What Are the Steps to Filing for Bankruptcy? – Guest Post

  

Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy, it’s a scary word to many people. However, bankruptcy is not necessarily all doom and gloom. Instead, bankruptcy is meant to alleviate financial burdens and give you a fresh start. By wiping the financial slate clean, so to speak, bankruptcy can provide financial freedom and give filers a chance to learn and grow from past financial mistakes.

Steps to Take When Filing Bankruptcy

In general, a bankruptcy proceeding, no matter what type of bankruptcy, can be broken down into 6 steps. However, it is important to understand that everyone’s financial situation differs. For example, some people may have a business involved, others may have little to no assets at hand. The steps required also depend upon the type of bankruptcy (chapter 7 or chapter 11) that best fits your particular financial situation. Your finalized to-do list will most accurately be provided to you by an experienced bankruptcy attorney.

Contact an Attorney

Perhaps the most important step in filing bankruptcy is to work closely with a bankruptcy attorney. A competent attorney will be able to analyze your financial situation, see if you qualify for bankruptcy, and help guide you through the intricacies of the process.

Evaluate Your Financial Situation

When filing bankruptcy, it is always a good idea to have a clear picture of your overall financial situation. It is important to be brutally honest with both yourself and your attorney regarding your assets and debts. Remember bankruptcy is meant to give you a fresh financial start, if you hide debts from the process, you will not receive a truly blank slate.

Collect and Turn in Appropriate Paperwork

As with most adult chores, bankruptcy requires quite a bit of paperwork. Most of this paperwork your attorney will be able to handle for you. However, certain documents will need to be collected by you and signed by you. Although tedious, this part of the process is fairly painless.

Attend Your Hearing

After submitting all the required documentation and paperwork, and dependent on the type of bankruptcy you file, you will be asked to attend a hearing. At this hearing, you will be asked a series of questions to make sure that your request is truthful and accurate. In most cases, there will be several other people in the room who are also filing bankruptcy and following through with their hearing. Although this step sounds daunting it is usually a quick formality to handle.

Take a Credit Counseling Course

All persons who file bankruptcy must complete a credit counseling course to finalize their bankruptcy. In this (typically online) course you will receive helpful budgeting tips and counseling on how to properly handle finances in the future.

Finalize Your Bankruptcy

Once all the above steps are completed you can finally finalize your bankruptcy. All in all the process typically takes a couple of months to finalize through the government. However, when complete, you now have a new lease on life and financial freedom to begin again.

A Word of Caution: Things to Not Do When Filing Bankruptcy

Just as there are steps you should take when filing bankruptcy, there are a number of things that you should not do when filing bankruptcy. Here is a shortlist of things not to do right before or during your bankruptcy proceedings:

Rack up Credit Card Debt: Do not intentionally max out all of your credit cards immediately prior to filing bankruptcy, with the intention of never repaying them due to your bankruptcy. This is a red flag to both the government and creditors alike to what you’re planning, and as a result, will not work.

Lie about your assets or debt: In order for a bankruptcy proceeding to go smoothly it is important to be transparent with your bankruptcy attorney about all of your debts and assets

Do not take on any new debt: Opening a new car loan or attempting to acquire a mortgage right before or during bankruptcy is never a good idea. If you have a financial need or goal, consult with your bankruptcy attorney on the best course of action. In many instances, patience is the only option.

Transfer property to family or friends: Attempting to “save” property from being collected during bankruptcy by transferring it to family or friends right before bankruptcy could be viewed as fraudulent behavior. Once you are aware that bankruptcy is your chosen path, consult with your attorney before making any changes to your financial situation.

What Should a Pregnant Woman Do in the Event of a Car Accident? – Guest Post

   

Pregnant Women in Car Accident

Pregnancy is tough for women, you not only have to take care of your health but also the one inside too. In such a case if you get involved in a car accident it would be the worst you can imagine. If the accident is scary, like you got hit by an SUV, here pregnant women have a greater chance of getting injured than their unborn.

