Question: I am not a citizen of the United States. I am trying to become a citizen. I came to Georgia as a student and then I married a woman from Atlanta and got a job for a company in Alpharetta.
But I have a lot of debt from credit cards, a car repo and a foreclosure. Now I live in Alpharetta, Georgia. I need to know if I can file bankruptcy here even though I am not an American citizen.
I never thought I'd have to file bankruptcy. But I lost my job and I tried to start a business and things didn't work out. I had to use credit cards to live on for over two years and I started my business using credit cards.
But the business had troubles from the beginning and finally I had my house foreclosed on by the bank. I tried to get a loan modification and I thought I could get one but the bank, at the last minute, said no and my house went into foreclosure. I had a second mortgage too, and they are suing me.
Now I need to file a bankruptcy. And I need to know if a foreigner can file bankruptcy?
T.B. in Alpharetta
Answer: You do not have to be an American citizen to file bankruptcy. Many non-citizens file bankruptcy every year in Georgia. You would be filing in the Northern District of Georgia.
Bankruptcy protection is guaranteed under the United States Constitution for all, not just for American citizens. And you can file bankruptcy under any of the bankruptcy "chapters," including chapter 7 and chapter 13.
We have handled bankruptcy cases for people from all over the world (including people from Mexico, China, South Korea, India, Germany, the UK, Ireland, France, Brazil, Canada, Spain, and other countries) who happen to now live in Georgia.
In fact, as Georgia's population becomes increasingly diverse, we look forward to helping people from many countries get out of debt and get a fresh financial start.
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Do you have too much debt? Is it time to end the financial stress? We can help you. When you need to speak with an Alpharetta bankruptcy lawyer, just call us at (678) 712-8561.
As Alpharetta bankruptcy attorneys, we're here to help you get out of debt.
Attorneys Bill Sherman and Valerie Sherman and the team at the Sherman Law Group will help you navigate the entire bankruptcy system. We proudly serve the entire Atlanta metro area and North Georgia.