Board Certified Consumer Bankruptcy Attorney serving Hillsborough, Pasco and Polk County, Florida for over 25 years!
Michael Barnett is a bankruptcy lawyer representing consumers and small businesses in Chapter 7, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, and Chapter 13 bankruptcy cases in west central Florida.
Mr. Barnett is board certified by the American Board of Certification in consumer bankruptcy law, and has been board certified since January 1993. While the main office is in Tampa, appointments are also available in Dade City.
Mr. Barnett has achieved the AV Preeminent rating by the premier lawyer rating organization, Martindale-Hubbell. Only about 10% of attorneys achieve this rating.
AV® , AV Preeminent® , Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished℠ and Martindale-Hubbell Notable℠ are Certification Marks used under license in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell® certification procedures, standards and policies. www.martindale.com/ratings
There is no charge for initial consultations regarding the filing of a bankruptcy case for the client.
Latest Bankruptcy News & Thoughts
17May
Florida bankruptcy court denies request to dismiss chapter 7 for bad faith under §707(b)(3) totality of the circumstances
In a case that the US Trustee’s office alleged expenses were overstated on schedule J, and that schedule I should have included a draw from his business for cancer treatment as a special circumstance rather...
18Apr
Should violation of a noncompete agreement lead to a debt that cannot be discharged
Judge Williamson recently denied summary judgment ruling that damages from an intentional violation of a noncompete agreement could still be discharged in a chapter 7 bankruptcy. In Edwards Moving & Rigging, Inc. v. Jenkins (In...
4Jan
Texas bankruptcy court requires amendment of ‘shotgun pleading’ complaint
In Chowdary v. Ozcelebi (In re Ozcelebi), 2021 Bankr. LEXIS 3541, Case no 10-70295, Adv. no 21-7001 (Bankr. S.D. Tex. 29 December 2021) the Court ruled on a motion to dismiss a dischargeability complaint for violations...
Reviews
Michael is very knowledgeable and straight forward. He answered questions I did not ask, which was very comforting to me, since prior coming to him, I had sought the legal counsel of a highly advertised law firm in Tampa. What I received was impersonal treatment and cookie-cutter answers. I was surprised to be provided detailed answers to questions I did not ask, and realized that this attorney is the right attorney. I highly recommend him to anyone seeking legal counsel in his field.
Mr. Barnett is an excellent attorney - he provided support when my case became complicated and I was nervous. He is extremely educated and knowledgeable in the field of bankruptcy law. Mr. Barnett is also highly responsive and often times responded on weekends. I highly recommend him and his firm to anyone in financial trouble.
My Husband and I had a great experience with using this law firm/ michael Barnett was very helpful, and helped us keep our home. He was there for any questions, concerns, and made sure he took care of us. I would suggest if you need help and want to work on starting over. He will fight for you through the whole process .