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I am a law graduate and I will be sitting for the FL Bar next year. During my time in law school and after, I accumulated a great deal of debt while I was with my now ex-girlfriend. My credit score is terrible, and I have several items that are pulling it down. One of the things is a car that we cosigned on but she currently possesses.

Furthermore, she does not currently work and refuses to, and could never keep a steady job when we were together, so I am forced to make payments every month on a car I don't even drive just to salvage what's left of my credit. I am also having to pay for the various items as well as try to pay on my student loans. At this point, I am having to choose between paying them or this car.

I want to cut all ties and start over, so I am heavily considering bankruptcy. I have been told to wait until I get admitted, but I am at risk of default on my loans if I don't do something, so I'm not sure I can wait to be licensed. I plan on updating my character and fitness with the FL Bar, but I want to know how seriously this will affect my ability to be licensed if I file now.

One other thing: I'm sure there are going to be a bunch of smug comments from a lot of self-righteous people who are probably going to question whether I'm fit to even practice based on what I've said, and quite honestly I couldn't care less what you think. I do not need to prove my legal skills to you and I know what I'm capable of in regards to my ability to practice law. I made some dumb mistakes, yes, but I'm not here for judgement or scorn. I am just here to ask a simple question and get an answer, that's it.

So hopefully there are some adults in here who will take the time to consider my situation and give me a thoughtful answer to my question: what are my chances of being admitted to the bar if I file for bankruptcy?

I’ve heard FL has a pretty touch character review and bankruptcy is not looked on favorably in any JX. I’d suggest you consult a FL character attorney first, before filing.

I would consult with an attorney who specializes in c&f to help you frame this to the bar association. Keep in mind, bankruptcy and bad credit is NOT A CRIME regardless of what people on TLS will tell you. It won’t keep you from practicing, but “my girlfriend did it” is a pretty lame excuse that you’ll need to work on that IMO. Definitely worth it for you to hire a lawyer who specializes in this type of stuff.

bankruptcy lawyer checking in here.

Definitely consult with a c&F attorney before you take any action. Once you're admitted filing for bankruptcy likely won't create any adverse consequences as far as c&f and your law license are concerned. The only thing I would mention is that some employers (including law firms) will do a credit check before they offer you a job. My dad lost a job offer this way.

At least in my jursidiction, which is not FL, filing for bankruptcy won't prevent you from being licensed, but it does create a hurdle and you would have to provide some supplementary information to the examiners. In my state you would likely be admitted on probation. I can't speak to FL specifically.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions. Good luck!

minnbills wrote: Once you're admitted filing for bankruptcy likely won't create any adverse consequences as far as c&f and your law license are concerned. The only thing I would mention is that some employers (including law firms) will do a credit check before they offer you a job. My dad lost a job offer this way.

OP needs to be real careful about this. It may be very difficult to find a job in FL. In some states and municipalities, it is illegal for employers to run credit checks on potential hires. NYC is one of those cities. In FL, it's still legal. If relocation isn't an issue for you, see below for a list of where you can find work without a credit check. You may have more luck finding work in the states listed below.

California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Hawaii
Illinois
Maryland
Nevada
Oregon
Vermont
Washington
New York (NYC only)