A simple yet essential guide on filing for bankruptcy in California. Bankruptcy can solve many financial problems- but not everything. Whether or not you are getting a lawyer to help you, you need to know what you are doing in your bankruptcy case so you don't get burned. Far too often, people file for bankruptcy unaware of what may happen and how bankruptcy will affect their debts and assets. After reading this easy-to-understand yet authoritative guide, you will be able to make a well informed decision about whether filing for bankruptcy in California is right for you. You will learn the basics of what happens in bankruptcy and what you need to do, including: What to think about when considering filing for bankruptcy. When is filing for bankruptcy a mistake. How much it will cost to file. What documents and information you need for filing. What property you can keep. What will happen to your house and/or car. Bankruptcy provides great benefits but it has downsides as well. The only way to know whether bankruptcy is right for you is to understand what bankruptcy can and cannot do for you in your unique circumstances. By reading this guide, you will not only save yourself hours and hours of stress and agony wondering about whether bankruptcy can help you. And, what you learn could save you hundreds, or more likely, thousands of dollars. The thought of filing a personal bankruptcy case may make you cringe, but it shouldn't. You should look at it as you would any major financial decision, such as buying a house, buying a car, or taking a vacation. You should consider how a filing may affect your life, how not filing may affect your life and decide which results are better for you. The only way to do this in California is to know the true consequences before you file. Written by, Ted Connolly, a nationally-known and respected bankruptcy attorney who has appeared on national television, including FOX Business News and in national publications, including USA Today, US News and World Report, and The Christian Science Monitor, He also co-authored the highly acclaimed Road Out of Debt: Bankruptcy and Other Solutions to Your Financial Problems, with Joan N. Feeney, a bankruptcy judge on the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Massachusetts."