Barry Levine - Attorney At Law #314
Bankruptcy Through the Looking Glass with “Hippie Lawyer” Barry Levine (Season 7 Premiere)
Savia Rocks opens Season 7 of the Us People Podcast with guest Barry Levine, a Massachusetts attorney and self-described “old hippie,” who shares growing up in Brooklyn, becoming a lawyer, and spending 45+ years largely representing debtors.
Barry explains how U.S. bankruptcy works in practice, including exemptions (notably Massachusetts’ homestead protection), the creditor-to-collection-to-lawsuit pipeline, default judgments, debtor’s court, and how filing bankruptcy (including the 341 meeting) typically stops creditor harassment.
He discusses Chapter 7 vs Chapter 13 basics, costs and retainers, the high expense and failure rate of Chapter 11, debt being bought and sold, “zombie mortgages,” and the importance of pre-bankruptcy planning. He also recounts unusual cases, including a Chapter 7 involving 1,807 Bitcoin, and closes with personal stories, cannabis culture anecdotes, and where to find him (YouTube, book, email).
00:00 Legacy And Trauma
01:10 Meet Barry Levine
02:24 Brooklyn Roots To Law
04:14 Why Not California
05:59 Building A Debtor Practice
07:38 Bankruptcy Basics
11:28 How Collections Escalate
15:45 Judgments And Debtors Court
17:32 Filing And 341 Meeting
22:09 Chapter 7 Vs 13
27:05 Debt Buying Explained
30:08 Zombie Mortgages
34:11 When People Ignore Notices
34:27 Judgments and Debt Buyers
35:07 Asset Protection Planning
36:31 Bankruptcy Costs Explained
37:23 Chapter 11 Reality Check
39:38 Bitcoin Bankruptcy Drama
43:03 GoFundMe Scams and Selling
44:11 Old School Hustles
50:20 Weed Culture and Dispensaries
51:41 Cannabis Gadgets and Edibles
55:14 Where to Find Barry
57:03 Office Stories and Drug Lore
01:00:16 Mandela Effect Outro
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barrylevinelaw/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Law-Office-of-Barry-R-Levine/100064656866931/#
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“The Most Beautiful think you can do, is love what you do with all your heart, the money will come in time, without you even realising. ”
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