COVID-19 Update: To best serve our clients, our office will remain open for business. To protect your safety in response to COVID-19, we are offering our clients the option to meet with us by telephone or video conferencing. Please call our office if you’d like to discuss your options.
Bankruptcy Attorneys for Akron, Canton, Wooster and New Philadelphia Ohio
We are Attorney John R. Bates, experienced and nationally known bankruptcy attorney and Attorney James F. Hausen, experienced bankruptcy attorney. Together we have a combined 55 years of legal experience. We do only consumer bankruptcies and have filed thousands of them for residents of Northeast Ohio.
Bankruptcy News & Resources
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How to Spot a Debt Relief Scam [2022 Update]
Ohio residents who are stuck in a cycle of credit card debt are becoming prime targets for debt relief scam artists who know exactly which buttons to push. We’ll also offer another, better option to give you the debt relief you’re looking for.
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Bankruptcy Questions Answered: What is a Chapter 11 Reorganization Plan?
If your business is in a place where bankruptcy seems like the best way forward, it’s likely that you’ll be looking at a chapter 11 filing. Unlike chapters 7 and 13, chapter 11 bankruptcy is a way for businesses of all sizes to reorganize debt and initiate a plan to repay creditors, all while keeping their doors open.
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Can I Discharge Any Debt in a Divorce Decree? [2021 Update]
As seasoned bankruptcy attorneys, we can help clients who have already been divorced prior to filing for bankrupcy. Let’s uncover the answer to this common bankruptcy question, centering our reply around chapter 7 and chapter 13 bankruptcy, the most common options for an individual in financial straits. For those whose unsecured debt exceeds standard limits, chapter 11 is also an option.
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Filing for Bankruptcy in Ohio: How Much Does it Cost? [2021 Update]
How much does it cost to file for bankruptcy? The cost of filing for bankruptcy in Ohio can be influenced by multiple factors: the type of bankruptcy you are filing, attorney fees, where you live, the complexity of your case, and the details of your income and debts.
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How Does Bankruptcy Affect Your Credit Score?
Filing for bankruptcy at any time in your life can be a stressful, emotionally-taxing experience. But it’s never more difficult to take the bankruptcy route than when you also have long-term goals of buying a home or making another major purchase. You likely realize that bankruptcy can affect your credit score, but how much, and for how long?
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Bankruptcy Questions Answered: Can I File for Bankruptcy on Student Loans?
More and more individuals are finding it difficult to both support themselves and pay off the debt that helped them get an education. This friction leads many to wonder about student loan debt in bankruptcy – what are the guidelines, and is it even possible? At Bates and Hausen, LLC our Northeast Ohio Bankruptcy Attorneys can help you tackle this common concern.
Why Choose Us?
We offer free initial consultations by phone or in person and in the evening (by phone) if you prefer.
Our fees are highly competitive and we offer special fee arrangements in appropriate cases. Call and we will be happy to tell you what your case would cost. You can retain us with only a small payment and you can make payments on the rest of the fee before the case is filed. YOU choose the amount and timing of the payments.
If you change your mind about filing before your case is filed, we will retain only the money you paid us that has been earned and will provide you with a complete accounting. The rest will be promptly refunded to you. To file your case, we require you to come to our office only once (to review and sign the papers to be filed). Many attorneys require three or more visits. Of course, you can visit us in person more often if you wish.
After your bankruptcy is over, we will continue to answer questions about your bankruptcy even years later at no extra charge. You can always call on us.
We offer an unusually high level of expertise in chapter 13 bankruptcies, having two employees (attorney and paralegal) who are experienced former employees of the Chapter 13 Trustee. This is an important advantage you will not find in other firms.
We do not try to sell you on bankruptcy. We explain your options and help you make the right decision. If you file, your case will be filed in the federal bankruptcy court, not in your local county court. And we promise you prompt, polite, professional service.
Since the 2005 bankruptcy code changes, it has become more difficult for Akron, New Philadelphia, Wooster and residents all over Northeast Ohio to file for bankruptcy. More people today are attempting to file on their own with do-it-yourself kits and end up regretting the decision of not hiring a locally experienced bankruptcy attorney. There are various types of bankruptcies which is why it is so essential to choose the right bankruptcy lawyer who will provide the kind of experience you need to handle your particular case and determine the proper bankruptcy type that would suit you best. John R. Bates and James F. Hausen can educate you about what protection you need for your unique circumstances and work with you to reach the best solution.
To see the Ohio counties whose residents we serve, please go to the Counties We Serve page.
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