O’Fallon, MO Bankruptcy Lawyer

If you live in O’Fallon and the bills are winning, you don’t have to drive downtown to find a bankruptcy lawyer. My office is in St. Peters, a short drive from anywhere in O’Fallon, and I’ve been helping St. Charles County families get out from under debt for more than 25 years.

I’m Guss Markwell. I handle Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy for people in O’Fallon, Lake St. Louis, Dardenne Prairie, Wentzville and the rest of St. Charles County. Call me at 636-486-1093 for a free consultation.

Why O’Fallon Residents Call Me

O’Fallon is the biggest city in St. Charles County, and it’s full of hard-working people. Most of the folks who come to see me aren’t reckless. A layoff, a divorce, a medical bill or a car repair hit at the wrong time, and the credit cards filled the gap until they couldn’t.

Here’s what I usually see from O’Fallon clients:

• A debt collection lawsuit. If a creditor sues you, the case is usually filed in the St. Charles County Circuit Court in St. Charles. Don’t ignore the summons. A default judgment can lead to a wage garnishment or a frozen bank account.
• Wage garnishment. Filing bankruptcy stops most garnishments right away.
• Credit card and medical debt. These are usually wiped out in a Chapter 7.
• Falling behind on the house or car. A Chapter 13 can give you three to five years to catch up while you keep them.

Where Your Case Is Filed

O’Fallon is in the Eastern District of Missouri, so your case is filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in St. Louis. That sounds like a lot of trips downtown. It isn’t.

I file your case electronically. Your 341 meeting of creditors, the one meeting every debtor has to attend, is held by Zoom in our district. Most of my Chapter 7 clients never set foot in the courthouse.

Can I Keep My House and Car?

In most cases, yes. Missouri law protects a certain amount of equity in your home, your car, your household goods and your retirement accounts. These protections are called exemptions. It’s unusual for someone to lose their house or car just because they filed. If you’re current on the loan and want to keep it, we’ll talk about how.

Chapter 7 or Chapter 13?

Chapter 7 wipes out unsecured debts like credit cards and medical bills, usually in about four months. You have to pass the means test, which compares your income to the Missouri median for your household size. A vast majority of my clients still qualify.

Chapter 13 is a repayment plan that lasts three to five years. It’s often the better tool if you’re behind on a mortgage or car loan, or if your income is too high for Chapter 7.

Which one fits you depends on your income, your property and what you’re trying to protect. That’s what the free consultation is for.

Questions O’Fallon Clients Ask Me

Will my neighbors find out?
A bankruptcy is a public record, but nobody sends a notice to your street or posts it in town. Your creditors are notified. Your neighbors aren’t.

Will my employer find out?
Usually not, unless they were already garnishing your wages. In that case, they’ll get notice to stop.

Can I meet with you without coming to the office?
Yes. We can talk by phone, and much of the paperwork can be handled by email.

What does it cost?
I quote a flat fee after the free consultation, once I know what your case involves. I keep my overhead low so I can keep my fees reasonable.

Should I pay off my credit cards with my 401(k) first?
Talk to me before you do. Retirement accounts are generally protected in bankruptcy, and cashing one out to pay debts you could have wiped out is one of the most painful mistakes I see.

Talk to an O’Fallon Bankruptcy Lawyer

You don’t have to keep juggling minimum payments and dodging phone calls. Call me at 636-486-1093 or send me a message to set up a free consultation. We’ll go through your situation in plain English, and I’ll tell you honestly whether bankruptcy makes sense for you, or whether it doesn’t.

Map and directions

We are a debt relief agency. We help people file for bankruptcy relief under the Bankruptcy Code. The choice of a lawyer should not be based on advertising alone. Use of this website does not create an attorney-client relationship.