Maybe you’re behind on your mortgage. Perhaps you’re watching the credit card bills stack up on your kitchen table. You might be cringing every time the phone rings, thinking that it’s another call from a debt collector. Whatever the issue, you’re not alone.

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Every year, millions of Americans wake up and realize that their financial situation is in shambles. More bills than income, more debts than assets. And they know that it isn’t going to get any better until they take some action.

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For some, credit counseling is a way out. Others find that they can settle their debts by cashing out a 401(k) or modifying a mortgage. But for many, filing for Chapter 7, Chapter 11, or Chapter 13 is the answer.

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In almost forty years as a bankruptcy lawyer I can count on one hand the number of people who were happy to file for bankruptcy (and I’d have a few fingers left over). The truth is, nobody wants to file for bankruptcy. You want to pay your bills.

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But sometimes, you just can’t. When you’re faced with the choice of filing for bankruptcy or stopping a garnishment that doesn’t leave enough to let you pay for groceries, which do you choose? Which do you choose when you’re looking at a foreclosure on your home? Which do you choose when debt collectors are causing so much stress that your health and your family are suffering? The choice becomes easy—a Chapter 7, Chapter 11, or Chapter 13 may not only be your best option, it may be your only option.