Can I file bankruptcy to avoid enormous traffic fines?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Can I file bankruptcy to avoid enormous traffic fines?
The traffic tickets were in 2003; driving with a suspended license. I had to leave the state to find employment then after I lost my job and house. I am married now, back in the state with a kid, and my wife cannot work. I work 2 jobs to keep us going and I cannot risk getting arrested for these warrants for unpaid fines. I could not pay them then and they seem to have grown. Is there a statute of limitations? Can I claim a hardship? I am lost.
Asked on December 23, 2010 under Bankruptcy Law, Washington
Answers:
M.T.G., Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 13 years ago | Contributor
You sound distraught so please calm down. I can understand how overwhelming the matter can be but you need to think this through and come up with a solution. Generally speaking, fines for breaking the law are not dischargeable in bankruptcy so filing would not help you here. First you need to take care of the warrants. Having them over your head is not good for you. So, get some legal help with them. Yes, you need to seek a lawyer's help. You may qualify for legal aid or see if a local bar association may be able to help you in their pro bono department. Once the warrants have been quieted then you can make a deal for the unpaid fines. If there is a statute of limitations or a hardship provision would best be known by the attorney. Good luck to you.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.