There is an attorney that I used to work for who is a really good bankruptcy attorney. She has helped a lot of people over the years, some she has shown other ways to deal with their money problems than filing bankruptcy. She says a lot of times it is not necessary to file for bankruptcy, and she tries to point out this to potential clients. There are rules that apply to when and how to apply for bankruptcy. A lot of people have no other alternative, though, if they want to at least keep their homes or businesses. She says the laws may be different in different states, for instance, filing for an Illinois bankruptcy may be different than filing for a Colorado bankruptcy. She just knows that it is a very personal thing for a lot of people who have to go through it. Of course, she says she gets people who come in with a devil may care attitude. She can tell they are not going to stay on the right path to financial security once all is said and done as far as filing the bankruptcy. They look at it as a reason to start fresh with the same spending habits.