The Philadelphia Bankruptcy Attorney

06/10/2026

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐅𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐫𝐮𝐩𝐭𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 — 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝐁𝐞 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤
𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧, 𝐰𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦.
The numbers just came in for April 2026, and they are not good. Bankruptcy filings are climbing fast — across businesses, across families, across nearly every corner of the economy. If it feels like more people around you are quietly struggling to keep up, you're not imagining it. The data proves it.
New figures from Epiq AACER and the American Bankruptcy Institute show the cracks are spreading. And the people who get ahead of this — who ask the hard questions early — are almost always the ones who come out okay.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐥 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐍𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐀𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫:
𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟏 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝟒𝟐% — 𝟔𝟒𝟒 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐬, 𝐮𝐩 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝟒𝟓𝟒. (Chapter 11 is how a business reorganizes its debt and tries to survive.)
𝐓𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐭 𝟓𝟔,𝟒𝟐𝟕 — 𝐮𝐩 𝟏𝟒%.
𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝟐𝟏%.
𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐣𝐮𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝟒𝟔%.
𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐝 𝟏𝟑%. 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟕 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐮𝐩 𝟏𝟒%. 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟑 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐮𝐩 𝟏𝟏%.
𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐫𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 (𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟐) 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐭 𝐮𝐩 𝟏𝟑𝟎% — 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟎.
𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐚 𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐩. 𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐚 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫.
𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐈𝐬 𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 — 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐈𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐘𝐨𝐮
Here's the uncomfortable part: the forces driving these numbers are hitting almost everyone.
Michael Hunter of Epiq AACER said more people are falling behind on car loans than at almost any time in the last 15 years. Home foreclosures jumped 26% in early 2026. Gas, property taxes, and insurance keep climbing. His warning was blunt — these pressures could push even more families into bankruptcy in the months ahead.
Amy Quackenboss of the ABI pointed to the same storm: rising prices, higher loan costs, and an uncertain economy squeezing families and businesses alike.
Translation? The squeeze is coming from every direction. And plenty of people who did everything "right" are still getting caught in it. This isn't about bad choices. It's about a tough economy catching up to good people.
𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐬 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐈𝐠𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐞
Trouble usually shows up quietly, long before a crisis hits. If any of these sound like you, the warning light is already on:
* You're only able to make the minimum payment on your credit cards.
* You're using one card — or a loan — to pay another.
* You're behind on your mortgage or car payment, or scared you're about to be.
* Collection calls have started, and you've started avoiding the phone.
* You've gotten a court paper, a lawsuit, or a notice about your paycheck or bank account.
* You lie awake doing math that never works out.
None of these mean you've failed. They mean it's time to get real information — fast — while you still have the most options on the table.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬: 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤
Here's what the scary headlines leave out. Bankruptcy is not the end. It's a legal right Congress created to give honest people a fresh start. And acting early is the single biggest thing in your favor.
Chapter 7 can wipe out many debts — credit cards, medical bills, personal loans — often in just a few months. For many families, it's the cleanest way to start over.
Chapter 13 lets you keep your home and car while you catch up through one affordable monthly plan over three to five years. If you're trying to stop a foreclosure, this can be a lifeline — and with foreclosures spiking, that matters more than ever.
For small business owners, there's Subchapter V — a faster, cheaper way to reorganize that lets you stay in control of your company while you fix the debt. For a good business stuck in a rough patch, it can be the difference between closing the doors and staying open.
𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐖𝐚𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐘𝐨𝐮
The families and business owners who struggle the most are usually the ones who waited too long — until a lawsuit landed, the foreclosure clock started, or money got pulled straight from their paycheck. The ones who come out the other side are the ones who picked up the phone early.
If you're feeling these same pressures, Attorney Stephen Dunne will tell you the truth about where you stand — in plain terms, with no judgment — and help you find a way forward before your choices run out. Whether that's Chapter 7, Chapter 13, or a Subchapter V business case, the goal has been the same for over 20 years: helping good people get out from under debt they can't pay and take their lives back.
𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐃𝐞𝐛𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐃𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐞.
𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝟐𝟏𝟓-𝟓𝟓𝟏-𝟕𝟏𝟎𝟗 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. 𝐓𝐡𝐞
𝐬𝐨𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐝𝐨.

06/09/2026

🌈 Grateful and honored to be selected as a Pride Month Attorney by LegalEASE, a Legal Access Company.

Every client who walks through my door deserves to be met with dignity, respect, and a steady hand — no exceptions. Equal access to justice isn’t a slogan; it’s the foundation of what I do every single day.

For 20 years, my mission has been simple: meet people where they are, in their hardest financial moments, and help them get to the other side. Debt doesn’t discriminate — and neither do I. Whether you’re filing Chapter 7, restructuring under Chapter 13, or just need someone in your corner, you’ll always have an advocate here.

Proud to stand with the LGBTQ+ community this month and every month. 🏳️‍🌈 Because everyone deserves a fresh start. Because debt is Dunne. ⚖️

Attorney Stephen Dunne
Dunne Law Offices, P.C.
Philadelphia, PA
📞 215-551-7109

🌈 Pride Month Attorney Spotlight This week, we're featuring two attorneys who are dedicated to helping clients through some of life's most important transitions. ⭐ Melenni Balbach, Esq. helps families navigate family law, estate planning, collaborative divorce, and assisted reproductive technol...

