What Can You Keep If You File Bankruptcy in 2026? The Federal Exemption Numbers
The question I hear more than any other is simple: “If I file bankruptcy, do I lose everything?” In the overwhelming majority of cases I handle, the answer is no — people keep their house, their car, their furniture, and their retirement. The reason is exemptions: the dollar amounts of property the law lets you […]
New Means-Test Numbers Arrive Nov. 1: Where Pennsylvania Filers Stand Right Now
If you’re thinking about filing Chapter 7 bankruptcy in Pennsylvania, the single most important number in your case is one you don’t control: the median income figure for a household your size. The U.S. Trustee Program updates those figures twice a year, and the next update takes effect for cases filed on or after November […]
Should You Accept the Insurance Company’s First Settlement Offer After a Car Accident?
It usually comes fast — sometimes within days of the crash. The other driver’s insurance adjuster calls, sounds sympathetic, and puts a number on the table. Maybe they even offer to cut a check right away. When you’re missing work and the bills are arriving, that offer can be hard to resist. Here’s what you […]
What Is My Car Accident Case Worth in Pennsylvania?
It’s the first question almost everyone asks after a crash: what is my case worth? It’s also the question with the most misleading answers online. You’ll see “average settlement” figures thrown around, but no honest lawyer can value your case from an average — because your case isn’t average. It’s built from your injuries, your […]
What If the Driver Who Hit You Has No Insurance — or Not Enough?
It happens more often than people think: you’re hurt in a crash that wasn’t your fault, and then you find out the other driver has no insurance at all — or carries only Pennsylvania’s minimum coverage, which can disappear fast when there are real injuries. It feels like a dead end. In many cases, it […]
How Long Do You Have to File a Car Accident Lawsuit in Pennsylvania?
After a car accident, you have enough on your plate — doctors, a damaged car, missed work, an insurance company calling. The lawsuit deadline is probably the last thing on your mind. But Pennsylvania law puts a hard clock on your right to sue, and if that clock runs out, it doesn’t matter how clearly […]
Limited Tort vs. Full Tort in Pennsylvania: Can You Still Sue After a Car Accident?
When you bought your car insurance, you checked a box: limited tort or full tort. Most people pick limited tort because it costs less, and most people have no idea what they gave up — until they’re hurt in a crash that wasn’t their fault and an insurance adjuster tells them they can’t be compensated […]
Will I Lose My Tax Refund If I File Bankruptcy?
This question comes up every year as tax season approaches, and it matters — for a lot of families in Northeastern Pennsylvania, the tax refund is the biggest single check of the year. The honest answer is: it depends on timing and exemptions, and this is one of the easiest bankruptcy problems to plan around […]
Can Bankruptcy Stop Wage Garnishment in Pennsylvania?
If a creditor is threatening to garnish your wages — or already has — you need to know two things. First, Pennsylvania law gives you more protection than most states. Second, where Pennsylvania law doesn’t protect you, bankruptcy usually does. Here’s how it actually works. Pennsylvania already blocks most wage garnishment Pennsylvania is one of […]
What Is the Bankruptcy Means Test? A Plain-English Guide for Pennsylvania Filers
If you’ve been reading about Chapter 7 bankruptcy, you’ve probably run into the “means test” — usually described just vaguely enough to make you nervous. It’s the test that decides whether you qualify for Chapter 7 at all. Here’s what it actually is, how it works in Pennsylvania, and why a lot of people who […]
