Shapira, Hutzelman, Berlin,
Ely, Smith & Walsh
305 West 6th Street   -   Erie, PA  16507
 (814) 452-6800   -   (814)456-2227 fax

Bankruptcy

At the core of our nation’s bankruptcy laws is the belief that honest, financially strapped citizens should be given the opportunity for a fresh start in life. Bankruptcy holds out a promise to the debtor of a new opportunity in life and a clear field for future effort, unhampered by the pressure and discouragement of debt. We bring experience, skill and resourcefulness to the highly complex area of bankruptcy law. Our firm has the capacity and flexibility to handle every type of bankruptcy proceeding, though we focus our attention on Chapter 7 and Chapter 13, personal and business bankruptcies. Our bankruptcy areas of practice include: 

• Representation of creditors & businesses in bankruptcy litigation 
   (e.g. Relief from Stay Motions & preference actions)
• Chapter 11 reorganizations
• Debt Restructuring and Workout plans
• Lease and Contract Litigation
• Debtor-in-possession financing
• Asset sales
• Automatic stay litigation
• Involuntary petitions

Both Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 Bankruptcies provide a fresh start. Contrary to popular belief, bankruptcy does not often ruin your credit. Rather, if you are considering bankruptcy as an option, your credit has probably already been affected due to the fact that your debt exceeds your income, regardless of whether you make every monthly payment on time. If you find that you are ineligible for additional credit cards or the only loans you qualify for are those with extraordinarily high interest rates, your credit rating is already severely affected. Bankruptcy lets you start over and rebuild your credit rating.

Contact Attorney Theodore B. Ely or Attorney Stephen H. Hutzelman to answer any questions you may have.