Category: Behm Law Group

Behm Law Group helps clients balance bankruptcy and divorce spousal debts.

According to Minnesota bankruptcy law, Chapter 7 bankruptcy differs from Chapter 13 bankruptcy in the handling of spousal debts during a divorce. Chapter 7 bankruptcy is for a liquidation of debt. Chapter 13 bankruptcy is for a reorganization of debt. Therefore, under Chapter 13, debts assigned to spouses in divorces are discharged. Under Chapter 7, that is usually not the case.

For Mankato residents, that means if a husband is ordered in a divorce decree to pay a $10,000.00 Discover Card debt that is in both spouses’ names with the other spouse being held harmless, the hold-harmless obligation to the other spouse cannot be discharged in a Chapter 7, but may be discharged in a Chapter 13. The bankruptcy attorneys at Behm Law Group, Ltd., state that if that same husband files for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, and Discover Card pursues the ex-wife to collect on the debt, and she pays something toward that Discover Card bill, then the husband is liable to the ex-wife for what she had to pay Discover Card. This is because the divorce decree held her harmless in that obligation. Had the husband filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy, however, he could have gotten that obligation discharged as well.

Generally, debtors use Chapter 13 when they have enough equity in their secured assets to make this path worthwhile. These debtors must have a regular source of income and be able to make payments on any instituted Chapter 13 plan. The Chapter 7 option leads to a clean slate where heavy debt is eliminated, and none of it needs to be repaid.

This is just a snapshot of the decisions Mankato residents contemplating divorce need to make. The bankruptcy attorneys at Behm Law Group, Ltd., can help you navigate the bankruptcy laws affecting your situation. You see, bankruptcy is our specialty.

Divorces are difficult enough without adding confusion over how to handle debt. Make your transition to single life smoother by considering the options with Behm Law Group, Ltd. We can map out a plan together. Mankato, MN bankruptcy may not have been your initial goal, but if it becomes your reality, we have you covered.

The bankruptcy attorneys at Behm Law Group, Ltd. offer personal, practical bankruptcy advice in a non-threatening, compassionate manner. Call for a consultation today.

Behm Law Group understands the struggle between making money and following your dreams.

How many Mankato residents are avoiding bankruptcy by doing anything and everything, except what they are best at? What you are best at many times comes so easily to you, but you think you were destined to do something else. Sometimes what you are best at is what you should be doing. The bankruptcy attorneys at Behm Law Group, Ltd. specialize in bankruptcy, because that’s what we do best.

We understand that sometimes, in this game of life, dreams have to be delayed a bit. But, don’t delay indefinitely. In fact, study your niche skill while you are working at that have-to job. Mankato residents, along with many others, fear bankruptcy. That’s normal. If you take the time to hone your gift and plan your course of action to give that gift of skill income potential, you won’t need that have-to job any longer. For now, you will be earning money by doing what you like to do. What is wrong with that? The more you enjoy what you do, the more ideas you will have on how to grow and to learn more. Behm Law Group, Ltd. can attest to that.

Find your niche, and you find your voice. Find your voice, and you discover your purpose. Purpose leads to potential. Potential maximizes dreams, but remember, nothing is perfect in this world. As a Mankato resident, if you find yourself facing bankruptcy along the way, turn to Behm Law Group, Ltd. It doesn’t mean your dream is dead. It means it needs a different path. The bankruptcy attorneys at Behm Law Group, Ltd. want to help you discover that optimal path. One bump in the road doesn’t signify the end. It only makes the trip more exhilarating. As long as you learn and grow along the way, nothing should be able to stop your momentum.

Momentum equals small steps as well as huge leaps. Mankato residents, embrace your niche skills, and command your place in the world. The bankruptcy attorneys at Behm Law Group, Ltd. have experienced momentum. We also understand devastation. If you fall into bankruptcy, we’ll give you a hand. We can hardly wait until you get to the forward momentum part. Cheers!

Behm Law Group encourages Mankato residents to keep a budget and stick to it to avoid financial hardship this holiday season.

Christmas, you say? It’s not even Halloween yet! We know. The bankruptcy attorneys at Behm Law Group, Ltd. want Mankato residents to plan ahead for the holidays. You will likely buy at least one Christmas present this year. Try not to make it an impulsive purchase. Expenses add up fast with impulsive buying, especially when you use your credit card.

This year, take the time to plan ahead. Decide the number of presents you will buy as well as the maximum dollar amount for each. Stick to your plan. Be alert to sales, and buy those items well before Christmas. Then, when everyone else is scrambling at the last minute and crowding the stores, you can relax, for that task has already been accomplished. No matter how much those holiday ads tug at you, resist the urge. Stick to your dollar limit. Maybe reward yourself with a walk in the park or with special family time with your loved ones. Behm Law Group, Ltd.’s attorneys value that special time, too. You can never spend too much time with loved ones. Cherish the memories, we say.

Just think, Mankato, you can avoid bankruptcy more easily by adopting stricter financial habits year-round. Just because you avoided an impulsive spending spree by the year’s end doesn’t mean you should switch gears for those other months. Regularly keeping your debt low will eventually become a habit you can be proud of.