At the point when another driver or organization is legitimately liable for causing car collision wounds, they additionally have a lawful commitment to remunerate the casualty for those wounds, and surprisingly a minor fender bender while pregnant can create major issues.

Pregnant ladies frequently have a bigger number of costs than other car crash casualties, to a great extent because of expanded clinical costs. A pregnant car crash casualty will probably require long stretches of fetal checking. She will have additional clinical meetings with her obstetrician and may likewise need to see differently trained professionals.

She will probably likewise encounter expanded agony and enduring because she was concerned over her unborn kid. This multitude of elements implies that it takes more to give sufficient car crash pregnant casualty pay. Contact a lawyer for a car accident, as they would help in such cases.

Today we will take a look at what inconveniences and wounds ladies and kids can face and how to handle them.
What to do
If somebody is injured you should:

First check that you and the setback aren’t in any peril, and, if conceivable, make the circumstance safe.

> If essential, telephone 911 for an emergency vehicle when it’s protected to do as such.

> Complete fundamental emergency treatment.

> Peruse more with regards to how to treat an occurrence.

On the off chance that somebody is oblivious and relaxing, assuming an individual is oblivious to breathing and has no different wounds that would stop them from being moved, place them in the recuperation position until help shows up.

Hold them under perception to guarantee they keep on breathing typically, and don’t deter their aviation route.

If somebody is oblivious and not relaxing, If an individual isn’t breathing regularly after an accident, telephone an emergency vehicle and start CPR straight away. Use hands-just CPR on the off chance that you’re not prepared to perform salvage breaths.

The first thing is that you have not yet called 911, do that. Regardless of belief, you want to remain still and ensure that you don’t make any abrupt developments until a crisis reaction group is as of now there to help you and guide you through the interaction. You can hire a car accident lawyers houston, from tx accidents law firm.

It is a startling memory to ponder yet everything that you can manage is to remain still and hang tight for the specialists or prepared people to come and get you.

Whenever you have called 911 and your accomplice, you ought to educate your accomplice to call your lawyer. While we realize that the principal center that you have right now would be the existence of your unborn youngster, you want to think about the most ideal way that you can petition for the advantages and the remuneration that you and your kid ought to get once you endure the mishap.
The move of approaching traffic
Car accidents can frequently prompt auxiliary accidents – particularly when the elaborate vehicles are in the way of traffic. Assuming that you can securely remain in the vehicle until help shows up, do as such.

Assuming you are in the way of traffic, it is vital to get to well-being as fast as could be expected. Get to the roadside and track down cover. Leave your vehicle out and about if it isn’t driveable.

Pregnant Woman

See a specialist immediately

In many cases, this includes going to the trauma center or a dire consideration office. Assuming your obstetrician turns out to be accessible, you can call the person in question, yet you will probably be told to go to the medical clinic. The short-term office isn’t prepared 100% of the time to completely screen your child after a mishap.

It is totally important that you see a specialist immediately, regardless of whether you feel fine, as it is impossible to determine what’s going on with your child. Besides, you couldn’t say whether you will experience inert wounds like a sensitive neck or other delicate tissue wounds that regularly appear a little while after a mishap. Be savagely defensive of your wellbeing during this unsafe time.

If something serious happens to the mother and the unborn you should immediately call a lawyer for a car accident for further hearings.

Follow doctor’s suggestion

car accident

Be certain to follow your doctor’s suggestions for treatment, including seeing subject matter experts, follow-up visits, or active recuperation. This is the most ideal way to guarantee that both you and your child stay in the most ideal well-being.

This is likewise a significant stage toward ensuring your legitimate privileges fast. You don’t seek all the suggested treatment as fast as could be expected, the insurance agency can contend that you exacerbated your wounds or that you were not quite so harmed as you asserted. A car accident lawyer can assist you better in such accident cases.

Claims agents attempt to decrease settlement offers in these circumstances. You and your youngster deserve better. Set all the therapy you want up to shield both you and your child from clinical or legitimate complexities.

