Of course you do not want to file Chapter 7 bankruptcy.  Everyone would first like to explore the alternatives.  But just what are those alternatives and are they are good for your situation?  The answer is as varied as the number of folks that are in debt.  Do you have any assets that can be attached?  Do you have any wages that can be garnished?  Are you being harassed by creditors for payment of certain debts?  If any of those answers are yes, then you may be subject to filing for bankruptcy at some point.  The trick would be to get out of debt and yet, not have to file, correct?

That is the promise that many television advertising campaigns seem to tout.  If you have more than ten thousand dollars of debt, we can help you.  But can they really help you?  In my experience, most debt settlement attempts fail and they do so with drastic results.  I have had clients who were in debt settlement payment plans for years only to get sued by another creditor.  In some cases, the balance did not get reduced accordingly and they lost money to the company itself.  In other situations, the debt settlement company wound up claiming bankruptcy.  Experience shows that many of the non-bankruptcy options are just not powerful enough.

You could try to do it alone.  You could call your creditors and attempt to make an arrangement.  The worst that they can say is no, we want more from you than that.  Be careful however, that you do not give up too much information.  Any information that you give can be used in an effort to collect on the debt.  If you give your employer’s information for example, you may be seeing a wage garnishment coming down the pike.  Whatever you do, please don’t file bankruptcy yourself.  You have no clue how difficult it is to get a case processed correctly.

Lastly, if your non-bankruptcy options just do not seem to be working, then consider the services of a Chapter 7 bankruptcy attorney.  The attorney will know your best options under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.  It may be a Chapter 7 or it may be a Chapter 13.  You will not have to make the legal decision.  You will only have to make the decision to file if you feel that after receiving all of the information that it is in your best interest to file.  No one can or should force you to file for bankruptcy relief.