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Financial Relief Law Center
Mark Alonso
3330 Harbor Blvd
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
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Call (866) 850-3030
Financial Relief Law Center
Contact Mark Alonso if you are in need of a Bankruptcy Lawyer in Torrance. Mark has 13 years of real world and legal experience specializing in Tax, Bankruptcy, Consumer Debt, Real Estate as well as Commercial Transactions, Financing and Restructuring. A native of California, Attorney Alonso graduated from Loyola Law School in 1998 after attending the University of California Irvine for undergraduate studies. Prior to Financial Relief Law Center, Mark worked in house for a national commercial finance institution. Attorney Alonso founded Financial Relief Law Center to give consumers a credible and trustworthy place to go for assistance after the financial collapse of 2008. Attorney Alonso is a member of the California State Bar, Orange County Bar Association, National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys, The American Bar Association and a licensed Real Estate Broker.Testimonials
Thank You!
Financial Relief Law Center was very considerate and helpful in my situation. Very knowledgeable staff, knew how to deal with all the issues that came up. Staff was always available for any of my questions. Special Thank You to Diana Muro & Whitney Caraveo. Al Tolentino
-A.T.
I Highly Recommend FRLC!
I've been with FRLC about 14 months and I count myself fortunate in retaining them to help with my credit card debt. The staff is always professional and knowledgeable. They were always careful to make statements and offer advice that is within legal jurisdiction. A. Billyard worked very hard for me to get the best payoff agreements. She knew which companies could be negotiated with and which were firm. She never steered me in a wrong or costly direction. She SAVED me thousands. The FRLC staff NEVER talked down to me; made me feel like a low-life because I needed help with my personal finances. Before he passed away, my husband tried working directly with our credit cards, but THEY treated us like garbage; wouldn't accept any statements from our cancer, chemo, radiation or surgical doctors confirming why we had to quit work.
I highly recommend FRLC to any Californians that need help. This staff can be trusted. I also feel the fees paid to FRLC were not excessive with regard to how much they saved me. FRLC and the end results are a very good bargain. Now my early retirement without my husband won't be so fraught with money worries.
-N.C.
Professional, Helpful and Always Positive
I must recommend this company to anyone struggling with financial difficulties. My husband lost his job and was out of work for several months. I made one call to these people and they took over from there. I got my loan modification,saved my home and always was informed as to the status of my case. They are professional,helpful and were always positive in their dealings with our unfortunate situation. I was always treated with respect and never made to feel bad. Do yourself a favor and let them help you with this life changing event. Special thanks to Diane Muro,Melinda Vega and Mark Alonzo.
-S.C.
We Highly Recommend This Firm
I must say that I was a little sceptical about hiring a Law Firm to represent us in our Loan Modification after hearing about all of the stories in the news about Loan Modification fraud.
The banks will tell you that representation is not needed, but who's interest do they look after when it comes to loan modification?
Bank Of America has earned the reputation of being one of the toughest banks to obtain a successful loan modification from, so we decided to hire a firm that are experts in this field.. Financial Relief Law Center.
This Firm not only met our expectations, they exceeded them.
Our Case Manager Melinda was very professional and did a great job of keeping us updated on our status weekly.
We highly recommend this firm..
-T.D.
Professional, Caring and Compassionate
The entire staff has been most professional, caring and compassionate. Each person on the team did an excellent job in keeping in contact with Bank of America as well as myself, in obtaining a favorable outcome for all parties. I would definitely recommend this organization to anyone seeking a loan modification or any other financial solutions.
-L.B.
Very Satisfied!
I would like to say that during my period of being a client of Financial Relief Law Center, that it was nothing but pure pleasure. The response that I had from the personnel there was outstanding. They kept me informed as to what was being done at all times. There was not one time that I had to try to contact them to see what was going one with my proposed modification. They tracked the steps and notified me when something was completed or to let me know that something was not going the way that they or I would like. Law Center stayed firm with proposals and the final results was very satisfying. I would certainlyrefer any needed client to Law Center.
Thanks again Financial Relief Law Center,
From a very satisfied customer
-L.P.
Very Grateful!
I was referred to Financial Relief Law Center by a Co-worker. I needed help refinancing my home loan. The bank refused to help me.
FRLC helped me every step of the way, they explained everything to me. I am very grateful for FRLC. Even with their help the bank still gave me a hard time. FRLC was able to complete by Loan Modification.
