The RegistryCounty Record · California
Bankruptcy Lawyers in San Mateo County, California
Searching for a bankruptcy attorney in San Mateo County? Counsel for a fresh start — consumer and small-business debt relief. This page indexes the county's bankruptcy coverage from the State Bar of California's official roll, with identity-verification markers where available.
The Peninsula county between San Francisco and Silicon Valley, home to San Francisco International Airport and the headquarters of several major technology companies; the Hall of Justice in Redwood City anchors its civil calendars. The court of record is the Superior Court of California, County of San Mateo — counsel who appear there regularly read the local calendar better than any brochure.
Deadlines shape these cases before merits do — 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)).
This page is the San Mateo County chapter of the registry's statewide record — Bankruptcy Attorneys 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 San Mateo.
County seat: Redwood City
Official court information, locations, and filing rules: sanmateo.courts.ca.gov
Bankruptcy · San Mateo County roster
59 attorneys on the official State Bar of California roll list bankruptcy among their practice areas with an address of record in San Mateo County.
52 of them hold an active licence; the remainder are recorded as inactive and are not currently eligible to practise.
The roster concentrates in Redwood City (14), Menlo Park (13), San Mateo (12) and Burlingame (5).
2 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.
2 are recorded as taking client work in a language other than English.
Admission years on this roster run from 1972 to 2025.
The employers most represented here are Bialson, Bergen & Schwab, A Prof Corp (4), Law Office of Eddy Hsu (2) and Moran Law Group,Inc (2).
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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 San Mateo 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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