By Attorney Brent C. Diefenderfer Seeking help from a bankruptcy attorney early in your financial struggles can significantly impact the outcome of your bankruptcy case. An early consultation allows for a more strategic approach to your bankruptcy filing by providing ample time to plan and prepare. Here are a few examples highlighting the benefits of early assistance: 1. Preserving Assets and Maximizing Exemptions: When you consult a bankruptcy attorney in advance, they can guide you on protecting your assets within the confines of bankruptcy laws. By strategically planning asset transfers and utilizing exemptions, you can safeguard your property while obtaining… read more »
Attorney Larry Young Receives 2024 “Lawyer of the Year” Award from Best Lawyers®
Attorney Larry Young, Shareholder, and Chair of CGA Law Firm’s Bankruptcy Practice Group, has been honored by Best Lawyers® with the 2024 “Lawyer of the Year” award for his work in Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law in the Harrisburg area. Larry will be featured in the 30th edition of The Best Lawyers in America® for this prestigious achievement. As one of the country’s oldest and most respected peer-review attorney guides, The Best Lawyers in America® complies its list by conducting peer-review interviews. Lawyers must earn inclusion each year. Only a single lawyer in each practice area and community is honored with the annual… read more »
Buying or Selling Real Estate in Bankruptcy
Much about bankruptcy law is counterintuitive and often misinterpreted. For example, the benefits of a bankruptcy filing, such as the improvement of credit scores, protection of assets, tax-free debt forgiveness, and the broad ability to qualify for Bankruptcy are often surprising to our clients. When a property is purchased through a Bankruptcy proceeding, it comes with a Federal Court Order declaring the property is free and clear of any liens, encumbrances, or other interests. It provides an added layer of title protection. The order ensures that no potential debts or interests existing before settlement could ever be enforced against the… read more »
Bankruptcy Filings Down
Bankruptcy filings in Central Pennsylvania are down, as they are nationwide. Due to the relatively healthy economy, this fact should not surprise anyone. The mix of cases that are being filed is more notable. At the close of February in Central Pennsylvania, personal Chapter 13 filings outnumbered personal Chapter 7 filings. A Chapter 7 is filed when people are prepared to simply walk away from their debt. A Chapter 13 is filed when people want to reorganize their debt. In the economic downturn of 2008, the overwhelming majority of filings were in Chapter 7. At one point, nationwide Chapter 7… read more »
Attorney Larry Young Speaks at the 40th NABT Annual Conference in Vancouver, Canada
Attorney Larry Young has been invited to speak at the 40th NABT (National Association of Bankruptcy Trustees) Annual Conference in Vancouver, Canada from June 8th-11th. His panel includes the Hon. Elizabeth L. Gunn (U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of Columbia), and Kara K. Gendron (Mott & Gendron Law, Harrisburg, PA). Their discussion will take place on June 8th and is titled “Alphabet Soup for Trustees: Stirring up Assets for the Estate”. At a time when bankruptcy filings are at a historical low, this panel will discuss how Trustees may be able to find hidden assets or assets that may be overlooked…. read more »
Are Defamation Damages Dischargeable in Bankruptcy?
The jury issued its verdict yesterday in the Virginia defamation lawsuit between Johnny Depp and his ex-wife Amber Heard. After three weeks of trial, the jury concluded that Ms. Heard’s statements were defamatory. Yesterday’s verdict has left many people asking whether damages awarded in a defamation case are dischargeable in bankruptcy. Ordinarily, when a person files bankruptcy and receives a discharge, this means that the bankrupt party’s debts are eliminated and do not need to be repaid. Dischargeability depends upon what else the jury concludes. The Bankruptcy Code says that debts based on liability “for willful and malicious injury by… read more »
YCEA Leadership Luncheon: Bankruptcy
This seminar will address the basics of the somewhat new Subchapter V Bankruptcy available as a result of the Small Business Reorganization Act. Attorneys Larry Young and Haley Rohrbaugh of CGA Law Firm will be discussing this new subchapter of the more familiar and widely used Chapter 11 Business Reorganization provisions of the Bankruptcy Code. The new subchapter V process gives small businesses the opportunity to reorganize and gain a fresh start, as the process is much easier and less expensive for small businesses to restructure debt and reorganize without having to close the doors. If your customers may use… read more »
Best Lawyers® Updates CGA Law Firm Rankings
CGA Law Firm is proud to have award-winning lawyers and practice groups. Best Lawyers®, “The First and Foremost Resource for the Best Legal Talent Worldwide”, releases annual rankings on practicing attorneys around the world. CGA Law Firm, based in York, PA, is eligible for ranking under the Harrisburg Metropolitan Area and York, PA. All Tier Report “Best Law Firms” (2022 Edition), Metropolitan Tier 1 Harrisburg, for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law Current Recognized Lawyers The Best Lawyers in America (2022 Edition), Attorney Larry Young (2018), for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization… read more »
What to Know About Bankruptcy
Join York County Economic Alliance and CGA Law Firm for a Leadership Webinar on bankruptcy. CGA Law Firm’s experienced Bankruptcy Attorneys Larry Young and Brent Diefenderfer provide an overview on bankruptcy law and procedures for a business or an individual considering a filing. Please follow the link below to access the webinar on Business Bankruptcy. Please follow the link below to access the webinar on Personal Bankruptcy. To learn more about Bankruptcy and Debt Restructuring, visit our website. AttorneyBrent C. Diefenderfer is a shareholder with CGA Law Firm. Brent is a board certified Consumer Bankruptcy Specialist by the American Board of Certification and is one of only… read more »
Leadership Luncheon Virtual Event: What to Know About Personal Bankruptcy
Join the York County Economic Alliance and CGA Law Firm for a Virtual Leadership Luncheon on Thursday, August 6 at 2 p.m. CGA Law Firm’s experienced bankruptcy attorneys, Haley Rohrbaugh, Brent Diefenderfer, and Larry Young, will provide an overview on bankruptcy law and procedures to consider for filing for personal bankruptcy. You can register to receive an email with a link to join the webinar by clicking HERE, but registration is not required. For privacy, attendees can join this presentation and ask questions anonymously. CLICK HERE to join the webinar at 2 p.m. on August 6. Brent C. Diefenderfer is a shareholder with CGA… read more »