Miscarriage/child injury

Does a car collision cause a miscarriage? Unborn children are secured by the uterus, amniotic liquid, placenta, and different constructions of the mother’s stomach hole. These constructions are intended to shield the kid from a minor injury.

On account of minor car accidents, the unborn kid is frequently ensured by the mother altogether and experiences no wounds because of the crash. Tragically, this isn’t consistently the situation. In genuine car accidents, the mother is exposed to extremely strong powers, and the child can’t generally endure the car accident lawyer houston texas to which the person is oppressed.

Pregnant

A few moms experience disastrous miscarriages because of car accidents. For this situation, the mother has a legitimate reason for her misfortunes. In these sorts of cases, torment and enduring are a basic part of individual injury pay.

It takes a talented lawyer for a car accident to battle for – and demonstrate – the worth of a mother experiencing after a miscarriage. Protection claims agents are prepared to simplify estimations in regards to theoretical and non-financial misfortunes.

At the point when the aggravation is pretty much as private as a miscarriage, this is essentially not adequate, and you want a lawyer for a car accident who can battle for only remuneration for a fender bender while pregnant.

Contact Your Lawyer Today

accident lawyer

Losing a baby is perhaps the hardest thing that one can insight into in the course of his life. Assuming you have a protection guarantee that you want help with, you should reach us today.

A car accident lawyer can assist you with beginning with your case. Contact TX accidents law firm they will make sure that your necessities are starting to the furthest limit of the procedures. You are consistently in great hands with the TX accident law firm and what it brings to the table.

How to Optimize Images for Social Media and Better SEO – Guest Post

   

Optimize SEO

Every web design company knows how important it is to have a relevant picture properly optimized on the website. The biggest issue is that most people don’t know how to set this up.  They don’t understand the importance of what a great, relevant image can do for their site.  We want you to understand what most people don’t so you can get that one important step ahead of your competition.  This can work for anyone, anywhere in the United States.  You can implement this immediately to get that edge!  We will give you tops on:

            Choosing your image

            Setting up your image

            SEO related background setup

Don’t neglect important images

Important images should be a key strategy in your overall advertising.  Giving the images you use on social media is important.  Even more important is ensuring important images on your site are optimized. We recommend that you give a lot of thought to the images you use. The placement of the images are key as well.  Don’t just throw an image on your page or on social media just to have an image. Be sure the image is eye-catching and will drive traffic to what you are trying to achieve.

Preparing a relevant picture for use in your article

Using pictures in your article is good, but it’s better if your picture is a relevant picture.  The picture should be one that enhances the article.  Many people can start to feel overwhelmed if your article is text heavy.  They need a visual that will support the text to really help them understand the main point of the article. We recommend using a clear image that supports the article.  Whether it’s solely an image or an infographic that has supporting text, it still adds support and clarity.

Using the proper name, correct format, and optimal scaling

The aesthetics of your photo is important as well as the background aspects.  Be sure that the name on your photo is relevant and supports the article.  There are several different types of picture file formats.  It’s important for you to understand what the different formats are and the best one for you to use. The third aspect is to make sure that the photo is scaled to best fit the article.  You want to make sure that it fits the article and doesn’t alter the words to where it’s difficult to read.

Use responsive images

Having a photo that looks good across any platform and any screen size is important.  Because browsing and reading are done on mobile devices, your images need to adjust. You need to make sure that the image is responsive to screen size.  You’ve probably experienced a static image that looks great on a desktop but is difficult to read on your mobile device.  As we all know this makes it difficult for the person doing research to navigate.  Responsive images have all but become a necessity nowadays.

Optimize Images

Find the right quality to size ratio

Finding the right quality to size ratio is almost like an art.  Think of the balancing scale picture. On one side you need to make sure that the image is clear.  On the other side you need to make sure that the image isn’t too big or too small.  In order to get the scale to balance your image needs to be a great balance.  A large image can affect upload speed while too small will come across as grainy.  We recommend that you do your research as to what the ideal sizes for images are for your platform.

