pursuing a loan modification. I handle those too, and I’ll tell you which one fits. More about bankruptcy.

Foreclosure Defense

A foreclosure notice isn’t the end. It’s a deadline, and deadlines can be met. I’ve helped homeowners across the DC region stop scheduled sales through loan modifications, DC mediation, reinstatement, and Chapter 13. Every case turns on its own facts, and past results don’t guarantee a similar outcome in yours.

Your servicer isn’t your advocate, and its attorneys represent the lender, not you. Federal rules give you leverage, but only if you use them in time. In Maryland, my foreclosure work is Chapter 13 in the Greenbelt bankruptcy court; in DC and Virginia, I handle both the foreclosure and the bankruptcy. How I stop foreclosure sales.

Debt Lawsuit Defense

A debt lawsuit, or a warrant in debt in Virginia, doesn’t mean you’ve lost. It means the clock is ticking. Creditors count on you doing nothing, because if you don’t respond in time, the court can enter a judgment against you by default.

The creditor has to prove its case. I check whether the debt is valid, whether the amount is right, whether the plaintiff even owns the debt, and whether the statute of limitations has run. Then I fight for the best outcome: a dismissal, a settlement, a payment plan you can afford, or a defense at trial. Defending debt collection lawsuits.

Federal Employees and Contractors

Many of the people who call me work for the government or for a contractor. They have questions no bankruptcy website answers: what filing means for a security clearance, how to report it on the SF-86, whether a garnishment hits a federal paycheck differently. I’ve dealt with those questions for 20 years. Adjudicators generally treat a bankruptcy that resolves debt more favorably than debt left unaddressed, but every clearance review is its own case. Call and ask.

You have rights. Creditors have lawyers. Now so do you. The sooner you call, the more options you have. (202) 448-5136.

Learn More

Practice Areas

ForeclosureLegal tools to protect your home.

Debt DefenseSued? Make them prove every claim.

BankruptcyA court-supervised fresh start.

Chapter 7Eliminate credit card and medical debt.

Chapter 13Catch up on your mortgage over time.

Chapter 11Reorganize and keep operating.

Your Attorney Is Brian. Not a Call Center.

I've practiced law in the DC region since 2004, after starting my career at the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. I'm admitted in DC and Virginia and in the bankruptcy courts for DC, Maryland and the Eastern District of Virginia, I served as NACBA's DC State Chair, and I hold Martindale-Hubbell's AV Preeminent rating. Lee Legal is a solo practice by design.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Lee Legal?

Lee Legal is my bankruptcy and debt relief law practice, based in Washington DC and serving clients throughout the DC metro area, including Maryland and Northern Virginia.

I’ve spent more than two decades helping individuals, families, and business owners solve serious debt problems. That means stopping foreclosures, defending debt lawsuits, eliminating debt through bankruptcy, and protecting clients from aggressive creditors and collectors.

Every case starts the same way: I learn what’s actually happening in your life, not just what shows up on a credit report or a court filing. Then I build a strategy around it.

What Does Lee Legal Do?

I help people solve debt problems. My practice covers three areas: bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and debt lawsuit defense.

Bankruptcy can eliminate qualifying debts, stop collection actions, and give you a fresh financial start. Chapter 7 wipes out credit card debt, medical bills, personal loans, and other unsecured debt, often within a few months. Chapter 13 reorganizes your debt into a structured repayment plan and is a common tool for stopping foreclosure and catching up on missed mortgage payments. Chapter 11 and Subchapter V serve individuals and businesses with more complex finances.

Foreclosure defense means taking legal action to stop, delay, or resolve a foreclosure. Once you receive a foreclosure notice, time matters. Depending on your facts, your options might include bankruptcy, a loan modification, a repayment agreement, litigation, or a negotiated resolution with the lender.

Debt lawsuit defense means fighting back when a creditor, debt buyer, or collection agency sues you. Being sued is not the same as losing. Creditors count on people doing nothing so they can win by default. With the right representation, many debt lawsuits get defended successfully, settled on better terms, or dismissed outright.

Whatever brought you here, my approach stays the same: understand the facts, lay out your real options, and build a strategy around your goals.

What Areas Do you Serve?

I serve clients throughout Washington DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia.

In Maryland, I represent clients in Montgomery County and Prince George’s County, including Bethesda, Silver Spring, Rockville, Gaithersburg, College Park, Bowie, Greenbelt, and Hyattsville.

In Northern Virginia, I represent clients in Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax County, Loudoun County, and Prince William County, including Falls Church, Reston, Herndon, Manassas, Woodbridge, and Tysons Corner.

I’m admitted to practice before the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Columbia, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland, and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Distance rarely matters. I handle most consultations and case communication by phone, video, or secure document sharing. What matters is that I know the law and procedure in your jurisdiction, because bankruptcy exemptions, foreclosure timelines, and debt collection rules differ across DC, Maryland, and Virginia.

If you’re not sure whether I serve your area, call (202) 448-5136 and ask.

What Kinds of Debt Problems Do You Handle?

I handle a wide range of serious debt problems, especially the kind where legal action is necessary or already underway.

Credit card debt, medical bills, and personal loans are the most common issues I see. When these debts pile up beyond what you can manage, bankruptcy can wipe out qualifying balances and stop collection activity for good.

Foreclosure is another major focus. When you fall behind on mortgage payments, your lender moves fast. The right legal help can be the difference between losing your home and keeping it.

Debt collection lawsuits get filed by the thousands every year in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Banks, debt buyers, and collection agencies sue consumers regularly, often betting you won’t respond. Proper legal defense changes that outcome.

Wage garnishment and bank levies usually follow an unpaid debt that turned into a court judgment. Bankruptcy can stop garnishment immediately in most cases.

Business debt, SBA loan obligations, and personal guarantees create hard choices when a business runs into trouble. I help business owners understand their personal exposure and map out strategies for both the business debt and the personal debt behind it.

Federal employee and government contractor debt issues come up often in this region. I understand the concerns specific to that workforce, including security clearance implications and payroll allotment issues.

If your situation isn’t listed here, call me anyway. Most debt problems share more in common than people think.

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