Resources for Texas Residents about Bankruptcy and Debt

This is a website set up by the National Association of Bankruptcy Trustees or NABT that may be of interest to you, if you are a bankruptcy trustee wanting to sell assets, or a buyer of distressed assets.

This website offers or soon will be offering assets for sale from all types of distressed asset sales, including bankruptcy sales, receiverships, assignments for the benefit of creditors, bank-owned assets and asset forfeitures.

You must create an account to gain access to the site, and there is a subscription fee if you are not an NABT member, but if buying or selling distressed assets is what you are interested in, this appears to be a website that you will want to mark as one of your favorites.

This is one of the websites for the U.S. Trustee's program, the "watchdog" over the entire bankruptcy system. They have some good information available, but to get specific advice about your situation, consult an experienced bankruptcy attorney.

The Justice Department provides information about means testing—evaluating a person’s income and assets—which is used to determine eligibility for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

The federal court system provides an overview of Chapter 7 bankruptcy, covering topics including alternatives, background, eligibility requirements, the legal process, and discharge of debts.

This website offers chapter 13 debtors the easiest way to access their case information.

The United States District & Bankruptcy Courts of the Southern District of Texas provides bankruptcy rules, procedures, and forms.

NACBA serves the needs of consumer bankruptcy attorneys and protects the rights of consumers in debt. The website of the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys highlights news about bankruptcy and debt issue from all across America.

The federal court system provides a summary of Chapter 13 bankruptcy law. Topics covered include background, advantages, eligibility, how it works, discharge, and more.

If you have a complaint or a problem with any kind of consumer credit, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) may be able to help. File your complaint, they will contact your lender to find out what is going on. Also, they have a resource where you can search for complaints against companies or financial institutions.

The official state website of the Texas Attorney General, Greg Abbott, features consumer information about debt collection.

This is a very useful website with information and forms available for free. It's mission is "Helping low-income individuals solve civil legal issues."

The law firm has a Facebook page with interesting articles, photos, and videos about the firm and various activities as well as related news and stories.

The law firm has many videos about bankruptcy, and various trips and activities of the firm.

Federal law allows consumers to obtain a free credit report every 12 months from each of the nationwide consumer credit reporting companies: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. This central request website lets you request your credit report for free to stay on top of your debt.

This is a website from the Federal Trade Commission that gives advice about debt relief services and various issues related to money and debt.

If you have problems with the I.R.S. that you cannot resolve through other parts of the agency, the Taxpayer Advocate's Office (TAO) may be able to help. They are "your voice at the I.R.S."

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) provides consumers with "a ton" of information, forms and publications on their website. Use the search box to find what you need.

Have you lost your job, or are you transitioning between jobs? The Internal Revenue Service has online advice for handling your taxes in the event you become unemployed, so you do not go into debt.

Housing counselors can give you free or low-cost advice on buying a home, renting, defaults, foreclosures, and credit issues. The counseling agencies on this list are approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and they can offer independent advice about whether a particular set of mortgage loan terms is a good fit based on your objectives and circumstances, often at little or no cost to you.

Identity theft happens when someone steals your personal information and uses it without your permission. It’s a serious crime that can wreak havoc with your finances, credit history, and reputation — and can take time, money, and patience to resolve. This website will show you what to do about it.

Federal law allows consumers to obtain a free credit report every 12 months from each of the nationwide consumer credit reporting companies: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. This doesn't include your scores, but it lets you check for errors which you can then dispute, to keep your reports as accurate as possible. You likely don't need the "monitoring" and other services offered for sale. You can pull your free reports all together, or "stagger" them and request one every four months, if you wish.

Your 720 Credit Score: credit-building tips the banks wish you didn't know. This 14 lesson video educational course can teach you how to reach a 720 or higher credit score, even if you've filed bankruptcy. It sells for $1,000, but for a limited time we are offering it to our bankruptcy clients for free.

On this website you can order your credit scores, compare all 3, and even learn what to do to increase your scores, at least according to the Fair Isaac Corporation.

The U.S. Department of Education's central database for student aid provides information on student loan procedures, including repayment of your student loans.

This website is intended to be the centralized web portal for information and activities regarding defaulted eduction debt for the U.S. Department of Education. It has some good resources on it, including a form to request a hearing if you are notified that you are subject to Administrative Wage Garnishment (AWG).

This is a very helpful website by the Department of Education.

This website allows you to determine if an educational institution is accredited by a nationally recognized acrediting agency or association.

This IBR plan features payments that take into consideration your family size, interest rate, state of residence, outstanding balance, and income. If any of these factors change—particularly your income—your payments are adjusted.

This online calculator can help you determine if you - or you and your spouse if you are married – might qualify for Income-Based Repayment (IBR).

This website is set up by the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC). It provides among other things, a step-by-step guide to determining a strategy to solve your student loan problems.

SLM Corporation, commonly known as Sallie Mae, is largest U.S. originator of federally insured private student loans. This site allows you to manage your Sallie Mae serviced student loans online.

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Federal Student Aid maintains this website about how to manage and repay your student loans. Of special interest are the pages about entering—and escaping—default on your loan payments.

Toni King really knows her stuff about Medicare. If you make a mistake about signing up for Medicare, it can be disastrous. We have clients that have to file bankruptcy because of medical bills!

On November 13, 2012, the Texas Supreme Court approved a set of forms for use in uncontested divorces that do not involve children or real property (an example of real property is a house that you and your spouse own). You don't have to use these forms, but they are available for use if you care to use them.

Houston Volunteer Lawyers is a non-profit service of the Houston Bar Association.  HVLP provides free legal aid to low-income individuals by connecting them with lawyers in the private bar who volunteer their time.

South Texas College of Law offers direct representation clinics for their students throughout the academic year.  Currently, STCL is accepting the following types of cases for the clinics: Uncontested Divorces – with or without children; Uncontested Probate Matters; Estate Planning. Potential clients must call or come in to conduct an initial intake.   

LSLA is the fourth largest free legal aid provider in the United States. It serves approximately 60,000 square miles, one-third of the State of Texas, including 72 counties in the eastern and Gulf Coast regions of Texas, and also four counties of southwest Arkansas. In addition to our Houston headquarters, our staff works from 12 branch offices in Angleton, Beaumont, Belton, Bryan, Conroe, Galveston, Longview, Nacogdoches, Paris, Texarkana, Tyler, and Waco.

The Center for Consumer Law is the oldest and most successful program of its kind in the nation. Its mission is simple: to advance the rights of consumers and to help ensure a safe and efficient marketplace.