The RegistryCounty Record · California
Bankruptcy Attorneys in Contra Costa County, California
Looking for a bankruptcy attorney near you in Contra Costa County? Explore the county record for bankruptcy attorneys on the State Bar of California's official roll and review each profile for yourself.
An East Bay county of more than a million residents stretching from the Carquinez Strait refineries to the Highway 4 and 680 suburbs; the Wakefield Taylor Courthouse in Martinez anchors its civil calendars. The court of record is the Superior Court of California, County of Contra Costa · counsel who appear there regularly read the local calendar better than any brochure.
The law also keeps time: the automatic stay halts most collection the moment a bankruptcy petition is filed under 11 U.S.C. § 362. Bankruptcy is federal (11 U.S.C.), filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court districts covering California. Chapter 7 eligibility runs through the means test (11 U.S.C. § 707(b)); Chapter 13 plans last three to five years (§ 1322(d)). The plaque below carries the citation; the roster that follows carries the rest.
This page is the Contra Costa County chapter of the registry's statewide record · Bankruptcy Lawyers in California collects all 58 counties.
The clock & the court
The automatic stay halts most collection the moment a bankruptcy petition is filed.
11 U.S.C. § 362
Bankruptcy is federal (11 U.S.C.), filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court districts covering California. Chapter 7 eligibility runs through the means test (11 U.S.C. § 707(b)); Chapter 13 plans last three to five years (§ 1322(d)).
Superior Court of California, County of Contra Costa.
County seat: Martinez
Official court information, locations, and filing rules: contracosta.courts.ca.gov
Bankruptcy · Contra Costa County roster
79 attorneys on the official State Bar of California roll list bankruptcy among their practice areas with an address of record in Contra Costa County.
70 of them hold an active licence; the remainder are recorded as inactive and are not currently eligible to practise.
The roster concentrates in Walnut Creek (31), San Ramon (8), Orinda (5) and Concord (4).
3 hold a State Bar Certified Legal Specialist designation, a certification issued by the State Bar's Board of Legal Specialization, and not a rating or a ranking.
3 are recorded as taking client work in a language other than English.
Admission years on this roster run from 1966 to 2023.
The employers most represented here are Lincoln Law (2), Mechanics Bank (2) and Shepherd & Wood LLP (2).
Bankruptcy matters in Contra Costa County
The matters this field covers, as Californians search for them. Each attorney's own profile states which of these they take.
- Chapter 7 liquidation
- Chapter 13 repayment plans
- Chapter 11 business reorganization
- stopping foreclosure and repossession
- the automatic stay
- discharging credit card and medical debt
- student loan hardship discharge
- wage garnishment
- creditor harassment
- bankruptcy exemptions
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Bankruptcy questions, cited
What is the difference between Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy?
Chapter 7 liquidates non-exempt assets and typically discharges qualifying unsecured debt within months (11 U.S.C. § 727); eligibility runs through the means test of 11 U.S.C. § 707(b). Chapter 13 keeps assets and repays creditors through a three-to-five-year court-approved plan (11 U.S.C. § 1322), which is often used to cure mortgage arrears and stop foreclosure.
Will bankruptcy stop wage garnishment and creditor calls?
Yes, immediately in most cases. Filing triggers the automatic stay of 11 U.S.C. § 362, which halts garnishments, collection calls, lawsuits, and most foreclosure sales while the case is pending. Exceptions exist for support obligations and repeat filings; willful stay violations can make a creditor liable for damages (11 U.S.C. § 362(k)).
Can I keep my house and car if I file bankruptcy in California?
Often, yes, through exemptions. California's homestead exemption protects between roughly $300,000 and $600,000 of home equity, indexed to county median home prices (Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 704.730). Filers choose between the § 704 exemption scheme and the § 703.140 alternative set, which includes a flexible wildcard. Secured debts like a car loan must still be paid or the collateral surrendered.
Does bankruptcy wipe out all debts?
No. Domestic support obligations, most student loans (absent undue hardship under 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(8)), recent taxes, criminal restitution, and debts from fraud or willful injury generally survive discharge (11 U.S.C. § 523). What remains dischargeable (credit cards, medical debt, personal loans, most judgments) is usually the bulk of consumer debt.
How often can I file for bankruptcy?
A Chapter 7 discharge is available eight years after a prior Chapter 7 discharge (11 U.S.C. § 727(a)(8)); a Chapter 13 discharge generally requires four years after a Chapter 7 or two years after a prior Chapter 13 (11 U.S.C. § 1328(f)). Filing itself is possible sooner, but repeat filings can shorten or eliminate the automatic stay (11 U.S.C. § 362(c)(3)–(4)).
Legal information, not legal advice.
From the answer files
Related counsel in Contra Costa County
Bankruptcy in nearby counties
Source: 11 U.S.C. § 362 · State Bar of California licensee records · Checked: · Maintained by the California Attorney Registry from official State Bar of California records. Legal information, not legal advice.
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