Emergency Bankruptcy

Lee Legal Team

A person may need to file an emergency bankruptcy to prevent some particular action by a creditor, like garnishment, repossession, or a foreclosure auction. In such cases, the bankruptcy court allows a bankruptcy case to commence with the filing only of the six-page voluntary petition, without the required accompanying forms and schedules. An emergency bankruptcy is sometimes referred to as a “bare-bones” bankruptcy or “skeletal” filing.You have very limited time once an emergency petition is filed. Usually, you will have just 7 to 14 days to file the remaining required documents. The clerk of court promptly dismisses any case in which the required forms and schedules are not filed. In addition, the bankruptcy filer needs to have completed a credit counseling session before filing the bankruptcy.

Emergency Bankruptcy and the Automatic Stay

The whole reason to file an emergency bankruptcy is to invoke the protection of bankruptcy’s Automatic Stay. The Automatic Stay immediately stops any collection efforts against the bankruptcy filer, including home foreclosure, vehicle repossession, eviction, wage garnishment, execution sale, tax levy, or utility shut-off. As implied by its name, the Automatic Stay takes effect automatically. Any creditor actions that take place after the automatic stay are void by law. The Automatic Stay protects your property and interests until you can complete and file the rest of the forms.

Lee Legal has assisted in numerous emergency bankruptcy filings. In cases where an emergency bankruptcy is necessary, it is critical that you work quickly and closely with your attorney. Completing the required paperwork and documentation is usually a intensive effort. And an emergency bankruptcy, by its nature, has more pressing deadlines than a regular bankruptcy filing. It is crucial that you return your lawyer’s calls and quickly respond to his or her request for documents.

If you live in Washington, D.C., Maryland or Virginia and want to prevent foreclosure or garnishment, or to stop repossession of a vehicle, you must act quickly. Contact an experienced emergency bankruptcy attorney to discuss your situation.

They Called. They're Glad They Did.

Brian Lee from Lee Legal was an amazing attorney to work with. He took his time, reviewed my documents and we discussed my situation thoroughly. He explained the process and my options as well as gave his recommendation. Not only did he assist, but he ensured that I knew this...

Sharrie Scott
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I was very nervous and scared about going through this process. But Brian was very knowledgeable and helped me through it. I was notified about any and all updates to my case and he was very responsive when I had questions regarding any concerns I had. Although a bit nerve...

Regina Leng
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Brian provided me with a very detailed analysis about my potential case after our first consultation. He promptly responded to all my complex questions, especially navigating student loans and some tax discussions. He is very professional and experienced at what he does, I would...

Eliane Rodriguez
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I've had the pleasure of working alongside Brian V. Lee for several years, and I can say without hesitation that he is one of the most knowledgeable bankruptcy attorneys in the DMV area. Brian's command of Chapter 7, 11, and 13 practice is exceptional, and his clients in the DC...

Michael Forster
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Brian has the amazing talent of taking complicated legal matters and distilling them down to seamless, frictionless resolutions. He is a phenomenal problem solver and a trusted advisor.

Fran Bishop
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Brian is both warm and professional. He helped me navigate a financial issue that I had not been looking forward to working on and he made the entire experience non-stressful, receiving a lot of anxiety I had around the matter. He is straight forward and a fantastic problem...

Martha Becton
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I had the opportunity to work with Brian at a time when I was challenged by a professional setback and forced with the challenge of making some very difficult legal decisions. Additionally, I worked with him again as I was dealing with some financial issues pertaining to my...

Daniel Weaver
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Still several years from Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness and saddled with significant student loan payments in proportion to my income, I came to Lee Legal to explore the bankruptcy path. Through his counsel, Brian took the fear out of the process and helped me to...

Justin Good
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