Blogs

Many people would find it nearly impossible to carry on regular daily activities without a car. They rely on their vehicles to get to work, do the grocery shopping, go to doctor appointments, take the kids to school or daycare, and generally attend to necessities. And some large cities like Birmingham have relatively limited public transit systems. Some neighborhoods are better covered than others, and many public transit lines don't run at night. In some areas, there is little or no public transportation available. 

There comes a point in your mandatory two-week quarantine from covid-19 when you realize that working from home isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. To spare myself the indignity of befriending a volleyball and naming it Wilson, I’ve taken up keeping the Bond & Botes Blog updated with issues related to the COVID–19 pandemic as they relate to our clients, and others facing financial challenges. If you’re a Mississippi client, then you probably already know who I am. If not, let me introduce myself. My name is Nathan Rester and I’m the newest associate at Bond & Botes.

Bond & Botes and our team of lawyers have helped people across Alabama and Mississippi take care of their financial concerns for over 30 years. Over recent days, as federal and local governments began responding to the recent coronavirus outbreak, we knew right away that there would be tough financial times ahead for people across the nation. Some are already facing unexpected layoffs, and others are trying to figure out how they will manage childcare if their current care closes down in response to the virus. 

Filing for bankruptcy can be an overwhelming process, and you may be wondering if you will still be able to buy a car. It might seem like you don't have many options for making large purchases such as a vehicle. The good news is that with the right help, buying a car after bankruptcy is still possible. It can even help you rebuild your credit.

If you are like many Americans, you may have been reading news reports of the country's improving economy and falling unemployment rates and wondering why you are still struggling financially. Of course, there are many factors at play, but one factor in particular is impacting tens of millions of Americans: low wages.

Nobody is particularly thrilled with the idea of filing for bankruptcy, and those who do so are understandably eager to get through the legal process and to the good part, bankruptcy discharge: the moment when you’re legally released from many types of unsecured debt and are free to start rebuilding. Many Chapter 7 bankruptcy cases are completed within 4 to 5 months.  This timeline generally holds true in all three states where we handle consumer bankruptcy cases: Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee.

If you’ve been researching or talking to friends about debt relief options, you may have heard a horror story or two about people who thought they’d finally resolved their debts, only to get hit with a huge tax bill. The story typically goes something like this: 

The Bond and Botes lawyers and staff do what we do to help others every day. Some of us go above and beyond. In February, the Madison County Volunteer Lawyers Program recognized our own Mary Conner Pool as their Volunteer Spotlight! We are proud of Kathryn for putting in the extra time to help those who are less fortunate. Kathryn has a real compassion for the less fortunate and is willing to step out of her comfort zone to help.

Steady income is essential for most of us and is never more important than when we’re struggling financially. So, it’s understandable that many people who have bad credit histories or are considering bankruptcy are concerned about how their credit reports may affect their job opportunities. While many states place limitations on the use of credit histories in hiring, there are no such state-law restrictions in Alabama, Mississippi, or Tennessee.