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Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Lawyer Serving Central Pennsylvania

Facing overwhelming debt can be stressful. When the phone calls from collectors don’t stop and the threat of losing your home looms large, it’s easy to feel like you’re out of options. However, for many individuals in Pennsylvania with a steady income, Chapter 13 bankruptcy offers a powerful and hopeful path toward financial recovery. It is not an end, but a structured new beginning.

What Is Chapter 13 Bankruptcy?

Often called a “wage earner’s plan,” Chapter 13 bankruptcy is a legal tool that allows you to reorganize your finances under the protection of the federal court. Unlike Chapter 7 bankruptcy, which primarily involves liquidating your assets to pay your debts, Chapter 13 focuses on reorganization instead of liquidation. 

Chapter 13 bankruptcy gives you much-needed time to reorganize your finances and to pay off a percentage of your debt to creditors over a period of three to five years, allowing you to keep your home, your assets, and your dignity at the same time.

Jacobson, Julius & Harshberger Is Your Chapter 13 Lawyer in Harrisburg, PA

At Jacobson, Julius & Harshberger, we respect the dignity of our clients as human beings and work closely with them, and within the system, to achieve creative solutions to today’s pressing debt problems.

As a firm, we help people in the Harrisburg area and throughout south-central Pennsylvania to obtain debt relief through Chapter 13 bankruptcy. To learn more, call our Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, law offices at 717-219-7586 or contact us online to schedule a consultation.

Is a Chapter 13 bankruptcy the right type of bankruptcy for you? Talk to our attorneys about your rights, your options and how we can help today.

Need to Know Information on Chapter 13 Bankruptcy

  • A Chapter 13 bankruptcy is most advantageous if you want to keep your house and car but are behind on your payment plans and do not have the resources to make good on overdue amounts quickly.

  • Most Chapter 13 bankruptcy filers pay off some types of debts while others get wiped away. Usually, full repayment is not required — only a percentage. Debtors make payments to a court-appointed trustee who then pays creditors according to an approved plan.

  • If you filed a Chapter 7 bankruptcy more than four years ago, but less than eight, Chapter 13 bankruptcy is an available option for debt relief.

  • While there are no specific income requirements for Chapter 13 eligibility, you must demonstrate to the court that you have sufficient earnings to cover your living expenses and make the required payments under the reorganization plan.

The Power of the Automatic Stay to Immediately Stop Foreclosure and Creditor Harassment

One of the most immediate and powerful benefits of filing for Chapter 13 in PA is the automatic stay. The moment you file your case, the court automatically issues an order that legally requires your creditors to halt all collection activities, providing immediate debt relief. The automatic stay can:

  • Stop foreclosure proceedings on your home.
  • Prevent the repossession of your vehicle.
  • End wage garnishments.
  • Stop creditor harassment, including relentless phone calls and letters.

This provision gives you the critical breathing room needed to focus on creating a sustainable financial future without the constant pressure and fear of losing your most important assets.

How the Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Repayment Plan Works

At the heart of a Chapter 13 bankruptcy is the repayment plan. Working with your Harrisburg Chapter 13 bankruptcy attorney, you will propose a plan to pay back a portion of your debts over a three-to-five-year period.

You will make a single, consolidated monthly payment to a court-appointed bankruptcy trustee. The trustee is then responsible for distributing those funds to your creditors in accordance with the terms of your confirmed plan. You will have no direct contact with creditors.

Once you successfully complete all payments, any remaining eligible debts are discharged, giving you a true fresh start.

Schedule Your Initial Consultation With a Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Lawyer

Find out more about how Chapter 13 can help stop creditor harassment, repossession and more. To schedule a consultation, please call our law offices directly or contact us online.

We are a debt relief agency. We help people file for bankruptcy relief under the Bankruptcy Code.