Bankruptcy Attorney in Franklin County, PA

Franklin County bankruptcy cases are filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, which sits in Harrisburg. The 341 meeting of creditors is held virtually with the assigned trustee, so you almost never need to travel to Harrisburg in person.

Yes — Franklin County has become a major Amazon and Procter & Gamble distribution hub — many filers are warehouse workers with variable hours and payday-loan stacking. That single detail shows up constantly in Franklin County files, usually in how much equity there is to protect and how realistic a repayment plan is. We look at it before recommending a chapter so the plan fits the county you actually live in.

Your credit-counseling and debtor-education courses are approved federally and taken online, so no local office visit is required. Court records for judgments and sheriff sales against you are kept by the Franklin County Prothonotary and Sheriff in Chambersburg, and the Chambersburg area has legal-aid and consumer-assistance organizations for people who do not end up needing a bankruptcy filing at all. We will tell you honestly if that is your situation.

Usually not. Bankruptcy filings are public record, but no notice goes to your employer unless your wages are being garnished — in which case we notify the garnishing party so the deduction stops — or unless you are in a Chapter 13 with a wage order. Employers in South Central Pennsylvania are also prohibited under § 525 from firing you solely because you filed.

In Franklin County we most often see WellSpan Chambersburg and Waynesboro hospitals, Patriot Federal Credit Union, and warehouse-staffing payday-loan balances. We notify each of these creditors directly when your case is filed so that the automatic stay stops collection and any pending Court of Common Pleas lawsuits.

Yes. A Chapter 13 filed before the sale at the Franklin County Courthouse in Chambersburg stops the sale through the federal automatic stay and lets you cure the mortgage arrears over 3–5 years. Even a Chapter 7 will stop the immediate sale, though a 13 is usually needed to permanently save the home.

Most Pennsylvania filers keep their home and vehicle. We can elect federal bankruptcy exemptions, which protect a significant amount of home equity plus a vehicle, household goods, retirement accounts, and a wildcard for anything else. We walk through your assets before filing so there are no surprises.

We charge a flat attorney fee that is fully disclosed and agreed to before you engage the firm. Court filing fees and the two required credit-counseling courses are separate. Many clients pay the attorney fee in installments before filing.

Chapter 7 stays on your credit report for up to 10 years; Chapter 13 for up to 7 years. In practice most clients see their FICO score improve within 12–24 months because their debt-to-income ratio drops dramatically and they can demonstrate on-time payments on new credit.

Start with a free consultation. We review your debts, income, assets, and goals, then recommend Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 and quote a flat fee. Once you engage us, the credit-counseling course takes about an hour online, we prepare your petition, and we file electronically with the bankruptcy court. The automatic stay stops creditor calls, wage garnishments, and foreclosure the moment the case is filed.