| Volume 86 Number 11 |
Subscribe to the Newsletter
Forward this news alert to your family and friends
Helpful Links
Texas Consumer Complaint Center
Credit Reports and Identity Theft
Your Guide to Small Claims Court
Contact Us
1-713-743-2168
The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
No health insurance or limited coverage? Negotiate with your health care providers!
You can negotiate the cost of almost all medical services, and often receive discounts of 10-50%. Let your health care provider know you are self-pay and ask if the price can be adjusted.
For more general information about the law, visit my website.
Click here for more.
Court Creates Hope for Student Debtors
Unlike credit card debt, student loan debt generally can't be discharged in bankruptcy. Ultimately, a person must prove that paying back the loan would be an "undue hardship." In essence, repayment must be impossible.
On May 22, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals deviated from the usual interpretation of "undue hardship," allowing a former student to partially discharge his student loan debt because he had done his best to pay the debts.
At the trial court, the judge found fault in the way the former student was living his life, describing it as "a lifestyle that few today can afford." The Ninth Circuit disagreed.
The Ninth Circuit's decision should give greater freedom to bankruptcy judges in interpreting what constitutes an "undue hardship."
What does this decision mean?
Click here for more.
Five Ways to Get In-State Tuition
Heading off to college?
Although in-state tuition can be quite expensive, out-of-state tuition can be downright burdensome. In fact, an out-of-state student can ending up paying three times more than an in-state student.
Don't fret! There are ways to (legally) get in-state tuition even if you're from another state.
For five ways to get in-state tuition,
Click here for more.
Red Cross Sitting on $100M in Sandy Relief
Seven months after Superstorm Sandy, the Red Cross is still sitting on more than $100 in money it raised to help the victims. Although the Red Cross insists the money will be spent to aid the recovery, critics have spoken out against the organization for leaving money unspent when
many victims needed more immediate help in the aftermath of the storm.
Traditionally, the Red Cross hasn't been in the business of long-term recovery. With local organizations in a better position to identify and help those in need, why is the Red Cross still holding on to the donations?
Click here for more.
Your Money
Is debt consolidation right for you?
Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
Debt Collector can continue to call debtor's brother-in-law. The Fourth Circuit held that a debt collector's repeated phone calls to the debtor's brother-in-law did not violate the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act because the collector reasonably believed he gave incomplete earlier responses.
Click here for more.