Adding an image to an article

As we mentioned before, images help support the text in the article.  It can support the content through the image or infographic.  In all reality, images help break up the body content for those who are visual learners.  For those of you who are asking how many images should be placed in an article, while adding images it’s recommended one image per 150 words.  We suggest that you follow that as a guideline and add in as many as you feel comfortable.  Be sure to not overdo it though!

Captions

Adding captions to an image when uploading to an article often gets overlook.  This is something that provides an increase in SEO content.  By adding captions to a photo, you tell search engines what the image is.  It shows that you have even more relevant content outside of the verbiage.  It enhances your SEO ranking and provides another avenue of getting relevant information out there.  This is a way to further establish your article as authentic and relevant.  It helps solidify the expertise of the article as well.

Alt text and title text

On google SEO, there are several ways to get on the first page – and one of those ways is through images. Google won’t know what the image says without the alt text or title text. You can also turn on alt text on hover.  How do you know what to put?  Here are some image alt text best practices:

1 – be specific and descriptive

2 – context relates to the topic

3 – less than 125 characters

4 – use keywords, but not too frequently, and not in all photos

Image structured data

Every digitized image on your article or page needs to have structured data.  Basically this organizes the image within their placement on the page.  It’s basically a way to show where it’s at on the page as well as the image to the content of the page.  This ensures that the images have significance to the article and add value to the reader.  As long as the image that you choose initially fits with the article, you should be fine.

Social Media

Add Open Graph and Twitter Card tags for an image

Open Graph and Twitter Card tags are basically code that communicates to social media what the content of the page is.  If this is something you have never heard of, it’s something you’ve definitely experienced.  When you share a site or an article on social media, you see an image preview of that article.  If there are proper tags in place, the image can be relevant and eye-catching.  If not, the preview can look messy and discombobulated. Setting up proper Open Graph and Twitter Card tags help your site look good when shared on social media.

Use lazy loading

One strategy that many companies use is that where images and other content doesn’t load until it’s needed.  This means that instead of having everything loaded on the page at once, it loads as the user scrolls.  This can minimize load time when the user gets on the page and can increase the speed of the website and its reaction.  This is especially useful if you have large amounts of data and a multitude of images on your page. Because the images are not loaded all at once, your website speed increases significantly.

Conclusion

There are several ways to use your images to increase your SEO and shareability on social media.  Many of the tips shared are universal, meaning it can work across many industries and it works all across the US.  The key things to remember are to make sure that you have a relevant photo that is not too big or too small and has good quality.  Be sure your image is responsive to accommodate the many devices used to visit your site and add captions as well as alt text to your images.  Yes, it sounds like a lot, but it will be worth it when it’s all said and gone and the page is prepared!

DESCRIPTION

You probably don’t know how important images are to your site structure.  We give you all the details to help you use important images that are relevant to your page and add value.

Bio:

better seo

Tim Absalikov is the Acting CEO of Lasting Trend. Tim is an expert in technical optimization. He has a deep understanding of SEO, SEM, UX and UI considerations, shopping campaigns, PLA, RLSA, dynamic retargeting, works with E-Commerce and Web Analytics.

Discover How a Criminal Defense Lawyer Can Provide Valuable Counsel in the Quest for Justice – Guest Post

  

Valuable Counsel in the Quest for Justice

It may not seem like it, but many people prefer not to contact a criminal defense lawyer after experiencing a legal problem, such as having an accident. While hiring a defense lawyer may seem overwhelming, these legal professionals can help you with their counsel so that you feel less overwhelmed.

Keep in mind that a legal problem, particularly accidents, involves talking to the police, filing a lot of paperwork, talking to insurance companies, and more. Getting some of these steps wrong can result in you having to get a court sentence that doesn’t benefit you.

As mentioned before, there are a lot of benefits from hiring a criminal defense lawyer for your legal problems. We’re going to outline some of these below so that you can have a clearer idea of what to expect.

Lawyers Have Experience

It’s vital to note that most defense lawyers have experience dealing with your particular case. If you were involved in a car accident, for example, hiring a car accident lawyer would be the best course of action since they understand everything you must do to claim proper settlement money.

