Gold and Hammes

Information may not be reliable

Do you have debt problems?

Is it hard for you to pay your credit card debt, especially with the increasing minimum monthly payments?

Are you behind on your car payments? Do you owe income taxes?

Have you had to take out payday loans? Do you need debt reduction?

Are you thinking about credit counseling or debt management plans, but can't afford the high payments?

MAYBE WE CAN HELP — WELCOME to the Website of

GOLD and HAMMES

Bankruptcy Law Specialists

Certified by the California Board of Legal Specialization

1570 The Alameda, Suite 223, San Jose, California 95126 - USA

YES!

You Can Still File Bankruptcy!

Debt problems are embarrassing. When we were young, we were taught that we should pay our bills. As we grew up, we expected that we would be able to do so. Unfortunately, for most of us, our lives are not as simple or as easy as we hoped they would be. We never thought we would get sick, be injured in an accident, or lose our jobs. However, things like these happen to many of us. When bad things happen, all our good intentions are frustrated. We can understand that being out of work makes it impossible to keep up on credit card payments, but understanding the cause of the problem doesn't stop us from being embarrassed by it.

It is hard to pick up the phone and call an attorney for help, especially when you are embarrassed. We have tried to provide quite a bit of information on this website. We want you to be able to learn about us, learn about economic factors that may have hurt you, and learn about bankruptcy relief and the process.

By learning about it, we hope you will begin to understand that filing bankruptcy is not as painful as most people think. It can be the beginning of a new chapter in your life. We hope we can help you have a productive and happy life again.

About GOLD and HAMMES, Attorneys
What Our Clients Say About Us - Here are a few letters we have received from our clients.
Links to Other Information About GOLD and HAMMES, Attorneys
Making an Appointment with GOLD and HAMMES
What If I Can't Afford to Pay an Attorney? I'm Broke!!
What You Should Bring to A First Appointment with GOLD and HAMMES
What To Look For When You Are Choosing An Attorney

Information About Bankruptcy & Debt Problems

Bankruptcy Myths And Frequently Asked Questions
Why Not Filing Bankruptcy Can Slow Your Credit Recovery
How Much Will A Bankruptcy Help Me?

150 percent of Poverty Level - nationwide
What is the procedure after you file a Chapter 13 case in Santa Clara County?
What is the procedure after you file a Chapter 7 case in Santa Clara County?

Credit Card Company Abuses & Increasing Minimum Payments - Find out about problems with credit card companies, including the increases in monthly minimum payments.

Credit Card Minimum Payments Increases
Letter to Banks by the OCC Regarding Abusive Credit Card Practices (the OCC is a federal government agency)
Letter to Banks by the OCC Regarding Problems Relating to Secured Credit Cards

What to watch out for if you are refinancing your home
Calif Attorney General goes after Ameriquest for predatory lending
Information about car leases

What are Some of the Problems with Credit Counseling? - In attempting to avoid bankruptcy, many people consider credit counseling. Did you know that credit counseling companies are paid by your creditors? Did you know that the number of credit counselors has skyrocketed in the last five years, with many of them being punished for bad conduct by state governments and the IRS?

SJ Mercury - Credit Advice Waste of Time
FTC Advice Regarding Credit Counseling (the FTC is a federal government agency)
FTC Testimony about Credit Counseling Abuses

Credit Scoring, Credit Repair & How To Get Credit Reports Free On-Line - You are entitled to one free credit report each year from the three major credit reporting agencies.

Get Your Free Credit Reports
Helpful Information About What Your Credit Report Means to You

Credit Repair Scams
Calif Attorney General goes after MyPerfectCredit for credit repair scam

What About This New Bankruptcy Law? - The new law which went into effect in October 2005 makes filing a bankruptcy much more complicated. It was never a good idea to file bankruptcy without the help of an attorney, but it's even a worse idea under the new law. Many recent bankruptcy cases are being rejected by the court every month because the people didn't file all the many required papers. Bankruptcy relief can be obtained, but only if all the requirements are met. Otherwise your case will be dismissed and your creditors will come after you again. Here is some more information about the new law.

How are Bankruptcies Different Under the New Law?
How Did We Get This Crazy New Law?

Other Bankruptcy Links
Locations of Bankruptcy Court & Chapter 13 Trustee
Helpful Information for Other Bankruptcy Attorneys

James Gold and Norma Hammes are attorneys who are certified as Bankruptcy Law Specialists by the California Board of Legal Specialization. The new bankruptcy law says that attorneys who file bankruptcies are Debt Relief Agencies. Under that definition, the law firm of GOLD and HAMMES is a Debt Relief Agency.

A Note About Our Website: Those sites with dancing bears and singing sausages are a lot of fun. But, we imagine you did not enter our site in the hopes of being entertained. We like to think we have a good sense of humor, but we are in a serious business. Therefore, we approached this website with the goal of communicating important and helpful information to you. So .... sorry, we don't have any dancing bears or singing sausages. In addition, the information contained on this website is not specific legal advice — you must consult an attorney to find out how or whether the law may apply in your situation. It is also possible that the law may have changed since the site was last updated.