Author Archives: doug

Introducing Callstopper Bankruptcy — a way to get rid of harassing collection calls as soon as your first office visit

By doug | Published: October 5, 2011

If you are in debt, there is nothing more infuriating than being besieged by bill collectors on the phone. Unless it’s facing a mailbox full of threatening letters from collectors and attorneys. I’m Doug Beaton, a bankruptcy lawyer serving the Merrimack Valley for 17 years. What I’m offering you is a way to do something […]

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Possible bankruptcy filing may not shutter Friendly’s in Lawrence, Haverhill, and Methuen

By doug | Published: October 4, 2011

Does a bankruptcy lawyer ever feel sad to hear of a possible bankruptcy filing? The cynics among you may not believe it, but I felt sad when I heard that the Friendly’s restaurant chain may be filing for bankruptcy as early as this week. Better news is that the Friendly’s in Lawrence, at the Loop […]

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With tax break for short sales set to expire, bankruptcy cases offer a way out

By doug | Published: September 26, 2011

Home values in the Lawrence, Methuen and Haverhill areas have been hit hard. Even Andover and North Andover homeowners have seen big drops in value and lots of negative equity. Many have turned to short sales and deeds-in-lieu of foreclosure to get out of their “problem house” when they need to move. Soon many more […]

Posted in Real estate, Secured loans, Taxes | Comments closed

Electronic filing form is an important part of a New Hampshire bankruptcy case, too!

By doug | Published: September 21, 2011

A typical Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing runs 40 pages or more. (A good reason why it’s a smart idea to hire an attorney to have it done right). But your signature is only needed in two places! That is because the bankruptcy courts in New Hampshire and Massachusetts, and indeed in the rest of the […]

Posted in Practical tips, Uncategorized | Comments closed

Trying to get out of debt? Things that won’t usually work . . .

By doug | Published: September 19, 2011

Have you been thinking about filing for bankruptcy, but for one reason or another, don’t really want to do it? If so, chances are you have done some looking, and bumped into debt-help websites loaded with helpful advice. Typically it goes something like this: * Take out a consolidation loan. Yes, this means just trading […]

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Cash value of insurance policies can be important when filing for bankruptcy

By doug | Published: September 16, 2011

There are basically two types of life insurance contracts that people purchase for themselves and loved ones. Term insurance is the simplest. You pay a monthly premium, and if you die young your beneficiary gets a stated benefit. Term insurance has no value of its own (until you’re dead, anyway), and can’t be cashed in […]

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The electronic filing form may be the most important part of a Massachusetts bankruptcy case

By doug | Published: September 15, 2011

A typical Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing runs 40 pages or more. (A good reason why it’s a smart idea to hire an attorney to have it done right). But your signature is only needed in two places! That is because the bankruptcy courts in Massachusetts, as in the rest of the nation, have adopted an […]

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What chapter are we in, anyway?

By doug | Published: September 14, 2011

Talk to a bankruptcy lawyer, and it won’t be long before he’ll start spouting off about “chapters,” as if he was the deranged leader of Oprah’s book club: “First you’ve got Chapter 7, then Chapter 13, and there’s always Chapter 11, and even chapters 9, or 12 and 15 . . . ” Potential bankruptcy […]

Posted in Chapter 13, Chapter 7 | Comments closed

At the Beaton Bankruptcy Law Firm, stopping lawsuits is free!

By doug | Published: September 13, 2011

“Bankruptcy is not for paupers.” That’s a common way of saying that you need money to file a bankruptcy case, so you don’t want to let yourself get so broke that you can’t even go bankrupt! The cold hard facts of life is that it costs money to save money through the bankruptcy system. (If […]

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How long will this bankruptcy take, anyway?

By doug | Published: September 12, 2011

It’s one of the most popular questions at my office, and perhaps rightfully so: “How long does a bankruptcy take?” It’s also not really the right question to be asking, but let me explain: If someone is asking “How long does it take to get started?”, the answer is simple: usually right away. Call for […]

Posted in Chapter 13, Chapter 7, Practical tips | Comments closed
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