I’ve been doing this for 27 years and I’ve helped hundreds of clients get rid of debt.

If you have money problems, have you ever stopped to think about how your life would change if you didn’t have those issues?  Maybe you would be free to get out of your dead end job and take time to search for the career you really want.  Maybe you could take that vacation you have been putting off for so long.  Maybe you would have more free time to spend time with those friends and family you have been neglecting.

The bottom line is debt creates stress.  You need an experienced attorney like me to help you get rid of it fast.

So click on the link below for more information.  It’s the first step in moving on, moving forward and being your own best self.  You deserve to really live your life and I’m Michael Chekian, here to help you do just that.

It means not having to worry at the end of every month how to pay your bills.  It means having a little extra to go to the spa, to buy that present for your niece, to go wine tasting with your friends in Santa Barbara.

It also means seeing your savings grow instead of dwindle and to be able to save for things like a condo, home or even an investment property.

Being free of debt allows you to do all the things you should be doing with your wonderful life.

So let me turn it around for you, quickly, affordably and with a minimum of hassle.  I’m Michael Chekian, and I invite you to click on the link below for more information.

Well, I love my grandmother just like I’m sure you do, but we don’t live in her world anymore.  There really is very little negative stigma to bankruptcy in today’s world.  Mike Tyson, Apple Computers and United Airlines all filed bankruptcy and lived on to success. 

There is no shame in filing bankruptcy.  In fact, if you need it, it is absolutely the best thing you can do to help yourself and to create wealth for yourself in the coming years.

Although your bankruptcy is a public record, and unless you tell them, your friends or family will never know.  There is no scarlet letter or blackball that follows you around.

In fact, a successful bankruptcy on your record wipes out your debt and so is almost always much better than having tens of thousands of dollars of delinquent debt on your credit report. 

I’m Mike Chekian, and I’d love to help you, so click on the link below for a free consultation.

Often we don’t even realize how it damages our relationships, our work performance and our general quality of life.

As a consumer debtor bankruptcy lawyer, I see it all day long in speaking with potential new clients.  Often, they don’t even realize it.

But what I do hear day in and day out after people hire me is thank you, I feel so relieved.

At Chekian Law, our motto is “We Got You”.  And we truly do.  So click on the link below, set up a free consultation with me, and if you need to stop the madness and wipe out your debts, we will take care of everything.  Click below for more information.  I’m Michael Chekian and have a great day.

If you don’t like the hassle, time, expense and anxiety of having to go to a court hearing to see a court trustee or judge, you are in luck!

During spring and summer 2020, all bankruptcy court hearings are being conducted by phone or video.  Everything is being conducted remotely.  You don’t even have to go to your attorney’s office.  You will be given instructions to call in or to log in, and in most cases the costs are minimal or even free.

So you get access to the justice of the bankruptcy courts, with none of the expense or hassle.  This is one benefit of the C-19 crisis in our world of bankruptcy.

As always, for more information please contact me at the links below.  I’d love to talk with you for a 15 minute free consultation.

The first issue is to determine if the company is perpetually flawed and cannot climb out of the financial hole it’s in.  The problem may be the industry is declining, the business model is not working, unexpected debts, unfair lawsuits, or the business owner may be unable or unwilling to put the same energy and creativity into the business.

Assuming the business has few assets and is an entity like a corporation or LLC, the debts need to be sorted out between purely corporate and those where there is personal liability such as guaranteed debts.  The latter debts are the only that matter, since the company can be easily dissolved and so a judgment against it may not matter.  The people who may owe the debts live on and need to be protected.

If you have more questions about these issues, I welcome your inquiries so click on the links below for a free 15 minute consultation with me, attorney Mike Chekian.

Traditional Chapter 11’s work well for large corporations who need to reorganize and reemerge as leaner, less debt heavy companies.  It is an efficient way for these big companies to stay in business and get the financing they need because they are less of a credit risk when they carry a smaller debt load and can take the time to develop a plan to make them more profitable and even attract new stockholders who are excited to invest in this new potential money making company.

The problem with Chapter 11 for small companies and individuals is the attorney fees and the lengthy plan confirmation procedure.  Chapter 5 provides lower debt companies and individuals (currently around $7 million under special laws adopted in response to the pandemic) to submit a plan within 3 months of filing the case and get a plan confirmed without having to submit a lengthy and expensive disclosure statement, without having to pay U.S. Trustee’s fees and being able to confirm a plan despite creditors disagreeing with it.

For more information, please click on the below link for an informative and free 15 minute consultation with me.  

As of June 2020, individual bankruptcy filings are down in the Los Angeles area due to relief payments to consumers and restrictions on evictions, foreclosures and collection lawsuits.

Corporate bankruptcies are on the rise and relief payments are slowing, which may lead to increased levels of consumer bankruptcy filings later this year.

The bankruptcy rules have been changed in the debtor’s favor.  You can obtain longer repayment plans in Chapter 13 and it’s easier to get temporary freezes and lowered repayment schedules.

All live meetings and court hearings are presently conducted by telephone or video conferencing.  The bankruptcy court is up and running, but the courthouses are closed.

Chekian Law is also up and running, and please click below for more information.

Bankruptcy isn’t nearly as complicated as most lawyers would lead you to believe. Many lawyers will try to scare you into thinking that you cannot file the case yourself and that it is some mystical incomprehensible process. It is not. 

            The bankruptcy forms are available free on the courts website, and there are free clinics at the courthouses where volunteers will help two days a week to fill out the forms. 

            Chapter 7 is the quick and easy three to four month process where, if the paperwork is properly prepared, you can wipe out most unsecured debts including credit cards, judgments, collection accounts, and some older tax debt. 

            Chapter 13 is a payment plan bankruptcy lasting 3 to 5 years which most people use to pay back delinquencies and retain expensive assets such as vehicles and real estate. In a Chapter 13 you can also wipe out other bills like credit cards and judgments while paying little to nothing on them.

            Chapter 11 is for higher debt individuals and companies usually who want to reorganize their debts by paying some debts and wiping out and not paying others. Chapter 11 is probably the only major bankruptcy chapter where you may probably need a lawyer to help. 

            If you need help or have questions,  go to the link below.

            What do you expect next after your case is filed? You will be required to perform a second credit counseling course, online or on the phone, called a financial management course. About 30 days after the filing, you will be required to go to a hearing, called the meeting of creditors, where you will answer about 10 or 20 questions from a bankruptcy trustee who is assigned to your case. A bankruptcy trustee is not a judge, he or she is usually just a lawyer or an accountant approved by the court to oversee your case. 

            During the course of your case, you may also enter into reaffirmation agreements where a lending company like a car loan company and you agree that you may retain your car in exchange for an agreement to repay the debt. After about 3 and a half months from the filing, if all goes well, you will receive a paper from the court called a bankruptcy discharge of debts. This is usually the successful conclusion of your Chapter 7 case.