Bankruptcy Lawyer in Rockville, Maryland

If a creditor has sued you in Rockville, or a judgment has already turned into a wage garnishment, bankruptcy can stop it. Rockville is the Montgomery County seat, so most debt collection lawsuits against Montgomery County residents are filed in the state courts right there in Rockville. Your bankruptcy case, though, is federal, and it goes to the Greenbelt Division of the United States Bankruptcy Court. Filing stops the state court collection case in its tracks. Everything on our end is handled remotely. Call 240-896-3253 for a free consultation.

Rockville Is Where You Get Sued. Greenbelt Is Where You Get Relief.

This trips people up, so it is worth being plain about. The state courts in Rockville are where creditors file collection lawsuits against Montgomery County residents. That is where a credit card company or a debt buyer goes to get a judgment, and a judgment is what lets them garnish your wages or freeze your bank account.

Bankruptcy is federal. Montgomery County bankruptcy cases go to the Greenbelt Division, Federal Courthouse, 6500 Cherrywood Lane, Suite 300, Greenbelt, MD 20770. Phone (301) 344-8018. The court allows new petitions to be filed with the Clerk's Office in either the Baltimore or the Greenbelt Division, but Montgomery County cases are heard in Greenbelt.

When you file in Greenbelt, the automatic stay reaches back and stops the Rockville collection case. The lawsuit pauses. The garnishment stops. The creditor has to deal with the bankruptcy court instead of you.

Already Have a Judgment Against You?

A judgment is not the end of the road. Many of our Rockville clients come to us after a judgment has already been entered, sometimes years earlier, and the creditor has just now started garnishing. Bankruptcy can discharge the underlying debt on most judgments from credit cards, medical bills, personal loans, and old accounts. In some situations a judgment lien on your home can also be addressed. What we need to look at is what the judgment was for and what it attached to, so upload the paperwork through our secure client portal before your call.

You Never Have to Come Into an Office

The whole process is remote. Your consultation is a phone call. Your documents are uploaded through our secure client portal. Your case is filed electronically, and your meeting of creditors is normally held on Zoom, where you appear on camera to verify your identity. Most clients never travel anywhere, and you do not have to take a day off work to get started.

Chapter 7 or Chapter 13

Chapter 7 discharges most unsecured debt in roughly three to four months. You have to pass the means test, which compares your household income to the Maryland median for your household size.

Chapter 13 sets up a three to five year repayment plan. It is the right call when you are behind on a mortgage and want to keep the house, when your income is too high for Chapter 7, or when you need to cure a car loan or back taxes.

Rockville has a lot of dual income households and government and contractor salaries. That income can put you over the Chapter 7 line even when your cash flow feels impossible. If that happens, Chapter 13 is still a real path, and it still stops the garnishment.

What It Costs

The court filing fee is $338 for Chapter 7 and $313 for Chapter 13. Attorney fees are separate and we offer payment plans. In Chapter 13, most of the attorney fee is usually paid through the plan rather than up front.

What You Keep, and How Maryland Exemptions Really Work

Maryland has opted out of the federal exemption system, so the federal exemptions are not available to you. You use Maryland exemptions, and Maryland does not have a standalone motor vehicle exemption. Vehicle equity is generally protected using Maryland's wildcard exemption, which covers up to $6,000 in cash or property of any kind, and that same $6,000 has to stretch across everything you apply it to. Retirement accounts are generally protected under separate rules. Because the wildcard has to cover multiple things at once, we run your actual numbers before you file rather than guessing. Most people still keep everything they own.

Frequently Asked Questions

I was sued in Rockville. Can bankruptcy stop the lawsuit?

Yes. Filing triggers the automatic stay, which requires the collection lawsuit to stop. If a judgment has not been entered yet, the case pauses. If it has, the underlying debt can usually still be discharged.

Can bankruptcy stop a garnishment from a Montgomery County judgment?

Yes. Once your case is filed, the garnishment has to stop. Call as soon as you get the notice, because the money already taken is harder to recover than the money not yet taken.

Do I have to come into an office to file bankruptcy?

No. Everything is remote. Your consultation is a phone call, your documents are uploaded through our secure client portal, your case is filed electronically, and your meeting of creditors is normally held on Zoom, where you appear on camera to verify your identity. Most clients never travel anywhere.

Can I use the federal exemptions in Maryland?

No. Maryland has opted out of the federal exemption system, so Maryland filers must use the Maryland exemptions. Maryland also has no standalone motor vehicle exemption, so car equity is generally protected through the wildcard exemption of up to $6,000 in cash or property of any kind.

Where do Rockville residents file bankruptcy?

Rockville is in Montgomery County, so cases go to the Greenbelt Division of the United States Bankruptcy Court, 6500 Cherrywood Lane, Suite 300, Greenbelt, MD 20770.

What if I make too much for Chapter 7?

Chapter 13 is still available and still stops garnishment and foreclosure. It reorganizes what you owe into a payment plan you can actually live with.

How much does it cost to file in Rockville?

The court fee is $338 for Chapter 7 and $313 for Chapter 13. Attorney fees are separate, with payment plans available.

Being Sued in Rockville? Let's Stop It.

Free 15 minute phone consultation. Straight answers. No judgment, and no office visit. Call 240-896-3253. Middleton Legal, 6301 Ivy Ln, Ste 700, Greenbelt, MD 20770.

Related pages: Montgomery County, the Chapter 7 guide, the Chapter 13 guide, and all our Maryland locations.