Personal bankruptcy is a process where an individual seeks relief from his or her debts. The two most common personal bankruptcies are Chapter 7 and Chapter 13. A Portland bankruptcy lawyer handles both types of these personal bankruptcies and will protect your rights and your property. The bankruptcy laws allow an individual to get rid of debts through the division of his or her assets among creditors and appoints the bankruptcy courts to supervise and litigate the proceedings involved. The type of personal bankruptcy that best suits your needs depends on your circumstances, such as your income and the type and amount of property you own. If you decide to file for personal bankruptcy, your first step is to find the right personal bankruptcy lawyer. Your local bar association can give you the name of a Portland bankruptcy lawyer who is knowledgeable in personal bankruptcy law. In addition to what the bar recommends, contact your friends or relatives who have used personal bankruptcy lawyers in the past. Preparation of the documents needed to start the personal bankruptcy process are complicated, and will be best completed by a Portland bankruptcy lawyer who is experienced and knowledgeable in bankruptcy law. Once your personal bankruptcy petition has been filed by your Portland bankruptcy lawyer, all transactions are frozen. Notices will then be sent to creditors who must stop all actions against you to recover or collect money. Once the debt has been satisfactorily resolved under the agreement stated in the personal bankruptcy proceedings, a discharge is issued, releasing the debt. All creditors receive a permanent order to stop all forms of collection action against you on discharged debts, including legal action and all communications. Should personal bankruptcy turn out to be your best option to obtain debt relief, use it responsibly. Make sure you take the proper steps to make sure hat you won't end up in the same financial situation once again.