Make the collection calls stop — without bankruptcy.
Not every debt problem needs a bankruptcy filing. Sometimes the right move is a tough negotiator who knows what creditors will actually take — and knows how to beat them in court when they can’t prove their case.
Every option on the table — not just the one someone's selling.
Debt resolution covers everything short of a bankruptcy filing: negotiating settlements for less than the balance, working out payment arrangements you can live with, and defending collection lawsuits — especially the ones filed by debt buyers who purchased your account for pennies and often can’t prove they own it.
Here’s my advantage over any debt-settlement company: I file bankruptcies too. Creditors know that if they won’t deal reasonably with my client, bankruptcy is sitting right there — and they’ll get less. That leverage changes negotiations. And unlike a settlement mill, I have an ethical duty to tell you if bankruptcy would actually serve you better. You get the strategy that fits, not the product being sold.
What debt resolution can do.
Settle for less
Creditors routinely accept less than the full balance to close an account — especially when an attorney is negotiating and bankruptcy is the alternative.
Defend collection lawsuits
Sued by a debt buyer? They must prove they own the debt and the amount is right — and often they can't. A real defense frequently produces a dismissal or a dramatically better settlement.
End the harassment
Once I represent you, collectors are required to deal with me — not your phone, your family, or your workplace. Federal law backs that up with real penalties.
Keep bankruptcy off the table
When the debt is concentrated in one or two accounts, resolution can solve the problem without a bankruptcy filing on your record.
Deal with judgments & levies
Already have a judgment against you? There are still moves: negotiated payoffs, vacating improperly-entered judgments, and protecting exempt income and property.
Honest strategy first
Sometimes settlement math doesn't work and bankruptcy is simply better. I'll show you both columns and let you decide — that's the advantage of hiring a lawyer, not a sales rep.
How it works.
1. Free review of your debts
We list every debt, who actually owns it now, what stage it’s at (calls, lawsuit, judgment), and what resources you have to work with.
2. Pick the strategy — together
Settle, defend, restructure, or file: I’ll lay out the realistic outcome and cost of each path, including the ones I don’t get paid for. You choose with full information.
3. I take over the fight
Collectors deal with me. Lawsuits get answered and defended. Negotiations happen with the quiet leverage that bankruptcy is always my client’s backstop.
4. Everything in writing
No settlement is done until it’s documented — the account closed, the balance resolved, the release signed. You get proof that ends the matter permanently.
Resolution or bankruptcy — the honest comparison.
Debt resolution tends to fit when…
- The problem is one or a few large debts, not everything
- You have some ability to fund settlements over time
- You've been sued by a debt buyer with a weak case
- You want to avoid a bankruptcy filing on your record
- Your income or assets make bankruptcy less attractive
Bankruptcy may serve you better when…
- The total debt is beyond what settlements can realistically fix
- Garnishment or foreclosure is already underway
- You need every creditor stopped at once, by court order
- Settlement funds simply aren't there — and won't be
Either way, the first conversation is the same free consultation. Learn about Chapter 7 →
Debt resolution questions, answered.
It varies — by creditor, by the age of the debt, by who owns it now, and by your circumstances. Debt buyers who paid pennies on the dollar have far more room to move than original lenders. I won’t promise you a percentage before I’ve seen your debts; anyone who does is selling something.
Settlement companies aren’t law firms: they can’t defend you in court, they can’t file a bankruptcy when that’s the better answer, and their model depends on you defaulting for months while their fees accrue. As your attorney, I owe you a fiduciary duty — the advice has to serve you, not a sales quota.
No — but the clock matters. An answered lawsuit becomes a negotiation; an ignored one becomes a default judgment, then a garnishment or levy. If you’ve been served, call now. Debt-buyer suits in particular often crumble when someone actually makes them prove their case.
Forgiven debt can generate a 1099-C, and depending on your circumstances it may count as income — though exceptions (like insolvency) often apply. It’s a real factor in comparing settlement to bankruptcy, where discharged debt is not taxable income, and we’ll account for it in the strategy.
Settled accounts are reported, and there’s usually short-term impact — but if you’re already behind, the damage is ongoing anyway. Resolution replaces an open, growing default with a closed, resolved account, which is the foundation rebuilding actually requires.
“Daniel Reinganum really helped me out with my insurance and mortgage. The old mortgage company made it needlessly complicated and he helped me navigate and come to a conclusion.”
Ten minutes with me beats another month of collection calls.
Bring the letters, the voicemails, the lawsuit — whatever you’ve got. You’ll leave with a plan.