A special thank you to Rhonda Miner who handled my case. She is the best, always called me back in a timely manner and was very helpful in taking her time and explaining everything to me.
-A.A
Answers
Does my surrendering the house to bankruptcy take down my ex husband too?
It will only impact your ex-husband's credit score if he is named on the mortgage loan to the property. Being late on those payments, a foreclosure etc will impact his credit if he is on the loan. If he's not on the loan, then his credit will not be impacted.
Will I have to include my 401K loan in my bankruptcy file?
Your 401K or retirement savings should be protected in your bankruptcy filing.
How do I prevent a foreclosure after I was discharged from bankruptcy?
It sounds like you may have filed a chapter 7 bankruptcy and not a chapter 13. If that is the case, then the chapter 7 does nothing to protect your property after the bankruptcy has been discharged and the automatic stay is removed. Chapter 7 bankruptcy does not apply to secured mortgage debt, and therefore, you cannot "discharge" your mortgage in a Chapter 7 bankruptcy and still retain the property. You can only discharge that mortgage debt if you end up surrendering the property. For Homeowner's who need assistance with bankruptcy but want to keep their property, they should file a chapter 13 bankruptcy, which allows you to pay back your mortgage arrearages over 60 months. This chapter of bankruptcy will protect your home and will bring you current on your mortgage upon filing. Otherwise, if you are a homeowner and you file chapter 7 bankruptcy, but are past due on your mortgage payments, you will need to figure out another way to address your mortgage past due amounts, such as a loan modification. I recommend that you speak with an attorney regarding your situation so that you can obtain the specific advice you need.
Will a past bankruptcy affect my financial aid for school?
It may impact the amount of loans that your parents may qualify for, assuming they are taking out student loans for you, or trying to. However, it should not impact the amount of grants or student loans you individually qualify for.
Can my husband file a chapter 7 bankruptcy if his debt to income ration is high?
Chapter 7 bankruptcy is not so much about the debt to income ratio, but more about what your income is, in order to see if you can "qualify" for chapter 7. There are income cut offs, based upon the median income for your state and the number of people in your household. Also, if you don't meet the cutoff initially, then you can see if you can pass the means test. One other issue that you should be aware of is that if you are married now, your income may need to be taken into consideration for income qualifying purposes, since CA is a community property state. I'd recommend that you speak with an attorney who can best advise you and your husband as to the best course of action here.
What can I do when my property goes into forelcosure?
There may be several options for you here, depending upon what your goals are. If you want to keep the house, it may be the case the lender may be willing work with you to bring the past due amounts current and help you and your daughter get back on your feet. You may also have some options through bankruptcy, depending upon the value and amount you owe on the home. Finally, if you want to let the house go, you may want to consider a short sale, or deed in lieu of foreclosure, depending upon your specific circumstances. To give you an idea of the foreclosure timeline, the first official foreclosure notice that goes out is the "Notice of Default", which lenders have the right to issue no sooner than 90 days of missed payments. The second notice that is sent is the "Notice of Trustee's Sale" which is sent no sooner than 90 days after the Notice of Default. As a side note, this timeline means that lenders can have 180 days to foreclose on you, but in the current economy, lenders have sometimes taken much longer to foreclose on homes than the 180 day timeline allows for. However, the sooner you act on what decision you want to make and then begin that process, the better off you will usually be. I recommend that you have an attorney who is experienced in both bankruptcy and loan workouts review your situation so they can assess your options.
Will my chapter 7 bankruptcy keep me from losing my assets?
You should have an attorney review your income and assets to determine your options. The best way to keep your home through bankruptcy is through a Ch. 13, which is a repayment plan, and requires regular income in order to be able to afford the payments. However, if you don't have a regular income, you may be able to file for chapter 7 bankruptcy, however, there is the question as to how this will protect your home. If you are past due on your mortgage payments, then Ch. 7 is not going to help you keep your home in the long run, but may provide a temporary band-aid against foreclosure, to delay the foreclosure sale initially. However, if you are not past due on your mortgage payments, and just struggling with your other unsecured debt, and your income allows it, you may be able to file Ch. 7 and get rid of the unsecured debt you have, as long as any equity in your property is covered by the applicable "exemptions". You should contact an attorney to review these exemptions with you, determine what, if any amounts are past due on your property, and make a recommendation for you.
What happens if I lose my job while filing for bankruptcy?
