What Bankruptcy Lawyers Won’t Tell You About the Process

The Top 3 Things Bankruptcy Lawyers Won’t Tell You

Let me be clear: It’s not that bankruptcy lawyers are keeping secrets. You won’t hear these three things from them … because they simply aren’t true. So they won’t tell you: 

• That you should be ashamed. 
• That bankruptcy will hurt your credit score. 
• That declaring bankruptcy is rock bottom.

You might believe these to be true, but your bankruptcy attorney most likely won’t. You see, the fears people carry into bankruptcy are often shaped by myths, not facts. And while bankruptcy lawyers are focused on guiding you through the legal steps, they may not take the time to challenge the emotional weight or misinformation that comes with filing. 

That’s where we come in. At Evergreen, we believe in cutting through the noise and giving you the full picture so that you can make decisions based on truth, not fear.

So let’s dive in …

Bankruptcy Lawyers Won’t Tell You That You Should Be Ashamed

Bankruptcy is not a moral failure or even a sign that you’re bad with money. It’s not something to hide or feel embarrassed about. It is a legal tool created by the United States government for real people, facing real struggles, who need a path forward.

The vast majority of people who file for bankruptcy didn’t get there by making irresponsible financial decisions. They got there because of things like job loss, medical emergencies, divorce, inflation, caregiving responsibilities, or simply the uphill battle of trying to survive in an economy where expenses keep climbing and income stays flat.

The system is designed to make you feel like financial hardship is your fault. And that shame, though undeserved, is profitable.

Watch & Learn: The Shame Doesn’t Belong to You!

Think about it like this: Banks make money when you carry high balances and pay high interest rates. They make money off minimum payments, late fees, and penalty APRs. The longer you’re stuck in debt, the more they profit. 

But bankruptcy lawyers know the truth. The stigma around bankruptcy keeps people from using the very tool designed to help them.

Let’s look at who actually uses bankruptcy on a regular basis: Large corporations, airlines, tech companies, and real estate developers. These entities restructure debt, reduce liabilities, and protect their assets. And when they do it, no one calls it shameful. In fact, they often walk away with a better balance sheet and renewed investor confidence.

So why should it be different for you? Why should a single parent feel ashamed for using bankruptcy to stop wage garnishment and feed their kids? Why should a family be judged for filing bankruptcy after medical bills drained their savings?

The answer is this: They shouldn’t.

You deserve to reset just as much as anyone else. Bankruptcy laws exist because the people of the United States have agreed that no one should be stuck under crushing debt for the rest of their lives. There should be a way out.

And there’s power in saying: I’m ready to stop surviving and start rebuilding.

So it bears repeating: Bankruptcy lawyers won’t tell you that you should be ashamed because there is no shame in asking for help and using the legal tools designed to give you a second chance.

Bankruptcy Lawyers Won’t Tell You that Bankruptcy Will Destroy Your Credit Forever. 

One of the most persistent myths is that bankruptcy ruins your credit for life. But educated bankruptcy lawyers will explain this to you:  If you’re considering bankruptcy, your credit is probably already in a rough place. You are likely carrying high balances or missing payments, both of which will hurt your score month after month. 

Bankruptcy doesn’t ruin your credit. It stops the bleeding. It puts a legal end to the problem and gives you a chance to start over.

You read that right: You can rebuild your credit score 12 to 24 months post-bankruptcy. Not in seven years, and certainly not in ten years. 

(It bears noting that not all bankruptcy lawyers stay up to date on the data, so some of them might still be promoting old myths. But that’s okay: Now you know the truth!) 

The truth is that when bankruptcy is followed by smart rebuilding steps—like opening the right kind of accounts, paying on time, and maintaining low balances—you can bounce back and even improve your credit faster than if you tried to slog through your debt for years.

So no, bankruptcy doesn’t destroy your credit. It gives you the reset you need to start rebuilding.

Watch & Learn: What Happens to Your Credit Score After Bankruptcy?

Bankruptcy lawyers won’t tell you that declaring bankruptcy represents rock bottom.

At Evergreen, we talk to thousands of people every month. These are people who are deep in debt, overwhelmed, and who have done everything they can to avoid bankruptcy, often for years, only to find that things keep getting worse.

When they first reach out, many people speak in hushed tones, like they’re confessing something. They worry that they’re making a mistake. They ask, “Am I doing the right thing?”

But something shifts after they file. They start to speak more clearly. Their confidence grows. They begin to imagine a future that isn’t ruled by debt collectors, sleepless nights, and the constant stress of juggling bills.

And we hear the same sentence again and again. Bankruptcy lawyers hear it, too …

These are not people who gave up. These are people who fought hard for years, worked multiple jobs, and skipped vacations, meals, and sleep just to stay afloat. They were living at rock bottom long before they filed. 

Bankruptcy wasn’t the fall. It was the first step out.

We’ve seen people go from bankruptcy to homeownership. We’ve met with countless people who have used their bankruptcy to wipe the slate clean so they can finally start building wealth. 

And bankruptcy lawyers have seen this, too. They know what we know: Bankruptcy isn’t rock bottom. 

It’s a springboard.