While some people get advice from friends and family, it’s always best to go for a legal professional that understands your rights and can help you achieve the best outcome possible for your case.

Moreover, some lawyers may have the connections necessary to help you go through the case smoothly.

Lawyers Can Give You Counsel and Help You Understand What’s Happening

One of the scariest parts of having a legal problem is that you likely don’t understand what’s happening and how that problem can affect your life. In some cases, people get charged with something and they don’t even know what that means.

Expert lawyers can provide valuable counsel when necessary. Overall, your legal counsel is responsible for letting you know everything that’s going on with your case in the most understandable way possible.

As long as you understand how your case is going to affect you, you may have a better chance of making the right decisions.

 Lawyers Take Care of Paperwork the Right Way

As mentioned before, hiring a lawyer involves filling out a lot of paperwork. Keeping track of everything may be hard for you, depending on the issue, so it may be easy to make a mistake.

Paperwork mistakes can have a significant impact on your case, so you must ensure you’re doing everything right. One of the primary benefits of hiring a lawyer is that you can get all of your paperwork filed without any problems. You don’t even have to deal with your paperwork yourself.

 Lawyers Are Always Going to Stay by Your Side

Regardless of what happens with your case, lawyers are morally bound to defend you and work toward your best interest. Whether you’re guilty or innocent of what happened, a lawyer is going to work hard until you get the best outcome possible.

In some cases, lawyers work with an entire team of capable professionals that may allow you to get through the case even faster. Overall, a legal professional is not going to let anyone take advantage of your case.

Keep in mind that, when it comes to legal problems, such as accidents, some people may try to trick you into saying things that can make you lose the case. Hiring a lawyer right away is going to prevent these problems from happening.

You Can Save Money

One of the reasons why people become hesitant to hire a lawyer is because they believe they’re going to save much more money if they complete all the legal process themselves.

While not hiring a lawyer could potentially save you a bit of money, it doesn’t compare to the amount of time you’re going to save after hiring one. Moreover, some legal issues require a lot of paperwork that, if you fill out incorrectly, may cause you to spend even more money than before.

In the long run, hiring a lawyer can save you money and time, which makes the investment worth it. If you’re unsure of what amount of money you can expect to spend for a lawyer, you may negotiate with them to see if their costs fit your budget.

You Can Get Emotional Support

Legal problems tend to be emotionally overwhelming for everyone involved. In some cases, you may not even want to talk about the issue with your friends or family. A lawyer is always going to be a great person to talk about your case since they’re impartial and work toward your best interest.

Bottom Line

As you can see, hiring a criminal defense lawyer can completely change the outcome of your case. If you’re honest about what happened and give your lawyer everything that they need to work your case, you’re more likely to achieve a better outcome.

Author’s Bio

Imo Bennard is a marketing professional who originally hails from Nigeria. He enjoys spending time with his family and friends by hanging out on the vast coastal plains of the southwest regions. Unless he’s on a mission of creating meaningful relationships with his business associates and writing valuable content for Silver and Silver.

Why Time is of the Essence When You’re Arrested for DUI – Guest Post

   

Getting arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) can be an overwhelming and stressful experience. This is especially true if it is your first run-in with the law. While easier said than done, staying calm and focusing on the legal journey ahead can have a dramatic impact on your case.

When it comes to traffic violations and DUI, time is of the essence. Apart from staying level-headed after your arrest, acting quickly and getting the help of a competent and seasoned attorney is vital. If anything, getting the best legal representation after an arrest should be a priority when charged with any crime.

In DUI cases, getting legal representation quickly is recommended if you want to protect your rights and your privileges. Other reasons why you need to act fast after a DUI arrest include:

The 10-Day Rule

In states like Georgia, anyone arrested for DUI is given only ten days to request an ALS Hearing (Administrative License Suspension Hearing) with the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS).

If a request is not made within the 10-day period, you can face an automatic license suspension. Your attorney can help you with your ALS hearing. If you want to safeguard your driving privileges, you need to act fast.