06/06/2026

This is why I do what I do. 🙏

I just received a review that genuinely moved me — see for yourself 👇

Most people come to me at one of the most stressful moments of their lives: buried in debt, dodging calls, and convinced there's no way out. Walking with them to a fresh start, and watching the weight finally lift, never gets old.

To the client who took the time to share this — thank you for trusting me with something so important.

If debt has you feeling overwhelmed, you don't have to figure it out alone. A fresh start is closer than you think.

📞 215-551-7109
💻 thephiladelphiabankruptcyattorney.com

05/27/2026

Just made a $1,690,106.82 SBA loan DISAPPEAR. 💨

Can't wait to make this phone call. My client thought they were stuck with this debt for life.

👉 Most people think SBA loans are "until death do us part."
👉 Not when Attorney Dunne gets involved.

Because when I take the case... the SBA becomes a DUNNE DEBT. ⚖️

If you're carrying an SBA loan you can't afford — EIDL, 7(a), 504, or any other — let's talk. There may be a legal strategy you didn't know existed.

📞 215-551-7109
📧 [email protected]
🌐 thephiladelphiabankruptcyattorney.com

05/04/2026

The Western District of Pennsylvania just dragged bankruptcy practice into 2026. The Eastern District should follow.

Effective with the 2026 amendments, W.PA.LBR 5005-6 now permits debtor's counsel to satisfy the original signature requirement in any of the following ways:

→ A digital signature via any commercially available digital signature software → Express written permission from the debtor (including by text message or email) to affix the /s/ signature → An image of the signed signature page transmitted by email, text message, or facsimile

Counsel still certifies that the debtor reviewed the document, authorized the filing, and that the chosen method reliably establishes the debtor's identity. The paper retention obligation remains.

What changes is the friction.
For those of us who practice in this space every day, this is a meaningful modernization. Clients don't print. Clients don't fax. Clients sign on phones, in cars, at kitchen tables. The rule should meet them where they are — and W.D. Pa. just did.

To my colleagues in the Eastern District (and the Middle District, for that matter): it's time to lobby our Local Rules Committees to adopt parallel language. Our country cousins out west are leaving us city folk in the dust.

If you have a relationship with a committee member, use it. If you don't, write a letter. The redline and clean version are in the W.D. Pa. 2026 local rules package, pages 26 and 28.

Modern rules. Faster filings. Same diligence. Let's get it done.
Redline: https://lnkd.in/eb8StCPY

04/15/2026

Spring has Sprung. Time for some financial housekeeping!

04/15/2026

Awesome Philly Mural at the Office.

04/15/2026

Awesome Philly Mural at the Office.

03/24/2026

🏆 So incredibly proud and humbled to share that one of my cases was featured in the Spring 2026 issue of the Consumer Bankruptcy Journal — the official national publication of the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys (NACBA), distributed to over 13,000 bankruptcy attorneys, judges, and legal professionals across the country!

The article — "When Divorce, Property Forfeiture, and the Automatic Stay Collide" — tells the story of a hard-fought victory for my client against a Chapter 7 Trustee who attempted to use the Trustee's powerful strong-arm avoidance powers to seize my client's interest in her Florida home — a property that had been the subject of a marital settlement agreement years before the bankruptcy filing.

⚖️ My client won.

Judge Chan rejected the Trustee's motion, reaffirming a critical principle: the Trustee's strong-arm powers cannot resurrect or revive property rights that were already extinguished under applicable state law before the bankruptcy was ever filed. The Bankruptcy Code is a powerful tool — but it does not give Trustees the ability to undo what state law has already settled.

This case is a powerful example of why having an experienced, aggressive bankruptcy attorney in your corner matters. Trustees have enormous powers — but those powers have limits. And when a Trustee oversteps, we fight back.

To my client — thank you for trusting me to fight for you. This one was for you.

This case is a powerful reminder that bankruptcy doesn't happen in a vacuum. Decisions made in divorce proceedings, property settlements, and family law agreements can have profound and often unexpected consequences in a subsequent bankruptcy — sometimes years later.

For family law practitioners, this decision highlights exactly why it is so critical to understand the long-term bankruptcy implications of any marital settlement agreement before the ink dries.

I am deeply grateful to NACBA and the Consumer Bankruptcy Journal for the opportunity to contribute to the national conversation on consumer bankruptcy law. And as always — I am proud to fight for my clients every single day. 💙

👉 Read the full article here:

03/11/2026

Not going to lie — the new ad isn't half bad. 😄

Humbled to be recognized by Super Lawyers once again. Here's a look at the full track record:

⭐ Selected to Super Lawyers: 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024, 2025, 2026
⭐ Selected to Rising Stars: 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018

If you or someone you know is struggling with debt, we're here to help.

https://profiles.superlawyers.com/pennsylvania/philadelphia/lawyer/stephen-m-dunne/f04aff68-bd15-4a7e-a15b-c35fa6eb3efa.html

Debt doesn't have to define you. Get it, Dunne!💪

Stephen Dunne is one of the top rated Bankruptcy attorneys in Philadelphia, PA. He has met the stringent Super Lawyers selection criteria.