Lancaster Board Certified Bankruptcy Lawyer
The goal in a bankruptcy case is simple to state: the calls stop, your paycheck and property stay protected, and you come out the other side with debt you can actually live with. Wadhwani & Shanfeld is a consumer bankruptcy and debt relief law firm that handles Chapter 7, Chapter 13, debt settlement, foreclosure defense, wage garnishment, creditor lawsuits, and IRS tax debt for people in Lancaster and across the Antelope Valley, Los Angeles County, and Southern California. If you are looking for a Lancaster board certified bankruptcy lawyer, the credential matters, and so do the decisions that come before you file.
Board certification in consumer bankruptcy is not a marketing label. It is a specialty designation granted through the American Board of Certification, and only a small share of attorneys hold it. In practice it means the person advising you has been tested on the details that decide whether you keep your car, your home equity, and your discharge.
Those details come up fast in Lancaster. A garnishment hits a paycheck, a collection firm serves a summons, or a foreclosure notice shows up on the door. Each of these runs on a clock, and the choices you make in the first few days shape everything after.
Why Choose Wadhwani & Shanfeld as Your Board Certified Bankruptcy Firm
The firm is led by two Board-Certified Specialists in Consumer Bankruptcy, with more than 90 years of combined legal experience between the attorneys and their team. Clients get direct access to an attorney from the first call, free consultations, and the option to handle the entire case by phone, email, video, or online chat, with 100% virtual consultations available. When a garnishment, foreclosure sale, or repossession is days away, the firm acts fast.
Raj Wadhwani, a founding shareholder and partner, is a Board-Certified Specialist in Consumer Bankruptcy and a Southwestern Law School graduate. He helped pilot the Best Case Bankruptcy software in 1998 and was the first attorney to file a bankruptcy case electronically in the Central District of California. That familiarity with how cases move through the court system matters when a filing has to be prepared quickly and cleanly.
Greg Shanfeld, also a founding shareholder and partner and a Board-Certified Specialist in Consumer Bankruptcy, earned his law degree at the University of Southern California. He has handled more than 10,000 bankruptcy cases over three decades. That is the kind of pattern recognition that helps spot a problem with an exemption choice or a creditor claim before it becomes expensive.
The firm files in every division of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California. Because it handles bankruptcy and its alternatives, including debt settlement, loan modification, and IRS representation, the recommendation you get is built around your situation rather than the only tool a firm happens to offer.
Debt Situations We Handle for Lancaster Filers
- Credit Card and Medical Debt: Unsecured balances like these are the core of most Chapter 7 cases. If your income passes the means test, they can usually be discharged entirely.
- Wage Garnishment: A garnishment on an ordinary judgment takes a capped share of your take-home pay each pay period. Filing Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 stops most garnishments the moment the case is filed.
- Creditor Lawsuits and Judgments: Collection firms sue in Los Angeles County Superior Court, which has a courthouse in Lancaster. A bankruptcy filing halts the suit, and in many cases the judgment itself can be addressed.
- Foreclosure and Missed Mortgage Payments: Chapter 13 lets you catch up on arrears over three to five years while keeping the house. It can also stop a scheduled sale.
- Car Repossession and Deficiencies: Chapter 13 can help you keep a vehicle you are behind on, and Chapter 7 can eliminate a deficiency balance left after a repossession.
- IRS Tax Debt: Some older income tax debt can be discharged if it meets timing rules, while other tax debt is best handled through payment arrangements or a Chapter 13 plan.
- Second Mortgages: In some Chapter 13 cases, a wholly unsecured second mortgage can be stripped off. Settlement is another route.
- Small Business Debt: Self-employed owners and small business operators often have personal liability tied up in business debt, and the right chapter depends on how that debt is structured.
What to Do in the First Days After a Summons, Garnishment, or Sale Notice
Start by gathering what has arrived: the summons, any notice of default or notice of sale, repossession letters, and your last two or three pay stubs. Dates on those documents drive the strategy, so do not set them aside.
If you were sued, you generally have a short window to file a written response, and missing it can mean a default judgment. That is also why the limitations defense matters. A written contract or book account claim carries four years to sue, and an oral contract claim carries two. But that defense has to be raised in a written answer. A court can still enter judgment against you if you stay silent. Also be careful about paying a small amount on an old debt: a payment cannot revive a time-barred debt, but a signed written acknowledgment can restart the clock.
If a garnishment has begun, call before the next paycheck. If your bank account was levied, keep in mind that California automatically protects a set amount in a deposit account per judgment debtor, and the bank applies that protection without you filing anything. It does not cover levies for wages owed to another person, support, or debts owed to the state.
Foreclosure has its own timetable. The sale cannot take place sooner than three months and 20 days after the notice of default is recorded, and the notice of sale must be mailed and posted at least 20 days before the sale. A monetary default can be cured by reinstatement until five business days before the sale. If a sale is postponed at least 10 business days, the lender owes you written notice of the new date within 5 business days. For a repossessed vehicle, the lender must send at least 15 days of written notice before disposing of it, 20 days if the notice is mailed from or to an address outside California. You can ask in writing for a 10-day extension of the redemption period.
Bankruptcy petitions for Lancaster residents are filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California. Lancaster appears on the court’s San Fernando Valley Division community list with a footnote, so the division is confirmed by street address (not a P.O. box) through the court’s locator. Our team handles that determination as part of preparing your case. After filing, most Chapter 7 cases wrap up in roughly four months, and Chapter 13 plans run three to five years.
