Family Assistance Causing Financial Issues

Alabama is well known as a charitable state; we give money, time and effort to churches, non-profit organizations, schools, friends, neighbors, and yes even to our families. Sometimes the support we offer to our family members can come back to put you in bad financial situation. Despite the desire and ability to assist a struggling family member you must remember that the good feeling of support can leave you in a worse off financial situation and other members of your family may not be able to assist you when you need help. If you find yourself struggling with your ability to support yourself from helping someone else, then you can seek support and guidance through your Montgomery, Selma, and Central Alabama bankruptcy attorneys at The Sellers Law Firm. Your assistance to the family member may have come from giving money directly to a family member, co-signing on debt, or even providing housing, medical or food support.

Co-signing on a debt is often seen as a harmless or limited risk situation when trying to help a family member, but that is not always true. While you agree to co-sign for a purchase or finance situation you may allow the family member to get a better deal such as a lower interest rate than they can get on their own. But sometimes, it puts the family member seeking help in a situation where they are unable to pay the debt. For instance, if you co-sign for a car to help the family member then the person being helped may be paying more for the vehicle than they can afford. When the family member has difficulty making the car payments then they may stop paying insurance. If this happens then you have no protections to assist you if the car is damaged in an accident. Also, I often hear people say that a co-signed debt is largely the other persons debt, but that is not the case in Alabama. Anyone that signs on a promissory note, or a promise to pay document, is equally responsible for that debt. No one is more responsible than anyone else. Co-signed debts are financial issues in which we can likely provide help. If you find yourself having these or other financial issues, we can likely help you through a Chapter 13 debt consolidation or Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Call or text us today at 334-LAWYERS (529-9377) or use the Contact Form on this website. You may also reach us by email at bsellers@sellerslawfirm.com. Remember, all consultations are free, and our phone lines are answered 24 hours a day!

Even if you decide to help a struggling family member without directly giving them money or agreeing to sign for debt your assistance could put stress on your financial situation. For example, agreeing to provide childcare instead allowing parents to pay for care can become expense for you. One of the reasons paid childcare is so expensive is because children can be expensive. Will you be expected to buy diapers, wipes, food, entertainment, and educational aids for the children or will the parents provide these things. If the parents provide them, is any money actually saved from your looking after their children? Also, will the parents deliver the children to your house or will you have to pick them up and have to put millage on your car and buy gas. If a reasonable paid childcare is around the corner from the child’s house, that could be better than having to spend time and money transporting children back and forth.

One last issue with assisting family members and bankruptcy. You need to be aware that if you transfer assets be they money, cars, land, or anything of value then seek bankruptcy protections then those transfers could impact your bankruptcy. If you transferred three thousand dollars to a family member and then try to file bankruptcy, and ask to have some debt excused, then this transfer mean you treated your family member better than your other creditors. One of the basic rules of bankruptcy is that you cannot take steps to prevent a creditor from getting repaid by paying a family member or friend. In this case the trustee, who helps manage your case for the benefit of creditors, could ask that the payment to the family member be reversed or require you to pay to your creditor the same amount that you paid to your family member or friend.

An alternative to actually providing money to a struggling family member may be to suggest that the family member seek the assistance of an attorney such as the Montgomery, Selma, and Central Alabama bankruptcy attorneys at The Sellers Law Firm. Once your family member seeks our help, we will be able to advise and assist them without potentially putting your financial situation at risk. However, if you find yourself in difficulty then we will certainly be able to advise you as to how bankruptcy may be able to assist you from having helped out your family member.

When you need financial help, call the attorneys at The Sellers Law Firm. We have offices located in Montgomery, Selma, Greenville, and Troy. We can help you through Chapter 13, Chapter 7, or possible other financial solutions. Our phone lines are answered 24 hours a day, and consultations are always free! Once you contact us, then we can usually meet with you within 24 hours. You may call or text us at 334-LAWYERS (529-9377) or you may use the Contact Form on our website. You may also contact us at bsellers@sellerslawfirm.com. Act today! Take control of your debts and creditors before the debts and creditors take control of you!