Don’t promise to buy anything for anyone that is more than you can afford. Instead, try giving that person a special experience, with or without a small gift. Usually, experiences with sentimental value can mean more than some expensive gift anyway and, above all, show you truly care.

If Mankato, MN residents keep their Christmas debt low, they will be less likely to require the bankruptcy attorneys at Behm Law Group, Ltd. However, if overwhelming debt and financial struggles become the Scrooge of your holiday, please give us a call. Behm Law Group, Ltd. will help you turn that debt and specter of financial stress into the Ghost of Christmas Past.

A house fire can produce devastating financial hardship. Follow these tips to protect your Mankato home from a fire.

Halloween can be great fun. Costumes and trick-or-treating cultivate grand memories. Two caveats are in order. First, watch those candles. Who hasn’t put candles in carved-out pumpkins or even on the windowsill? If left unattended, flaming candles can lead to large fires. Behm Law Group, Ltd. recommends either using flameless candles or monitoring the flames of the other variety. What Mankato, MN resident wants to experience bankruptcy due to fire devastation?

Please, enjoy the holidays. Just be careful. Depending on your insurance coverage, you may or may not be unscathed when an accident occurs. Even if the flame doesn’t touch a flammable object, the freshly melted wax is hot. Does the wax drip on wood, for instance? Not a good scenario. If need be, snuff those flames to prevent them from getting too hot. You can always re-ignite candles during dinnertime for that soft, flickering glow. Of all the things that could cause bankruptcy, Behm Law Group, Ltd. would hate for the cause to be a preventable accident.

Did you know, Mankato residents, that kitchen fires are one of the leading causes of destructive fires in the home? When you are making those gooey, spooky delicacies, be mindful of what you’re doing. Don’t keep the oven on when not in use. Don’t put something flammable on top of or in a hot oven. Attend to any appliance that’s in use. Bankruptcy in Mankato, MN is not fun. It’s even less fun when you know it could have been prevented.

Behm Law Group, Ltd. suggests you don’t light candles when you are tired. Once you sit or lie down after a hard day’s work, the lure to sleep can be overpowering. You wouldn’t want to awake to a burning home. Use caution. Be safe. Keep your home intact and bankruptcy at bay.

Sleep deprivation works against you when cooking, too. You thought you turned the burner off. But, then, maybe not. Don’t be caught off guard. Who wants to cook when tired, anyway? The bankruptcy attorneys at Behm Law Group, Ltd. wouldn’t. If you do happen to have an accidental fire, and bankruptcy looms in Mankato, contact Behm Law Group, Ltd. We can help you through the fright and fear of a ghoulish bankruptcy. Let us do our “tricks” and treat you with the dignity and respect you deserve. And, above all else, have a safe holiday!

Behm Law Group believes in the power of positive thinking.

Affirmations can work wonders. They set the stage for positive thinking. As you straighten your tie, you think, “I’m great at what I do.” As you tuck in your blouse, you muse, “I’m a good person.” Then you wink and smile at the mirror. Mankato, MN residents faced with bankruptcy know the best days have yet to come. Challenges do not last forever, especially if you actively think of a brighter future.

The bankruptcy attorneys at Behm Law Group, Ltd. want you to imagine a dream you have always wanted. Write it down. Post a note on your mirror with your goal. Slot a time in your daily agenda for contemplating the future. Let your mind ponder the possibilities.

Sometimes, Mankato residents can get broad-sided with bankruptcy. Life’s circumstances can change through no fault of your own. Maybe life is tugging at you, trying to tell you there is something better out there for you. Usually when people have dreams, they never think they are attainable. Therefore, they give up before they even start, until a disaster strikes. Behm Law Group, Ltd. knows a thing or two about disasters. Let us worry about the bankruptcy part, while you concentrate on your new beginning.

This is your chance to rev that energy into high gear, to plan, and to execute that plan. Surviving bankruptcy will become a reality, the disaster itself a distant memory. If you encounter a bump along the way, be thankful, for you just learned something in the school of life. Make time to re-group, to plan some more, and then to execute once again.

Behm Law Group, Ltd. wants you to know every journey has a beginning. Without a dream or plan, you can’t even take the first step, unless you want to arrive somewhere else. Decide where you want to go. Use affirmations to keep you mentally positive and to keep your dream possible. Without active engagement of your plan, you will likely wallow in confusion.

Affirmations work for the bankruptcy attorneys at Behm Law Group, Ltd. as well. When we stand tall in front of our mirrors, the ties gets straightened, the blouses tucked just so, and we smile, because we look forward to helping Mankato residents. We also smile because we feel great at what those same residents have been able to accomplish after bankruptcy. At Behm Law Group, Ltd. we want you to succeed. It’s in our nature.

Behm Law Group helps you plan for your future after bankruptcy.

Memories are eternal. Everyone cherishes their fondest memories rooted in pleasant times. Our surroundings, like a favorite restaurant or arcade, figure prominently in those dreamy recollections. No wonder we experience shock and dismay when one of those historic sites declares bankruptcy. That wasn’t just a part of any memory. That was part of OUR memory.

