As we have seen, the recession along with social changes have made a "household" look much different than it did in the day of June and Ward Cleaver in the 1960s TV show "Leave it to Beaver". As a bankruptcy lawyer with sometimes 20 appointments in a day, I see it all: I have divorced couples reuniting in the same household in economic (nonromantic) relationships, friends residing together, "friends with benefits" residing together, roommates of economic necessity, committed same gender couples and even adult brother/sister combos living together. This is in addition to the living-at-home-with-mom individual and the mom-moving-in-with-child commonplace scenario. And of course there are the split/shared custody arrangements and the blended family arrangements all so common today! These "non-Cleavers" wonder if they can find protection from their debts under the bankruptcy code.

The bankruptcy forms qualify someone based upon "household size", so it is important for a lawyer to carefully figure out who resides in the household, and who does not. I spend much time figuring out how to best and most strategically organize a household to take full benefit of the difficulties, and benefits, posed by this standard of "household size". It is important that a lawyer like me not be sloppy about household size. About one in 250 bankruptcy cases is audited by the government for accuracy and completeness. Believe me, you do not want to get caught having reported a household size of six in your bankruptcy case when really only two or three people reside in the house. To date, there are not too many hard and fast rules in establishing "household size", but an experienced and appropriately conservative lawyer should be able to steer you clear of the more obvious mistakes and errors in helping you to determine your "household size", even in a "non-traditional" household wherein the people who live there do not exactly match the "Leave it to Beaver" nuclear family of mom, pop and two teenagers attending school full time.

In plain, no matter what your family dynamic is, I will be able to help you and your family, relieve and minimize your debt.

Many experts believe that we may be headed for another recession. Don’t enter a second recession with piles of debts. I can counsel you on your debts. I am sure that I can be of assistance to you, a family member or a friend as we all know someone experiencing trouble these days even if we are not experiencing our own financial troubles. Please do not hesitate to make contact with me. I emphasize courteous and discrete consultations packed with plenty of information. The life impact of meeting with me in person will be unforgettable. You will enjoy a new peace of mind and a fresh hope for the future with a new roadmap for financial success that we develop together. You can email my scheduler through our website for your free 30 minute consultation at www.washingtonbankruptcy.com or e-mail directly at [email protected]. To schedule immediately, we can be reached at 253-383-1001 M-Th 9am-5:45pm and Friday 9am – 12pm.