If you face DUI charges in Arizona, you are given 15 days (from the date you were pulled over) to contact the Motor Vehicle Division. Your diligence can prevent or delay the suspension of your driver’s license.

Also, even if diligence is done promptly, it is crucial that you work with a competent and experienced lawyer that can expertly guide you through the entire process.

If you behaved in a way that raised suspicion or if you said something at the time of your arrest, acting fast to mitigate your actions can help minimize the charges against you. In some cases, it can even result in having the charges against you to be dropped.

Interventions and Investigations

In certain situations, authorities will investigate before charging you with a crime. By getting legal help early on in the process, you will know what law enforcement and the prosecutors are up to.

Depending on the facts of your case, it is also possible that your attorney can intervene and convince the prosecutors to drop the charges against you.

You are Kept Informed

DUI lawyers have handled countless DUI cases of different types, so they know how different cases are carried out and what the possible complications may be. In addition, they can also readily anticipate what the “other side” might do.

When you consult a DUI lawyer quickly after your arrest, you will be informed about the developments in your case, so you will know where you stand. You will also have a better idea of what you can expect from the start of your case until the end.

You Can Build a Strong Defense

One of the best reasons you should work with a DUI lawyer right away is so your legal team will have ample time to conduct a thorough investigation and build a strong defense.

When your lawyer has enough time to meticulously review and prepare your case, you have a better chance of achieving a successful outcome.

What to Do After Your DUI Arrest

Aside from keeping your cool, below are some of the things you need to do after a DUI arrest:

01: Carefully read (and understand) all the paperwork given to you.

The police or the commissioner will provide you with paperwork that you need to go through and understand. Keep in mind that there are some short timelines when processing a DUI arrest.

Your failure to read and follow the documents and instructions provided might cause you to miss some deadlines. This can default into a loss of your license. In some instances, it can also result in some serious administrative sanctions.

02: Do not pay any citations or tickets if your charges require a Must Appear at Trial.

All the payable charges are scheduled for trial with the Must Appear charges even without asking the court.

03: Don’t sell yourself short and get the best DUI attorney you can find.

Why risk your financial well-being, freedom, and future by representing yourself or hiring an attorney with no ample experience handling DUI cases? If you were diagnosed with a medical condition that can alter your life if left untreated, wouldn’t you go for the most experienced and qualified doctor you can find?

The same approach should be used to choose the best DUI attorney to represent you. Remember that you face a serious criminal charge and can receive harsh penalties when convicted.

DUI law can be extremely complex, and if you are found guilty, the consequences can be very severe. You owe it to yourself, your future, and your loved ones to get a DUI attorney with award-winning representation and a track record of happy and satisfied clients.

How can you discharge tax debts in bankruptcy when the timing is right? – Guest Post

  

tax debts in bankruptcy

Be wary of greedy companies or financial service providers who claim to eliminate tax debts through bankruptcy. It’s not as easy as it seems. But genuine tax debt relief companies or attorneys will tell you that most tax debts aren’t dischargeable in bankruptcy. You’ll still need to pay them at the end of a Chapter 7 case. Apart from that, paying off tax debt in full under a Chapter 13 repayment plan will be your next option.

However, suppose you wish to discharge tax debts imminently. In that case, Chapter 7 bankruptcy is the better alternative, but only when your tax liability qualifies for discharge and you qualify for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

When can you discharge tax debt?

Before you can use Chapter 7 bankruptcy and reduce tax debt, you must meet the following requirements:

The tax debt should be at least three years old

Before filing bankruptcy, the tax return had to be due for at least three years.

The taxes should be income taxes

To get tax debt relief, your income should be taxed under federal taxes. Other taxes, including payroll taxes or fraud penalties, cannot be discharged in bankruptcy.

You must have filed tax returns

Bankruptcy must have been filed at least two years before you want to get rid of debt. You can’t get out of paying taxes in most court proceedings if you file a late return. The IRS may issue a substitute return on your behalf, considering your extensions have run out and you haven’t filed a “return.” Courts in some places let people get rid of a tax debt caused by a late return if they meet other criteria.

