A sad story recently appeared in the news about a Florida man on disability because of severe heart disease. He fell behind on his mortgage payments and was harassed by debt collectors so much that–according to his wife–his heart simply gave out. She is now suing the mortgage company for wrongful death. The trial is scheduled for January.

As may be expected, the mortgage company denied any responsibility, so it remains to be seen if the evidence in this personal injury case will hold up in court. But this disturbing incident reminds us in general of the financial and emotional toll of overdue mortgage payments. Foreclosures are still on the rise, and no consumer wants to wind up out on the street. But in this economy, many hardworking homeowners have found themselves boxed by too much debt and not enough income. One advantage of the individual bankruptcy in Wisconsin option is that immediately shuts down any foreclosure attempts by the bank. Depending upon the financial circumstances and other factors, either a Chapter 7 or a Chapter 13 bankruptcy in Milwaukee or elsewhere in the state might very well allow a debtor to hold on to the family home and other exempt property. Keep in mind that the bankruptcy laws of Wisconsin allow you to protect an array of certain assets from creditors, such as your home and car. In a Chapter 7 case, for example, consumers can usually get rid of all their unsecured debt while keeping their personal residence. But you need a skilled debt consolidation lawyer to help you work out a plan to stay current with your house payments and reaffirm your loan. If you are one of the many consumers facing Wisconsin bank foreclosures, contact a qualified, experienced attorney with your Wisconsin bankruptcy questions.