The Most Common Reasons People File for Bankruptcy

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Unemployment CartoonWith the recent downturn in the economy, bankruptcy has become an increasingly popular way for people to relieve their debts. There are hundreds of reasons why a person may choose to file bankruptcy, but some reasons are more prominent than others. Here are the four most common reasons people file for bankruptcy in America:

  1. Medical Bills: With the number of uninsured citizens in the United States rising by the day, many families have high medical debt for accidents they could not pay for on their own. Medical bills can be upwards of $100,000 for one person, and that debt is typically more than one person can pay off. Bankruptcy provides patients with the opportunity to relieve their medical debts and start fresh in the future.
  2. Unemployment: Loss of work is another common cause of bankruptcy in the modern world. As people lose the ability to work, they lose the ability to pay their bills. Thus their debt piles up, and bankruptcy becomes the only solution they have to get back on their feet.
  3. Excessive Debt: Some people just make poor financial decisions, and they end up in debt because they over-exceeded their financial limitations. This is often the case with young adults who are not used to living on their own. Credit card debts and high car loans are some of the biggest financial problems in America, and they are among the most significant causes for bankruptcy.
  4. Divorce: Divorcees often encounter debt that was once part of a marriage. This, combined with the cost of divorce as a whole, may cause someone to build up enough debt to qualify for bankruptcy.

There are plenty of other reasons why you may feel pressed to file bankruptcy, but those are the most common ones at this time. If you happen to fit into one of those categories, you might want to speak with a debt relief attorney to assess your options.

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