You shouldn’t perform fraudulent activities or intentionally avoid taxes

In this case, bankruptcy can’t provide you with tax debt help. If you submitted a deceptive tax return or tried to escape paying off tax debt, bankruptcy couldn’t guide you.

You comply with the “240-day rule.”

The IRS should have calculated your tax debt at least 240 days before you submit your chapter 7 bankruptcy, or you will not be able to file it. If the IRS suspends collection operations due to an offer in settlement or a past bankruptcy filing, the time limit may be extended.

There are also additional criteria in some regions. Also, if you used a credit card to pay off a nondischargeable tax debt under Chapter 7, the credit card amount will be a nondischargeable debt as well.

What are the 3 time specific rules that can help you discharge tax debt?

There are three rules for discharging income tax debts in a bankruptcy proceeding based on timing.

The 1st RULE – 3 Year rule

According to this regulation, the most current submission deadline for the tax year should be three years ago. For example – the taxation period in 2018. The 2018 tax return was due April 15th, 2019. As a result, the three-year period from the due date for the tax year in question would be April 16th, 2022 (three years and one day after the original deadline). You must also remember that many “tolling events” might push that due date back.

The 2nd RULE – 2 Year rule

This rule only applies to tax returns that are filed late. If the tax return is submitted on time, the Two Year Rule has always been met.

The rule states that the tax return for such tax year in question must have been filed with the taxation authority (state or federal) at least two years before the chapter 7 bankruptcy was filed.

So, if somehow the 2018 tax return isn’t filed till October 10th, 2021, the bankruptcy case won’t be filed until October 11th, 2023, more than two years after the tax return is filed.

The rule does not consider the tax return’s deadline; instead, it considers the date the return was submitted. So, even if the three-year requirement is met, if the return was late and hadn’t been filed for two years, it won’t be discharged in bankruptcy.

The 3rd RULE – 240 Day rule

The 240 Day Rule states that the taxation authority must assess the tax discharged over 240 days before the actual bankruptcy petition’s filing date. However, the time frame in question in this regulation may be “tolled” or extended. The time limit is extended during the term following the assessment. The taxpayer or his representative should submit an “offer in compromise” for the tax in question, and an extra 30 days should be considered after the offer is refused or approved.

To fulfill the 240 Day Rule, the tax in question should have been assessed for at least 240 days, including any period an offer in compromise was pending. Apart from that, the additional 30 days before the bankruptcy petition’s filing date must also be considered. The 240 days would be tolled for the duration of the automatic stay in a previous bankruptcy filing, plus an extra 90 days.

An IRS Account Transcript will provide the date of assessing the tax in question; however, the date of assessment of a State tax is more challenging to consider and varies by state.

Depending on how much you estimate to repay this year, you may be better off deferring your bankruptcy filing until January 2, 2022.

Modifications to this regulation are permissible in the following circumstances:

  • The time is extended to the next working day if the 240th day falls on a weekend or holiday.
  • The 240-day period can be extended if a compromise offer is under consideration for 96 days or more.

Final takeaway

Only Chapter 7 bankruptcy allows you to get tax debt solutions and discharge your income tax debt through bankruptcy. Consumers can accomplish this by following three timing-based rules.

According to the three-year rule, taxes cannot be discharged unless three years have elapsed after the last tax return was due.

The “two-year rule” states that if a tax return was not submitted on time, it must have been on file for at least two years in favor of being discharged in bankruptcy.

Even if the other two conditions are met, the “240 day rule” prevents taxes imposed within 240 days of the bankruptcy petition from being canceled.

It takes a lot of time and effort to discharge taxes in bankruptcy. So, get professional legal guidance from a bankruptcy attorney if you want expert bankruptcy tax debt help.

How to Effectively Win A Case as Criminal Defense Lawyer – Guest Post

   

Criminal Defense Lawyer

A criminal defense lawyer reviews the entire case and then selects the best criminal defense strategies. Given that not all criminal defense lawyers are the same, the most ideal one will consider all elements, then the case theory—a tactic that can effectively win a case.

