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Chapter 7 focuses on discharging qualifying unsecured debts such as credit cards, medical bills, and personal loans through a structured bankruptcy process.
Restructure debts while keeping your business operating. We provide strategic legal support for businesses and individuals filing Chapter 11.
Create a manageable repayment plan while protecting important assets. Our team helps you understand every step of your Chapter 13 case.
Business bankruptcy can provide options for restructuring debt, addressing creditor pressure, and deciding how to move forward with the company.
If unsecured debt is becoming hard to manage, we help you review settlement options and work toward more manageable repayment terms.
Filing for bankruptcy may trigger an automatic stay that temporarily stops collection actions, foreclosures, and wage garnishments.
Find out whether you qualify for Chapter 7 bankruptcy by reviewing your income and financial circumstances.
Chattanooga’s economy runs on a mix of manufacturing shifts, healthcare payrolls, and small business ownership; which means income can swing more than a national means-test average assumes. Understanding how your household income compares to the federal and local standard is the first step toward real protection, and most Hamilton County residents qualify for either Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 once that comparison is made.
Our firm walks you through the qualifying assessment that protects your paycheck and your home:
If your income or assets put you outside standard Chapter 7 limits, we build a Chapter 13 repayment strategy instead; one that still protects your primary residence and stops collection activity immediately.
Most of the unsecured debt weighing down Hamilton County households can be discharged under federal bankruptcy law, usually within three to six months and without touching a filer’s home or vehicle in most cases.
Debt our Chattanooga clients most often eliminate:
Tennessee’s bankruptcy exemptions can also protect specific property from creditor seizure. We identify exactly which exemptions apply to your situation and file the paperwork needed to stop repossession or garnishment before it drains another paycheck.
Chapter 11 allows a company to continue operating while it restructures secured and unsecured debt under court protection, buying time to renegotiate leases, vendor contracts, and loan terms.
For smaller Chattanooga operations, Subchapter V often moves faster and costs less than a traditional Chapter 11 filing, with a simplified path to a confirmed plan.
The Pope Firm works with Chattanooga business owners to evaluate whether reorganization, a negotiated wind-down, or another path best protects the business and its owners.
Bankruptcy cases from Hamilton County and nearby Bledsoe, Bradley, Marion, McMinn, Meigs, Polk, Rhea, and Sequatchie counties fall within the Southern Division of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee. The division’s clerk’s office is located at the Historic U.S. Courthouse, 31 East 11th Street, in downtown Chattanooga.
The Pope Firm can help you understand where your case is filed, what documents are required, and what to expect throughout the bankruptcy process.
Consultation & Preparation
Filing & Court Proceedings
Discharge or Repayment
Attorney at Law | The Pope Firm | Tennessee Bar No. 015617
Charles Parks Pope is a business restructuring and bankruptcy attorney with 30+ years of experience helping companies and individuals across East Tennessee navigate financial challenges — both in and out of the courtroom.
Mr. Pope founded The Pope Firm with a focus on practical, results-driven counsel for businesses facing insolvency, reorganization, or complex debt situations. He works closely with business owners to evaluate all available options — from out-of-court workouts and debt restructuring to formal Chapter 11 reorganization — with the goal of preserving value, protecting assets, and positioning clients for a sustainable financial future.
Mr. Pope earned his B.A. from Rhodes College, an M.B.A. from the University of Tennessee, and his J.D. from the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law at the University of Memphis. That combination of business training and legal experience helps him advise clients on the financial and strategic dimensions of restructuring — not just the legal ones.
Licensed in Tennessee since 1992, Mr. Pope also represents individual clients in Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 proceedings, creditor negotiations, and consumer debt relief matters. The Pope Firm maintains offices in Johnson City, Kingsport, and Elizabethton and is one of the largest bankruptcy filers in the Tri Cities.
Financial hardship is stressful. The legal process does not have to be. The Pope Firm offers a free consultation to help you understand where you stand, what your options are under Chattanooga bankruptcy law, and what filing could realistically do for your situation.
Call Charles Pope today at 423-929-7673 or reach out online to schedule your free consultation.
