chandy's blog

Over the past 30+ years, Bond & Botes has been blessed with attorneys who are skilled not only in the practice of bankruptcy law, but in the very machinations that improve the experience for all involved. Wm. Joey Schiffman is one such attorney.

A graduate of Samford’s Cumberland School of Law in 2012, Joey went on to gain his Master of Laws in Taxation from Boston University. From there, he was a Staff Attorney for the New York State Supreme Court Appellate Division until making his way back to his home state of Alabama. 

Many people considering bankruptcy relief are aware or soon learn that student loan debt is generally non-dischargeable in bankruptcy because student loan debt can only be discharged if the bankruptcy court determines a debtor has met the qualifications for a hardship discharge.  In most jurisdictions the hardship discharge is not easily obtained.

I have been reporting on the #METOO Movement and its collision course with bankruptcy over the last several months.  Now, in addition to Mike Isabella from Top Chief and Harvey Weinstein, USA Gymnastics follows in the same footsteps by declaring Chapter 11 ba

Chapter 12 of the Bankruptcy Code was developed in the 1980s specifically for family farmers and family fishermen.  In the 1970s, a rise in farm exports, commodity prices, and land values resulted in family farmers opening up larger and more expensive farming operations to keep up with demand.

Dina Lohan filed a petition for Chapter 13 Bankruptcy in September 2018.  But on the eve of Christmas, she received a lump of coal from the presiding bankruptcy judge in the form of a dismissal of her case.

This month is the seventh anniversary for the opening of my law firm, Bond, Botes & Handy, P.C. in Gadsden, Alabama.  While I have been a consumer bankruptcy attorney for over twenty years, it was only in 2011 that I discovered a tremendous group of partners willing to give me my first opportunity to run my own shop.

In March, I wrote about Harvey Weinstein’s sexually predatory behavior resulting in the downfall of the company he spent his life building. The Weinstein Co.

We have been hit hard in the last three years with the loss of musical icons.  In 2016, we lost Prince.  In 2017, it was Tom Petty.   Now we have lost the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin.  There are no words to sufficiently describe the impact of this loss.  Aretha is, and always will be, a national treasur

Back in 2015 I blogged about the infamous Real Housewives of New Jersey Guidice family and their bankruptcy woes, including the potential loss of their home to foreclosure.  Now we have another infamous New Jersey resident facing the same dilemma, rapper Lil Kim.

As consumer bankruptcy attorneys, we are regularly asked by our clients how they can begin to rebuild their credit after completing their bankruptcy case.  Clients are often under the misunderstanding that their credit is shot for ten years.  First let’s clear up that misconception.