Menu

A Credit Counselor Versus a Bankruptcy Attorney

About Me

A Credit Counselor Versus a Bankruptcy Attorney

When I was drowning in debt, I knew that soon enough I would need to file for bankruptcy. I simply didn't make enough to cover the amount of debt I had accumulated. However, I was not sure whether I should work with a credit counselor or a bankruptcy attorney. I did a lot of research on the subject and found that there are pros and cons to working with both a credit counselor and a bankruptcy attorney, and that you also had the option of working with both at the same time. Ultimately, I decided to hire the attorney, but that may not be the best option for everyone. I created this website to help you understand what a credit counselor is and what they do, what a bankruptcy attorney is and what they do and how each can help you if you are drowning in debt.

Tags

Are You Ready To Speak Out? 3 Surprising Obstacles You Might Face As A Whistleblower

19 January 2015
 Categories: , Blog

If you're aware of misdeeds, fraud or criminal activities performed by your superiors at work, you might feel inclined to blow the top off your company by alerting the media or local officials. Oftentimes, people think that whistleblowers are met with success and recognition for their bravery. However, most whistleblowers aren't overnight news sensations. Most fight for years to be heard and suffer greatly because they spoke up. Legal red tape, distrust and lack of popular support can make whistleblowing a nightmare. Therefore, it's vital that you hire an attorney and understand the full repercussions for your actions before you speak up. 

Distrust and Skepticism

Anytime someone goes against the company culture, they are viewed with distrust and skepticism. Not only are coworkers quick to discount stories that sound too bizarre to be true, the public in general is not as receptive to whistleblowers as you might think. Plus, most large companies have a media-relations department that can issue statements and hold press conferences in an effort to make everything you say look like a complete lie. So before you speak up, you must be ready to stay on course—regardless of what may happen . 

Legal and Time Limitations

If it's been several years since you witnessed the wrongdoing in questions, you might be up against several legal and time constraints. For example, Alayne Fleischmann, a famous whistleblower pitted against JPMorgan Chase, spoke up eight years after witnessing evidence of wire fraud, a crime that has a statute of limitations of only 10 years. Therefore, Flieschmann only had two years to convince people to listen to her story before all would be for naught. Considering that she will probably never work in her field again, that was a huge bet to take.

Lack of Media and Popular Support

For every sensational whistleblowing story that makes national headlines, there are several that the media and public at large could care less about. In fact, most whistleblowing stories get very little media coverage unless they spark something withing the current political and social climate. As a whistleblower, you might have to speak up continuously and fight to be heard because of this.

If you're witness to wrongdoing at your place of business and want to speak up, make sure you understand all the consequences of doing so. Also, be sure to talk to a whistleblower lawyer about your rights and the best way to go about broadcasting your secret.