Our office has filed over 8,000 consumer Chapter 7 bankruptcies and Chapter 13 bankruptcy bill repayment plans since 1983.  We specialize in family and individual consumer cases, usually involving credit card debt, medical bills, house and car payments, income or property taxes, student loans or a combination of any of the above debts.

Chapter 7 bankruptcies are most often used to discharge credit card debt and medical bills.  If the individual owns a house or car that has money owed on it, then the individual decides whether to "reaffirm" debt by continuing to pay for the secured item or "reject" the debt by giving up the secured property.  In a house situation, for example, one can "reject" the real estate, and then often take up to 7 months to move out (without making house payments in the meantime). Or an individual or family can decide to keep their residence through bankruptcy by continuing to make their ongoing payments on the property.  There were over 2 million bankruptcies filed in the United States in 2005.

Chapter 13 bill repayment plans are often used by individuals to SAVE their homes and cars from foreclosure and repossession.  These 13 plans that are filed usually force the creditors to be paid back over time with little or no interest, no late fees and give the filer up to 60 months to pay back their debts.  In the Western District of Michigan, the Chapter 13 Trustee operating out of Kalamazoo is literally handling thousands of such attorney prepared and filed repayment plans currently, including hundreds filed through our office.

All our office interviews are absolutely FREE.  You will feel no pressure from us to sign anything or decide anything at the interview.  We will simply outline for you in writing how Chapter 7 bankruptcy would effect your particular financial situation or how much your payments would be in Chapter 13, if you decide to go that repayment route.  All our attorney fees are fully quoted in advance and in writing.  We have found that our rates are often lower than what some other law offices may charge for similar services.  We generally get all bankruptcies filed within 24 hours of your signing the forms.  You will not need to worry that we are not getting your cases timely filed.  We also fully copy our clients with all paperwork filed for no additional charge.  All initial interviews are with experienced attorney, Roger Bus, not with hired paralegals or secretaries.

Since the new Bankruptcy Reform Act went into effect on October 16, 2005, the Debt Relief Law Center has stayed totally current on the most recent changes.  We are still one of the top filers in this District under the new law as well.  Contrary to what you may have read or heard about from the media, most people are NOT prohibited from filing bankruptcy under the new law.  First, all new filers must first obtain credit counseling - a service our office provides as part of your fee, through Consumer Credit Counseling.  You do not even need to go to another office for this service.  Second, the new law prohibits "high" income filers from filing Chapter 7, except these new income standards are so high that most consumers are well below the maximum income allowed.  For example, a family of four would need to have income of more than $70,887 per year before this new "test" even came into consideration.  Even if your family made more income than this amount, Chapter 13 still remains a viable option.

For your first FREE interview, you do not have to bring in anything.  If you have the following items, it is helpful to bring them in, though not required that you do so:  copies of bills (such as credit card statements or medical bills), your most recent pay stubs and your latest filed tax return.  If you owe money on a vehicle, bringing in a copy of the car title would also be helpful.  At the first interview, we will give you a complete list of everything you will need to provide to us to complete your bankruptcy case in the future.

I would encourage you to call Roger Bus at any time if you have questions.  I have been practicing law since 1979 and am a lifelong resident of Kalamazoo.  My secretary, Elaine Fleck, has been with our office for 20 years as well.  She is extremely helpful.  Feel free to give us a call to set up your free, no obligation interview.  We are open 5 days a week with evening and Saturday appointments often available for your convenience.  We are centrally located in Kalamazoo (the Kalamazoo Bankruptcy Court handles the cases for Kalamazoo, Branch, VanBuren, Cass, Calhoun, Berrien, Hillsdale and Allegan counties) at 903 East Cork Street, Kalamazoo, Michigan 49001, next to State Farm Insurance and across from "The Corkscrew" Party Store, just west of the Corklane Shopping Center.

Call me at (269) 342-1116 or fax (269) 342-1801

E-Mail me at: Roger J. Bus