Bankruptcy

Often, yes. In Kentucky, a tax return filed late can still count for bankruptcy purposes, as long as you filed it before the IRS made its own return for you and assessed the tax. That is the rule from the Sixth Circuit, the federal appeals court that covers Kentucky. Other parts of the country are…

Because a discharge and a lien are two different things. Your discharge wiped out your personal duty to pay the debt. It did not erase a lien that a creditor had already recorded against your house. That lien stays on the title until a court order removes it, it expires, or it gets paid when…

Sometimes, yes. Filing before the wedding can keep your future spouse’s income off your means test and keep the case in your name only. But waiting has its own upside, like filing jointly and doubling some exemptions. The right answer depends on both incomes, whose debt it is, and how soon the wedding is. This…

Maybe. It depends on whose money is in the account and what you can prove. A joint account with your name on it has to be listed in your case, even if every dollar came from someone else. What the trustee can actually take comes down to Kentucky ownership rules, your exemptions, and your deposit…

Yes. Federal law gives you the right to sue a debt collector that harasses you, and the law is built so ordinary people can afford to use it. When you win, the collector pays your attorney’s fees on top of your damages. That is why these cases get taken with no money up front. Here…

Not without beating you in court first. A private debt collector cannot reach into your checking account just because you owe them. In Kentucky, they must sue you, win a judgment, and then get a garnishment order served on your bank. Skip any step and the seizure is unlawful. That said, a collector who follows…