On August 23, 2019, president Trump signed the “Honoring American Veterans in Extreme Need” act of 2019. The passage of this act fixed a loophole in the 2005 Bankruptcy Code which shielded Social Security income and other income received under...
Read moreBANKRUPTCY BY THE NUMBERS: FILINGS BY ZIP CODE
The fundamental causes of financial distress are virtually immune to a person’s place and life. Divorce, health issues, and unemployment can affect anybody at any time. No wage or income class is exempt from these problems, regardless of how well...
Read moreELDER ABUSE AND INTIMIDATION IS ON THE RISE, AND CAN LEAD TO BANKRUPTCY
Our firm has been meeting with more and more elderly or retired individuals who are experiencing financial difficulty due to the actions of family, friends, or hired caregivers. Many individuals who are retired, disabled, or on a source of fixed...
Read moreFINANCIAL TRENDS TO BE WORRIED ABOUT IN 2019
While the economy appears to be in good shape, our firm has noticed some disturbing financial trends that are similar in nature to those trends that led to the last recession. While mortgage lending is much more conservative than it was in the...
Read more2018 YEAR END BANKRUPTCY ANALYSIS
As 2018 draws to a close, and 2019 begins in the midst of economic and political turmoil, now is a good time to address our financial environment, and disclose recent developments/trends which are now manifesting themselves in Bankruptcy Court...
Read moreThe American Bankruptcy Institute Creates the Task Force for Veterans and Service Members Affairs
Terry Leiden served in the United States Army as a Captain, with several foreign tours. Zane’s wife, Cindy, is presently a Major in the United States Army, stationed at Fort Gordon. As a result, the fair treatment of our military men and women...
Read moreRecent Bankruptcy Court Observations – Part 2
In the September 2018 edition of the American Bankruptcy Institute Journal, Ed Flynn writes an interesting article regarding “The Changing Profile of Chapter 7 Filers”.[i] By reviewing filing data on more than 650,000 Chapter 7 cases that were...
Read moreHundreds of Wells Fargo Customers Lose Homes After “Computer Glitch”
Wells Fargo admits that a “computer glitch” caused the improper foreclosure of hundreds of home loans between April 2010 and October 2015. But keep in mind that there were probably thousands of improper foreclosures that were averted...
Read moreBankruptcy Internet services – avoid at all cost!
Recent observations by our firm of cases in the Augusta Division Bankruptcy Court, as well as information obtained from across the nation, have revealed increase in consumers who access the bankruptcy courts by way of Internet bankruptcy...
Read morePro Se Bankruptcy Filings Increase in the Southern District of Georgia
Since the beginning of 2018, our firm has noticed a significant increase in the number of pro se bankruptcy cases. Unfortunately, many of these cases are dismissed within the first 60 days for failure to adhere to the filing requirements imposed...
Read moreLeiden & Leiden Celebrates its 45th Anniversary!
On March 19, 2018, the law firm of Leiden and Leiden will celebrate its 45th anniversary. Terry Leiden opened the law firm at its present location at 330 Telfair St. in Augusta on March 19, 1973. It was an ambitious endeavor by Terry Leiden, as...
Read moreThe Price to be Paid for Obtaining Your “Free” Credit Score
Ads abound on television and the Internet offering to provide consumers with their free credit score. These ads lead consumers to believe that the failure to monitor their credit score is negligent, and could result in the denial of credit in the...
Read more