No, you should not have to cancel your Ch. 7 and file for a Ch. 13. Ch. 7 allows you to discharge your unsecured debt, and actually has an income cut-off requirement. If you were eligible to file for Ch. 7 before, and now you have lost your job, you are still eligible for Ch. 7. Ch. 13 actually requires that you are working in order to be eligible for that, which is a repayment plan. Ch. 7 is for lower income earners or no income earners to discharge the debt they cannot afford to pay.
Can I include income taxes in my bankruptcy file?
You can include them on the petition, but the taxes will only be dischargeable in the following instances: 1-you filed a tax return for the tax years in question - substitutions for returns don't count 2- the liability or debt that you wish to discharge is for a return that you actually filed at least two years before your bankruptcy filing 3-the tax return for the debt you wish to discharge was first due at least 3 years before you filed for bankruptcy 4-the IRS has not assessed your liability for the taxes within 240 days before you file for bankruptcy. Assuming you can meet these elements, your tax debt may be dischargeable. If you're filing a chapter 13, which is a repayment plan, you can include the back taxes payment into your ch. 13 payment, but at the end of the repayment period, if they don't meet the above criterion, then what is remaining on the tax balance will not be discharged.
Do I file a medical bankruptcy if I have too many hospital bills?
I am not aware of a "medical bankruptcy" however, you can file bankruptcy for all of your unsecured debt, including your medical debt. Often times many people end up filing bankruptcy just for their medical debt, which can all be discharged in you are eligible to qualify for a chapter 7 and have enough exemptions to cover your assets. If you are very far behind on the payments then you may want to seriously consider if you can benefit from filing for bankruptcy.
Can a creditor prevent me from filing for bankruptcy?
Sometimes if a creditor feels that you have acted fraudulently or charged up your cards and then tried to file, they will contest the bankruptcy filing. This is not automatic and the creditor would have to take an interest in your specific bankruptcy. The call you received may have just been the tone of a harassing collections call, however, if you have engaged in questionable activities with respect to your credit card, then it's possible that the creditor will take the position that they should not be discharged in the bankruptcy.
What is a bankruptcy 341 meeting?
The 341a is the 'creditors meeting' in conjunction with your bankruptcy petition. It is the date that is set for you to appear at the Bankruptcy Courthouse to answer questions to the trustee concerning your bankruptcy petition and for the trustee to entertain any issues / objections your creditors may have with respect to your filing bankruptcy. Most of the time creditors don't show up to that meeting and you are in a room with other debtors answering the questions the trustee asks about your petition. You are obligated to attend this meeting if you are the debtor, as a creditor, you are not obligated to attend the meeting. If you are a debtor and you miss the 341a, you risk having your case dismissed.
What does it mean to have pro se bankruptcy representation?
Filing "pro - se" just means that you are representing yourself. If you're a simple case then you can probably get by filing on your own, or with the help of a local legal aid clinic if needed. If your case is more complex, meaning you have a lot of assets or you are unsure how to protect your property in the bankruptcy, I would recommend speaking with an attorney. Often times attorneys will give an initial free consultation to assess your situation before you decide to move forward, so that may be able to give you an idea of how complex or simple your case would be.
Will my bankruptcy be faster if I have an attorney?
Not necessarily, but it could be. For example, if you don't know what you're doing and you miss-file something or forget a deadline, then that can cause your bankruptcy case to be dismissed, or delayed, in which case you have to figure out the steps to reopen the case or file a motion, etc. But if you are on top of the filing and are aware of the rules, procedures and deadlines, it can make the case go much smoother.
Can I include an auto accident if my bankrtupcy file was already finalized?
Yes, you should be able to include a judgment from an auto accident into your bankruptcy filing. Civil judgments arising out of negligence are able to be discharged in bankruptcy as long as there wasn't any DWI/ DUI, fraud or bad faith involved. If this is the case and you want to include it into your bankruptcy, you can file an amendment.. You can amend your petition by filing an amendment and then making the change to your petition. Forms for the amendment are available at the court house or on the court house website.
What other options besides bankruptcy do I have?
You cannot discharge your child support obligations in bankruptcy. If you are filing bankruptcy for other reasons, such as other outstanding debt, then it may make sense for you to file bankruptcy. If the child support is the main or only issue, you should probably seek the advice of a family law attorney, as I believe the only way change or alter a child support obligation is through family court.
How many years does a bankruptcy case last?
