Should I Try Credit Counseling Before Filing?
Credit counseling is an excellent way of learning to deal with credit, and credit counseling classes are available online. It works for some people, and not for others. Call Slayton Law to schedule a free consultation in Charlottesville or Culpeper to find out more about the options in your particular situation.
- One of the requirements to file bankruptcy is to go through a court approved credit counseling class.
- Some credit counseling companies offer counseling to people who are not filing bankruptcy. At Slayton Law, we have no problem with this - credit counseling through a court approved credit counseling company is a great thing for people to do and it can potentially keep some people from having to file bankruptcy. If you go this route, be sure to work with a COURT APPROVED credit counseling class. You can find a list of these classes on the website for the Western District of Virginia Bankruptcy Court at www.vawb.uscourts.gov. Click on "Understanding Bankruptcy" and choose "Virginia". The Eastern District of Virginia credit counseling classes are listed first - you don't want these. Continue scrolling until you get to the WESTERN District of Virginia classes. You can generally do these classes over the phone or on the web.
- For many people, however, their debt load is already too heavy for credit counseling alone to solve their financial issues. In these cases, bankruptcy is often an excellent option for getting out of debt.
- If you aren't sure what is best for you, schedule a free appointment with one of the lawyers in our office. We would be happy to look over your total financial situation and provide you with advice of what we think could work in your circumstances.
