If your wages are being garnished, the clock is already running.
I am Sheereen E. McNair, a Maryland consumer bankruptcy attorney. It starts with a free 15-minute consult to look at your situation. If bankruptcy is a fit, you and I speak to confirm your eligibility. No cost to find out where you stand.
Every county in Maryland. The whole process is handled remotely, by phone and video, so where you live in the state does not matter.
You are probably here because one of these is happening
None of these mean you are out of options. Most of them mean the opposite: there is a specific legal tool for what you are facing, and it works faster than people expect.
Your paycheck is short.
A garnishment is taking money before you ever see it. Filing triggers the automatic stay, and in most cases, the garnishment stops.
The calls will not stop.
Collection calls are a signal that accounts are moving toward legal action.
Your bank account froze.
A levy can empty an account with no warning. Timing matters enormously here, which is why the first call should not wait.
You are behind on the house or car.
Chapter 13 can let you catch up arrears over time while you keep the property.
You have been sued.
A creditor lawsuit heading toward judgment is what leads to garnishment in the first place. There is usually still room to act.
You do not know what you qualify for.
That is the most common reason people call. Finding out costs you 15 minutes and nothing else.
What actually happens in the 15 minutes
No sales pitch. No pressure. If bankruptcy is not the right fit, you will be told so plainly.
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You share what is happening. Income, what you owe, what is being taken, and what you are trying to protect. Rough numbers are fine.
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You hear where you stand. Whether you likely qualify for Chapter 7, whether Chapter 13 fits better, and what happens to your house, car, and wages.
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You decide. You leave knowing your options and what each one costs. If you qualify and want to move forward, you speak with attorney McNair to confirm, also free.
Chapter 7 and Chapter 13, in plain English
Chapter 7 is a liquidation.
Qualifying unsecured debt, such as credit cards, medical bills, and personal loans, can be discharged. You have to pass the means test, and Maryland exemptions protect a meaningful amount of what you own.
Chapter 13 is a repayment plan.
You keep what you have and pay back a portion over three to five years on a court-approved plan. It is the tool that cures mortgage arrears and stops a repossession while you catch up.