The actions are taken, together with the legal arguments, to obtain the freedom and release the defendants from criminal charges. The lawyer has to prove these, along with all the flaws and doubts of a criminal element, beyond any reasonable doubt.

Do you want to learn about the different strategies being used to win a case from a criminal defense standpoint? Read on.

By Accident

A majority of offenses under the penal code include willful offenses, meaning the violator intentionally commits the crime. If your criminal lawyer can present that the committed act is just an accident and not intended, then there may be a considerable defense against the accused. This even works for a first-degree murder charge.

Most of the time, this tactic works; however, the entire case greatly depends on your criminal lawyer and how they will present the case.

Incorrect Identity Accusation

The main source of incorrect accusations is incorrect witness identification. This happens when your description is the same as a criminal culprit. Or perhaps, when the witness thinks that someone has committed the crime because of certain circumstances. Another probability is when the witness is trying to cover the crime they have committed.

Immediate Danger or Coercion

There is a certain situation when someone commits a crime out of self-protection due to immediate risk of harm and that is their only option. As they made such a decision under coercion or duress, the actions will not be deemed a crime. Your lawyer will present the case in a way it will showcase that the imminent danger is on you, and in order to protect yourself from the threat, you have committed such a crime.

Beyond Any Doubt

The burden of proof should be higher if the consequences are more serious. The criminal conviction includes losing your liberty in prison, so all the highest standards are applicable. In this case, the judge or the jury must have a moral assurance that the defendant is indeed guilty beyond unreasonable doubt.

In addition, all evidence has no explanation or any rational conclusion apart from the defendant having committed the crime.

An Alibi as a Form of Defense

An individual cannot be present at two dissimilar places at the exact same time. Therefore, if your lawyer can show proof that you are present somewhere else when the crime happens, then you can be considered not guilty. In the criminal defense lawsuit, this is the most common criminal defense tactic.

Entrapment Practice

If you’re a law-abiding citizen and you commit any offense because of intimidation or coercion, then entrapment normally occurs. This usually happens with various police operations which mostly involve undercovers. A good lawyer sets the entrapment for child pornography, prostitution and drug crimes as a defense in court.

Law Enforcement Official Misconduct

Some law enforcement officials are, unfortunately, guilty of misconduct during the investigations. In case the police official commits a mistake, they will usually cover them up during the preliminary investigation. Or they can be so persuasive that a suspect is guilty that they ended up misconducting to come up with a stronger case. However, if your criminal lawyer is clever enough to identify such misbehavior and counter this, your case can then be dismissed.

False Admissions

Under different mental strategies, law enforcement officials are known for forcing false confessions from innocent suspects. If worse comes to worst, they even try starvation, sleep deprivation and other forms of physical threats. Juveniles, specifically, are highly vulnerable when it comes to coercion.

If your criminal defense lawyer can showcase the evidence of coercion, then the case can be developed because the admission can be discarded, along with the evidence exclusion.

Necessity

The legal defense of ‘necessity’ is possible when any type of criminal conduct is only done to avoid more serious danger. You may be dismissed from such a charge in case you or any other person believes they are in harm. Committing the criminal act is the only reasonable alternative. Nevertheless, the necessity of committing the crime has to be proven in court, and the only person who can prove this is your criminal defense lawyer.

Involuntary Intoxication

Most criminal laws need ‘specific intent’ in order to commit crimes. If you were involuntarily inebriated, that is a complete defense to almost all crimes, generally. For example, someone slips a drug into your drink causing you to become intoxicated, or if a physician prescribes you a certain drug without disclosing any side effects.

Your defense lawyer can claim involuntary intoxication, only, if you did not voluntarily take any drugs or alcohol.

Takeaway

A good criminal defense lawyer will try all possible means to prove that you are innocent. These are just some of the strategies they can use to convince a judge or jury and cause them to declare minor fines or imprisonment, or even complete dismissal of charges.