The most common mistakes are waiting until the day before a sale, paying one favored creditor right before filing, moving or transferring assets, and hiring a petition preparer who cannot give legal advice or defend you if a trustee objects.
Choosing Between Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 in the Antelope Valley
The main question is income. Chapter 7 requires passing the means test, which compares your household income to the California median for your household size and then considers your actual expenses. If you pass, and your property is protected by exemptions, Chapter 7 clears qualifying unsecured debt quickly. Chapter 13 fits people with steady income who are behind on a mortgage or car loan, earn above the Chapter 7 limits, owe priority debts like certain taxes or support arrears, or have equity beyond what exemptions protect.
Exemptions deserve their own attention. California has opted out of the federal exemption scheme, so you choose one of two state systems for the entire case. One carries a homestead exemption tied to local home values, with a statutory floor and ceiling that adjust annually. The other offers fixed dollar amounts with a flexible wildcard, which often suits renters or people with little home equity. You also generally need to have lived in California for at least 730 days to use the state exemptions. Picking the wrong system can cost you property, which is why this decision belongs with a board-certified attorney.
Prior filings matter too. You must wait 8 years between Chapter 7 filings, 4 years to file Chapter 13 after a Chapter 7, 2 years between Chapter 13 filings, and generally 6 years to file Chapter 7 after a Chapter 13.
Lancaster Bankruptcy Questions, Answered
What does board certified mean for a bankruptcy lawyer?
It means the attorney has earned a specialty credential in consumer bankruptcy through the American Board of Certification. Both founding shareholders at Wadhwani & Shanfeld hold it. Few attorneys nationwide do.
How fast does filing stop a garnishment or lawsuit?
The automatic stay takes effect the moment the petition is filed. Creditors must stop collection, including lawsuits, garnishments, bank levies, repossessions, and foreclosure proceedings.
Will I lose my home or car in Chapter 7?
Most clients keep what they own. The question is whether your equity is covered by the exemption system you choose and whether you are current on the loan. If you are behind or have too much equity, Chapter 13 may be the better route.
What debts can bankruptcy eliminate?
Credit cards, medical bills, personal loans, payday loans, and deficiency balances after repossession or foreclosure can generally be discharged. Some older income taxes qualify under timing rules. Child support, alimony, most student loans, most government fines, and debts from drunk-driving injuries generally cannot be discharged.
How long does a bankruptcy stay on my credit report?
A Chapter 7 can remain for up to 10 years from filing, and the bureaus typically remove a Chapter 13 after 7 years. The effect on your score fades well before those dates.
Can my employer fire me for filing or for a garnishment?
No. California and federal law bar firing you solely for filing bankruptcy, and California Labor Code section 2929 prevents an employer from firing you because your wages are garnished for a single judgment.
Does a collector’s lawsuit over an old debt always mean I owe it?
Not necessarily. If the debt is past the four-year window for written contracts, that is a defense, but only if you raise it in a timely written answer. We can review the dates and advise whether to answer, negotiate, or file.
How long does a California money judgment last against me?
A judgment is enforceable for 10 years from entry and can be renewed. Since a 2023 law change, renewal of certain medical and personal debt judgments under specified principal amounts is limited to one time, for five years.
Can a collector be held accountable for breaking the rules?
Yes. California’s Rosenthal Act covers original creditors as well as collection agencies. A consumer can recover actual damages and, for willful and knowing violations, an additional $100 to $1,000, plus attorney fees if they prevail. The suit must be brought within one year.
What happens to my bank account if a creditor levies it?
California automatically shields a set amount in a deposit account per judgment debtor, which the bank must apply before turning money over. Bankruptcy stops the levy altogether.
Do I need to come in person if I live in Lancaster?
No. We handle cases fully by phone, email, video, and online chat, and we offer 100% virtual consultations.
Can a bankruptcy petition preparer file my case instead?
A preparer can enter information into forms but cannot give legal advice, choose exemptions, or represent you if a trustee or creditor objects. Errors can cost you property or your discharge.
Serving Antelope Valley Bankruptcy Clients and Beyond
We represent clients in Lancaster and across the Antelope Valley, including Palmdale and Acton, and throughout Los Angeles County. That reach extends to Santa Clarita, Van Nuys, Sherman Oaks, Encino, Woodland Hills, Reseda, Northridge, Granada Hills, North Hollywood, North Hills, Mission Hills, San Fernando, Sylmar, Hollywood, Santa Monica, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Lakewood, Torrance, Compton, and Inglewood.
We also serve clients in the Inland Empire and eastern San Gabriel Valley, including Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, Upland, Fontana, San Bernardino, Pomona, Chino, Chino Hills, Montclair, Claremont, Glendora, and West Covina, as well as Riverside and the Coachella Valley. In the southeastern part of the region and in Orange County, our clients come from Norwalk, Bellflower, Paramount, Gardena, Cerritos, Cypress, Signal Hill, Huntington Park, Anaheim, Santa Ana, Garden Grove, Buena Park, Fullerton, Huntington Beach, Westminster, Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, Tustin, La Habra, Placentia, Mission Viejo, and Laguna Niguel.
Talk to a Lancaster Bankruptcy Attorney Who Is Board Certified
If a garnishment, lawsuit, or sale date is closing in, call and speak directly with a Lancaster bankruptcy attorney from Wadhwani & Shanfeld. The consultation is free, you reach an attorney from the first call, and we will tell you plainly whether Chapter 7, Chapter 13, settlement, or another path gives you the strongest result. Call today or schedule a virtual consultation at a time that works for you.
