“I'd been avoiding the mail for a year. She put everything on one page and told me what I could keep.”
Rosario M.Chapter 7 client
Bankruptcy · San Bernardino
Can't keep up with the bills? Start here.
Clearpath Law helps people across San Bernardino and the Inland Empire stop collection calls, wage garnishment and foreclosure with Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy. Send the form, or call or text. One of our three lawyers reads it and answers by the next business day.
What we handle
What's closing in on you?
Most first calls start with one of these four. Each has its own page: what happens, in what order, and what it costs.
- 01
Chapter 7
Erase the debts that qualify, such as credit cards, medical bills and personal loans. Most cases take a few months from filing to the end.
How Chapter 7 works - 02
Chapter 13
Keep your house or car and catch up through one monthly payment over three to five years.
How Chapter 13 works - 03
Foreclosure
A filing usually freezes a sale date. Then you decide whether to keep the home or leave on your own terms.
Stopping a foreclosure - 04
Wage garnishment
Once a case is filed, your employer is told to stop taking part of every paycheck.
Ending a garnishment
Fees
How the fee works, before you sign
No surprises. Every fee is quoted in writing on the first call and stays the same.
A free first call
About 30 minutes by phone, video or in the office. We read your numbers and tell you plainly whether bankruptcy fits.
A look at your debts and income
Chapter 7, Chapter 13 or neither
Your fee quote in writing
Chapter 7, one flat fee
One fee for the whole case: the petition, the schedules and your meeting with the trustee. It can be paid in monthly payments before we file.
See how Chapter 7 worksChapter 13, inside your plan
Most of our fee comes out of your plan payments, so little is due before we file. It covers every hearing and help if your income changes.
See how Chapter 13 works
The court's filing fee and the two required courses are paid separately, and any other cost is quoted in writing before we spend it.
Notes clients left at the end
A few lines from clients, written once their cases were over.
“They texted me back the same afternoon. I stopped dreading my phone.”
Tanisha B.Wage garnishment client
“Gaspar explained the plan in Spanish for my mother and in English for me, and never made us feel small.”
Aurelia P.Chapter 13 client
Each client's case is different. These are sample comments, and none of them predicts what will happen in your case.
First-call questions
Asked before we even say hello
01Will I lose my house or my car?
Not necessarily, and many people keep both. What the law protects depends on what you own, what it's worth and what you still owe on it. We go through each item with you before you decide anything.
02Will the calls and the garnishment stop?
Once a case is filed, the law generally requires most creditors to stop collecting. We send notice to each of them and to your employer, and we deal with any that keep going.
03Do I have to stop paying anything before I call?
No. Call as you are. We'll tell you which bills to keep paying and which can wait.
04How much does it cost, and when do I pay?
The fee is quoted in writing on the first call and doesn't change. A Chapter 7 can be paid in four monthly payments before filing; a Chapter 13 fee comes out of the plan. The court's filing fee is separate.
05How long does it stay on my credit?
A bankruptcy stays on your credit report for years. Most people who call us are already behind, so the score is low before filing. We'll show you how people rebuild afterward.
One call, no pressure
Not sure it is bankruptcy? Ask anyway.
A free call costs nothing and doesn't start a case. Adela, Gaspar or Leona will tell you plainly whether bankruptcy fits, and what else might.
Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
