Henrico County Bankruptcy Lawyer | Bankruptcy Attorney | Merna Law
HENRICO COUNTY BANKRUPTCY LAWYER
Quick Answer
Looking for a Henrico County bankruptcy lawyer? The bankruptcy attorneys at Merna Law help Henrico residents file Chapter 7 and Chapter 13, stop foreclosures, end wage garnishments, and prevent repossessions. Henrico County cases are filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of Virginia, Richmond Division (701 East Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23219), and your entire case is handled by phone and Zoom — no office visit required. Free consultation with a Henrico bankruptcy attorney: 1-800-662-8813.
By John G. Merna, Esq. | Last Reviewed: June 2026 | The Merna Law Group, P.C.
Choosing the right Henrico bankruptcy attorney is one of the most important financial decisions you can make. The bankruptcy lawyers at The Merna Law Group have served the Richmond region for nearly two decades, helping thousands of families — across Glen Allen, Short Pump, Sandston, Highland Springs, and the West End — eliminate debt and rebuild. Whether creditors are calling, your wages are being garnished, or your home or car is at risk, a Henrico bankruptcy lawyer at Merna Law can stop the pressure and explain your options at no charge.
Why Choose Merna Law as Your Henrico Bankruptcy Attorney
Here is what Henrico residents get when they hire Merna Law as their bankruptcy lawyer.
EXPERIENCED, AWARD-WINNING BANKRUPTCY LAWYERS
Voted Best Law Firm by readers of The Virginian-Pilot, with attorneys who practice almost exclusively bankruptcy. Founder John G. Merna, Esq. is a past president of the Tidewater Bankruptcy Bar Association.
CHAPTER 7 — ELIMINATE DEBT (INCLUDING HIGHER INCOMES)
Your Henrico bankruptcy attorney wipes out credit cards, medical bills, and personal loans — often in 3–5 months. Merna Law is especially skilled at helping higher-income filers qualify for Chapter 7 through the full means-test analysis.
CHAPTER 13 — SAVE YOUR HOME & STOP FORECLOSURE
A Chapter 13 lawyer at Merna Law helps you catch up on mortgage arrears over 3–5 years while stopping foreclosure immediately — ideal for Henrico homeowners with steady income.
STOP GARNISHMENTS, LAWSUITS & CREDITOR CALLS
Filing triggers the automatic stay (11 U.S.C. § 362), which stops garnishments, repossessions, foreclosures, and creditor calls the moment your case is filed.
Talk to a Henrico Bankruptcy Lawyer — Free
Free phone consultation — affordable flat fees and payment plans. No office visit required.
How Your Henrico County Case Works
From your first call through your discharge, Merna Law handles your Henrico County bankruptcy remotely: we collect your documents through a secure portal, prepare and electronically file your petition with the EDVA Richmond Division, and represent you at the phone or Zoom 341 meeting — most of which wraps up in under ten minutes. For the full walk-through see our guide to filing bankruptcy without leaving home, and compare options in our Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 guides.
Virginia Bankruptcy Exemptions — What Henrico Residents Keep
Virginia exemptions protect property you keep when filing bankruptcy. Henrico residents use Virginia’s state exemptions — federal exemptions are not available in Virginia.
HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION — PRINCIPAL RESIDENCE
Virginia protects up to $50,000 in equity in your principal residence from creditors (Va. Code § 34-4). This applies to all householders regardless of age. In addition, you may exempt up to $5,000 in other personal property (or $10,000 if you are age 65 or older), plus $500 per dependent as a wildcard exemption. In Chapter 13, your home equity above this amount is protected as long as your plan pays at least what creditors would receive in a Chapter 7 liquidation.
VEHICLE, TOOLS & PERSONAL PROPERTY EXEMPTIONS
Virginia protects up to $10,000 in motor vehicle equity (Va. Code § 34-26(8)), up to $10,000 in tools of your trade (§ 34-26(7)), up to $5,000 in household furnishings (§ 34-26(4a)), and up to $1,000 in clothing (§ 34-26(4)). Retirement accounts — 401(k), IRA, pension — are fully exempt under federal and Virginia law. Your Merna Law attorney will apply every available exemption to protect the maximum amount of your property.
Amounts verified June 2026 — Va. Code Title 34. Next CPI-U adjustment: April 1, 2027.
Your Henrico Bankruptcy Attorney — Serving the Richmond Region
No office visit required. Merna Law handles your Henrico bankruptcy entirely by phone and Zoom.
Henrico County Bankruptcy Lawyer — FAQ
Where are Henrico County bankruptcy cases filed?
In the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, EDVA Richmond Division, 701 East Broad Street, Richmond. The 341 meeting of creditors is held by phone or video, so most Henrico County filers never appear in person.
How do I choose the right Henrico County bankruptcy lawyer?
Look for a firm that practices almost exclusively bankruptcy in the EDVA, offers a free consultation, and is upfront about fees. Merna Law — voted Best Law Firm by Virginian-Pilot readers — handles every Henrico County case remotely by phone and Zoom.
My income is above the Virginia median — can I still file Chapter 7?
Often yes. Qualifying turns on the full means-test expense analysis, not gross income, and Merna Law regularly qualifies higher-income Henrico County filers other firms turn away.
More questions — cost, payment plans, and what bankruptcy can stop — are answered on our Virginia bankruptcy FAQs page, or call 1-800-662-8813 for a free consultation.
Bankruptcy in Henrico County — Local Context
Henrico wraps around Richmond to the north, east, and west, and its bankruptcy cases are filed in the EDVA Richmond Division at 701 East Broad Street, just over the city line. Merna Law files electronically and holds the 341 meeting by phone or Zoom, so Henrico residents handle the whole process from home.
Henrico is two very different counties in one. The West End — Short Pump, Tuckahoe, Innsbrook, and the West Creek corporate park — is white-collar and corporate, home to employers like Capital One and Markel and to higher-value mortgages. When a professional household here loses an income or a bonus, the debt at risk is large and Chapter 13’s ability to protect a home and reorganize becomes central. The East End — Highland Springs, Sandston, Varina, and the Glen Allen and Lakeside corridors — is more working-class, where Chapter 7’s fast discharge of medical bills, credit cards, and auto deficiencies is often the better fit.
Across both ends, the surprise for many Henrico filers is how much they keep: Virginia protects retirement accounts in full plus substantial home and vehicle equity. Whether you are in Short Pump or Sandston, a free consultation with a Henrico bankruptcy lawyer will show you which chapter protects the most of what you’ve built.
Henrico Bankruptcy — Explore Your Options
Chapter 7 in Henrico
Wipe out qualifying credit-card debt, medical bills, and personal loans — often in about 90 days.
Chapter 13 in Henrico
Stop foreclosure and reorganize debt into one affordable plan while keeping your home or car.
Cost of Bankruptcy in Henrico
Flat attorney fees, court costs, and affordable payment options explained.
Henrico Foreclosure Defense
Stop a scheduled foreclosure sale and catch up on past-due mortgage payments.
Nearby Virginia Bankruptcy Resources
See our Henrico Bankruptcy (Overview) page, or our bankruptcy attorney pages for Richmond, Chesterfield, and Hanover. For statewide information, visit our Online Bankruptcy Virginia page.
