Bracing for a Bankruptcy Barrage

Heather Tiffee is the Managing Attorney of Capital Pro Bono. She can be reached at htiffee@capitalprobono.org.

By Heather Tiffee

So far, 2021 has progressed much like 2020 with varying degrees of business and court closures, countless Zoom meetings, and an endless sea of masked faces. However, as we look to the fall and winter, many of the current legal protections for debtors and eviction/foreclosure moratoriums are ending, leaving us to wonder: What will so many people do with all this debt?

Since 2003, Capital Pro Bono has assisted low-income debtors in the Sacramento region in filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection. Using a combination of staff and volunteer attorneys, CPB has helped hundreds of people get a fresh financial start and quite often a new lease on life, free from the damaging health effects of constant creditor harassment. Staff at CPB’s Debt Collection Defense/ Bankruptcy Clinic have seen a lot over the last two decades. Much of the consumer and lender behavior from before and during the Great Recession of 2007-2009 is repeating itself. We anticipate a similar flood of indigent individuals in our area needing bankruptcy relief once the COVID-19 related safety nets are lifted.

In order to meet this anticipated, and possibly unprecedented, increase in demand, WE NEED YOU! If you are a bankruptcy practitioner in the Sacramento region, please contact me. CPB staff will gather all the credit reports and financial information from the clients, but we need you to prepare the paperwork and advise them through the process. If you have a paralegal or secretary that can prepare the paperwork under your supervision, that works too.

If you are interested in this volunteer opportunity, please contact Heather Tiffee at htiffee@capitalprobono.org. Your time and expertise can make all the difference in our clients’ lives.