Virginia Beach Bankruptcy Lawyer — Chapter 7 & 13 | Merna Law
VIRGINIA BEACH BANKRUPTCY LAWYER — CHAPTER 7 & 13
Quick Answer
Merna Law is a Virginia Beach bankruptcy law firm serving clients throughout Hampton Roads and coastal Virginia, with cases filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of Virginia, Norfolk Division — 600 Granby Street, Norfolk, VA 23510. Voted Best Law Firm by readers of The Virginian-Pilot, Merna Law has helped thousands of Virginia Beach residents file Chapter 7 and Chapter 13, stop foreclosures, end garnishments, and prevent repossessions. Free phone consultation, affordable flat fees, and payment plans. Call 1-800-662-8813.
By John G. Merna, Esq. | Last Reviewed: June 2026 | The Merna Law Group, P.C.
Choosing the right Virginia Beach bankruptcy lawyer can shape the rest of your financial life. The attorneys at The Merna Law Group bring more than 30 years of combined bankruptcy experience, and founder John G. Merna, Esq. served as president of the Tidewater Bankruptcy Bar Association. Whether you are facing foreclosure, wage garnishment, repossession, or simply unmanageable debt, Merna Law handles your case from the first free consultation through your discharge — entirely by phone and Zoom, with no office visit required.
Why Virginia Beach Residents Choose Merna Law
Bankruptcy is a complicated process, and a case that is not handled properly can affect you for years. Here is what sets Merna Law apart for Virginia Beach filers.
AWARD-WINNING, EXPERIENCED REPRESENTATION
Voted Best Law Firm by readers of The Virginian-Pilot, with 30+ years of combined bankruptcy experience and a past president of the Tidewater Bankruptcy Bar Association. Thousands of Hampton Roads families helped.
CHAPTER 7 — INCLUDING HIGHER-INCOME QUALIFICATION
Chapter 7 eliminates credit cards, medical bills, and personal loans in as little as 90 days. Merna Law is especially experienced at helping higher-income filers qualify for Chapter 7 through the full means-test expense analysis — a result many firms cannot achieve.
CHAPTER 13 — SAVE YOUR HOME & STOP FORECLOSURE
Chapter 13 lets Virginia Beach homeowners catch up on mortgage arrears over 3–5 years while stopping foreclosure immediately. Merna Law prepares your plan, represents you at the confirmation hearing, and guides you to completion.
AUTOMATIC STAY — STOP COLLECTORS IMMEDIATELY
The moment your petition is filed, the automatic stay under 11 U.S.C. § 362 stops foreclosures, garnishments, bank levies, repossessions, and creditor calls — immediately, with no hearing required. Merna Law can file quickly when time is critical.
Talk to a Virginia Beach Bankruptcy Lawyer — Free
Free phone consultation — affordable flat fees and payment plans. No office visit required.
How Your Case Works With a Virginia Beach Bankruptcy Lawyer
Your Merna Law attorney runs your full means-test analysis first — the step that determines whether a higher income still qualifies for Chapter 7 — then files electronically with the EDVA Norfolk Division and represents you at the phone or Zoom 341 meeting. See our guide to filing bankruptcy without leaving home.
Virginia Bankruptcy Exemptions — What Virginia Beach Residents Keep
Virginia exemptions protect property you keep when filing bankruptcy. Virginia Beach 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.
Serving Virginia Beach & All of Coastal Virginia
No office visit required. Merna Law handles your Virginia Beach bankruptcy entirely by phone and Zoom.
Virginia Beach Bankruptcy Lawyer — FAQ
Where are Virginia Beach bankruptcy cases filed?
In the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, EDVA Norfolk Division, 600 Granby Street, Norfolk. The 341 meeting of creditors is held by phone or video, so most Virginia Beach filers never appear in person.
How do I choose the right Virginia Beach 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 Virginia Beach 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 Virginia Beach 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.
High-Income Chapter 7 in Virginia Beach — Local Context
Virginia Beach files its bankruptcy cases in the EDVA Norfolk Division at 600 Granby Street, and Merna Law handles the entire process remotely. But what sets a Virginia Beach case apart is often the income picture. Between senior military officers and chiefs at Oceana and Little Creek, defense and shipbuilding contractors, Town Center professionals, and dual-income households, a large share of Virginia Beach filers earn above Virginia’s median — and are told elsewhere they simply can’t file Chapter 7.
That is frequently wrong. Qualifying for Chapter 7 above the median turns on the full means-test expense analysis, not just gross income, and Virginia Beach households tend to carry exactly the deductible expenses — mortgages, vehicle payments, childcare, healthcare, and taxes — that bring the calculation back under the line. Merna Law has built its reputation in part on qualifying higher-income Virginia Beach clients for Chapter 7 when other firms turned them away.
When Chapter 7 truly isn’t available, a Chapter 13 plan can still discharge a large share of unsecured debt while protecting a home, retirement accounts, and vehicles. Either way, the first step is a free consultation in which a Virginia Beach bankruptcy lawyer runs your actual means test — at no cost and no obligation.
Nearby Virginia Bankruptcy Resources
Merna Law serves all of Hampton Roads and coastal Virginia. See our pages for Virginia Beach Bankruptcy (Overview), Norfolk Bankruptcy Attorney, Chesapeake Bankruptcy Attorney, and Suffolk Bankruptcy Attorney. For statewide information, visit our Online Bankruptcy Virginia page.
Virginia Beach Bankruptcy Lawyer Near Me
Is there a bankruptcy lawyer near me in Virginia Beach?
Yes. Merna Law serves Virginia Beach and the surrounding area — and you never have to come to an office. We handle your entire Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 case by phone, secure online portal, and Zoom, filed in the Norfolk Division of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. Bankruptcy lawyer near me →
Do I have to visit a Virginia Beach office to file bankruptcy?
No. Your free consultation, document signing, and the required 341 meeting of creditors are all handled remotely. You can file from home anywhere in Virginia Beach or nearby.
How much does it cost to talk to a Virginia Beach bankruptcy attorney near me?
Your initial consultation is free and confidential, with no obligation. Call 1-800-662-8813.