A chapter 7 will normally take about 3-6 months to complete before a discharge is issued. A chapter 13 is a repayment plan which can last 3-5 years while you are paying back a % of your debt. If you are asking how often you can file a bankruptcy, then chapter 7 can be filed 8 years after the date of your prior ch. 7 filing. If you are filing a ch. 13 now and filed a ch. 7 before, then you must wait 4 years from the date that your prior ch. 7 was filed.
Do I need to have a certain amount of debt to file bankruptcy?
There is no limit in a chapter 7 filing.
What happens to my savings in a bankruptcy?
It depends on how much cash you have, how the cash is held, ie: if it's in a savings account vs. an IRA and if you have enough exemptions to cover it if it is not in a protected place like an IRA. Generally speaking, and depending on which set of exemptions you elect to use, you may be able to use the "wild card" exemption for about almost $22K in assets, including cash you may have. You should research the exemptions list and determine which ones work best for you given your specific situation. There are two sets of exemptions you can pick from, but you must choose which set you will use and cannot combine the two lists or otherwise pick and choose from the ones you want from each list
Can someone on a visa file for bankruptcy?
I don't believe that if you are here on a visa that you can file for bankruptcy. Only citizens and legal residents are able to take advantage of the US bankruptcy options.
Can I file for bankruptcy if I have two jobs?
You can be working two jobs and still file for bankruptcy. The number of jobs you are working does not have an impact on whether or not you can qualify and file for a ch. 7. The question is "how much are you earning?" There are income cut offs for filing for a chapter 7 bankruptcy and therefore you would have to make sure that your gross monthly earnings for the last 6 months fall within those guidelines. Otherwise, if they don't, you may still be able to qualify for a ch. 7 if you can pass the means test analysis. If you cannot pass the means test and qualify for a ch. 7, then you may be able to file a ch. 13, which is a repayment plan. I would recommend speaking with an attorney to discuss your situation and if you can qualify for a ch. 7 given the income for your two jobs.
Can I file for bankruptcy if my wages are being garnished?
Yes, filing for bankruptcy will stop the wage garnishment immediately. Once you file for bankruptcy an automatic stay comes into place which stops all collections activity and includes wages garnishments as well as foreclosure, harassing phone calls, etc. You may not be able to get back any money you've already lost into the wage garnishment, but it will stop the future garnishment. Having a wage garnishment is one of the most important reasons a debtor may file for bankruptcy.
Do I have to report how much my mom gives me on my bankruptcy file?
Disclosing in bankruptcy is key to avoiding problems going forward. I would recommend disclosing any income you're receiving, regardless of the source, even if it is small. It's better to be safe than sorry. If your mom is collecting Social Security and is transferring some funds each month to your bank account, then it's probably not enough to make or break you on the income part, but I can't be sure because I haven't seen your total income. If the person living with you isn't providing rent payments, and isn't a dependent then I don't believe it has any bearing on your bankruptcy filing. Only the income that you receive in the 6 months prior to filing must be disclosed.
What should I bring for a chapter 7 bankruptcy file?
You need to complete the voluntary petition, with all of the various schedules, the statement of financial affairs, statement of intention, statement of social security number, statement of income, your certification of the pre-fling credit counseling, creditor matrix and any local forms that your court may requires, etc. In addition to these forms, you will also be required to submit some additional documents (depending on when you are in CA) which include: your most recent copy of your income tax return, credit counseling certificate, your paystubs for the last 60 days, etc. These are mainly the forms and additional documents you would need to complete a bankruptcy filing, but you should check with your local courts to see if there are any additional items required.
Is it legal for my mortgage to be discharged from bankruptcy?
It depends on what chapter you filed. Ch. 7's can't provide relief for mortgage debt and is available to debtors so they can discharge their unsecured debt. Ch. 13 bankruptcy allows you to include your mortgage arrearages into the bankruptcy during the repayment plan for the ch. 13 so that you don't lose your house. If you filed ch. 7 bankruptcy and listed your mortgage, then you also had to list what your intention is on this property-if you wanted to keep the house, if you wanted to surrender it, etc. If you are behind on your mortgage debt and filed a ch. 7 bankruptcy, then the bankruptcy will not protect you from foreclosure and therefore you need to determine what you want to do with the mortgage, keep it or not, and if you want to keep the property you will likely have to work out an agreement or loan workout with your lender to allow you to stay in the home and pay the mortgage. I would recommend speaking with an attorney to discuss these things in detail.
Disclaimer: The responses above do not form an attorney-client relationship, nor are they intended to be anything other than the educated opinions of the author. They should not be relied upon as legal advice.