The marijuana law in Missouri, like much else in life, is constantly evolving. Around the country, significant shifts have occurred in recent years with regard to longstanding laws about marijuana possession and prosecutions. In 2018 Missouri legalized the use of medical marijuana for patients with certain medical conditions who get approved by their doctor.
Chapter 12 bankruptcy cases in Missouri and Kansas, which are specifically designed for farmers, have been increasing in number in recent years as more and more farmers have been struggling with their debts. Modern farming has become very dependent on access to credit and then being able to timely pay these debts. When a farmer has a bump in the road that inhibits their ability to pay their debts, it can often severely impact their ability to continue farming. Chapter 12 bankruptcy is designed specifically to provide debt relief to farmers in this situation. Our law firm has experience with these types of cases.
When you file a bankruptcy case, one of your responsibilities is to make sure you have disclosed all your creditors. If a creditor is not listed on your case, the debt owed to that creditor will not be discharged; other problems can also arise in your case from a failure to disclose debts and assets. One of the most frequent questions we hear from our clients is, “I’m just not sure exactly who I owe money to! How can I find this out?”
The “means test” Form 122A in a Chapter 7 bankruptcy case is surrounded by myth, flawed perceptions, and misinformation. For many people it can be a scary prospect. You hear a lot of conflicting talk in the media about the means test, and everyone seems to have an opinion about one thing or another. Some people say it means one thing, and some people say it means something else. A book says one thing, a website says another. Everyone’s an expert, right? Wrong.
Many clients call our office after they have received the dreaded paperwork indicating that they have been sued by their credit card company. This process normally begins when someone gets a civil summons or a lawsuit petition delivered to their door, or to themselves personally. We understand that you may feel overwhelmed and confused. But although it can be a traumatic experience at first, realize that you have the power to take back control of your life. In this article we will explore what these collections lawsuits mean and what you can do to respond in an effective way.
Many people in this economy are finding themselves struggling to keep up on their car payments. When you get behind on your auto payment, you run the risk of your car being repossessed or “repoed.” A car loan gives the bank, finance company, or title loan company a lien on your vehicle: this is called a security interest. What does this mean? It means that the creditor (the “secured creditor”) has the right to take back the collateral (the car) if the payments are not made for a certain length of time. Banks or finance companies holdings such loans can use “repo men” to find and take back (“repossess”) cars that are in default on their payments.
Distressed homeowners in Kansas and Missouri should be aware that there are major differences in how the foreclosure process operates in their respective states. The procedures and processes are very different. We will sketch the general outlines here of how things works in both states.
In a recent case litigated by our law firm Phillips & Thomas LLC, a Kansas bankruptcy court discharged $234,046.00 of student loans in one of our bankruptcy cases. The court found that our debtors had satisfied the “undue burden” standard with regard to most of their student loans and therefore entered a discharge for the majority of the student loans in question.
The case in question was adversary proceeding In Re Murray (Murray v. ECMC), Dist. of Kansas, Adv. No. 15-6099 (Filed Dec. 8, 2016). In addition to the large amount of student debt that was wiped out, the outcome is significant because it demonstrates the fact that the Tenth Circuit (like many others) permits the partial discharge of student loans: as the Court said, “[in the Tenth Circuit] discharge of student loans is not an all-or-nothing proposition.”
Phillips & Thomas is one of the very few firms that gives serious consideration to various alternatives to bankruptcy for financially distressed businesses and individuals. Most, if not all, firms simply have a “boilerplate” mentality when it comes to these types of problems.
The official bankruptcy forms and schedules underwent significant changes to their appearance, layout, and presentation on December 1, 2015. It was one of the most important overhauls of the forms in their history.
What does this mean for you? Or does it make any difference at all? We will explore some of the answers here.
Kansas City Bankruptcy And Criminal Case Defense Information 