Although memories have already occurred, the bankruptcy attorneys at Behm Law Group, Ltd. believe it’s human nature to want to relive the pleasant times. Part of that re-experience involves visiting those places again. This voyage into the past can rekindle the positive energy we once felt. If, on the other hand, when a business is bankrupt, or hasn’t been managed properly, we feel unfairly cheated. It’s as though our memories were stolen from us. That can’t be, of course, because our memories took place much earlier.

Bankruptcy in Mankato, MN can look much like those mismanaged properties. The pleasant has been replaced with what we consider to be bad. We dwell about “What if?” The “what if” is possible only if you relinquish the past and grab hold of your future. Behm Law Group, Ltd. has heard countless memories. But that’s just it. They are memories.

Harness those pleasant experiences on your mind. You worked to create them before. Mankato, MN residents can work toward positive experiences after bankruptcy once again.

Historic buildings come and go. Fashions come and go. When you think about it, nothing is truly constant, because circumstances and environs change with the times. It’s inevitable. One thing is for sure though; the attorneys at Behm Law Group, Ltd. specialize in bankruptcy. Regardless of how bankruptcy has intersected with your life, we’ve got you covered. We know bankruptcy laws, typical client experiences, and yes, something about memories too.

If Mankato residents are willing to work with us, we can ensure a more pleasant experience than what you may have imagined. Behm Law Group, Ltd. may not be able to top sunbathing on a beach in Maui…after all, this is Minnesota. But we can help you to fashion the required steps to get you to Maui and create positive experiences and memories. Are you up for the challenge?

Behm Law Group helps Mankato area residents get their financial lives back into shape!

When was the last time you started a fitness program? We bet you had grand visions of a svelte body with toned muscles, at least for a few weeks. As soon as the habitual necessity becomes apparent to keep that body, the newness wears off. Instead of excitement, you anticipate the gym with dread. So you eye any fitness fad with desire. Maybe something new will be better. By now, Mankato, MN residents have determined physical fitness requires a regular regimen of discipline. Pick a sport, and stick with it. You will then secure the results you seek.

The bankruptcy attorneys at Behm Law Group, Ltd. want you to be aware of the financial fitness program. If Mankato residents don’t understand how they arrived at a state of bankruptcy, they won’t understand how to stay out of it. Just like physical fitness, financial fitness requires discipline. These are some steps we recommend:

1) Establish a budget for yourself and your family members. Let other family members participate in the process. They will be more apt to follow the rules everyone has agreed to, if they understand what those rules mean and why they were chosen.

2) Mankato, MN residents will be more likely to avoid bankruptcy by spending less than they earn. Sounds simple, yet with rising costs, this can be a real challenge for families. Discipline will be your friend.

3) Behm Law Group, Ltd. recommends you save some money for those unexpected circumstances, another fairly simple rule that can be harder to execute with limited funds and rising costs.

4) Mankato residents: beware of those credit and debit card offers! Choose wisely based on the lowest interest fees and the company with whom you’d prefer to do business. Plan to pay off any charges within the same statement period to avoid additional fees.

5) Although our attorneys can help you in the event of bankruptcy, we’d prefer you avoid it. Regularly monitor your bank and credit card statements to ferret out any fraud and incorrect charges. It might even behoove you to get ID theft protection.

Finally, Mankato: use that discipline to only purchase those items you need. Save the wants for when you are earning more money.

Even if you follow all of these steps, the bankruptcy attorneys at Behm Law Group, Ltd. realizes bad things happen to good people. Practice physical fitness to feel and to look your best. Practice sound financial fitness to achieve your best. If the weight of monetary burdens leave you financially weak, call upon Behm Law Group, Ltd. to help you whip your financial woes back to fiscal fitness.

Behm Law Group Explains the Connections Between Your Bankruptcy Filing and Your Retirement Account

What do 401Ks and bankruptcy have in common? A 401K is an asset. While bankruptcy itself is not considered to be an asset, the lawyers at Behm Law Group, Ltd. would make a case that bankruptcy planning might be. With employees having multiple jobs in their lifetimes, it is possible for an employee to leave the 401K with the previous employer. Over time, that 401K may simply disappear from the memory banks.

What happens if that previous company files for bankruptcy with your 401K in tow? It is possible Mankato residents will not be able to recoup that money. Did you know that even if you no longer work for a company, you can roll over the 401K to a different company of your choosing? By actively keeping abreast of a company’s financial health, you can ensure your 401K remains safe until you need it most. However, if bankruptcy looms, contact the bankruptcy attorneys at Behm Law Group, Ltd. for answers.

What happens if the company you are working for goes under? Is your 401K safe? Maybe not. Again, the bankruptcy lawyers at Behm Law Group, Ltd. would be happy to help the residents of Mankato and throughout Minnesota. Financial regulations change all the time. With so many demands on your time, it can be quite cumbersome to keep track of everything. As your financial landscape evolves, think ahead. Hope for the best, but plan for the worst. Mankato, MN residents can count on the bankruptcy attorneys at Behm Law Group, Ltd. to give them sound, friendly advice.

Behm Law Group, Ltd. wants the best for you. Ask us about your concerns. We will give you honest answers.