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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.
Shift schedules and overtime at Eastman Chemical and other Sullivan County plants can push income up one quarter and down the next, which is exactly the kind of fluctuation the bankruptcy means test is designed to account for. Before assuming you make too much to qualify, it’s worth having your actual numbers reviewed against the current standard; most Kingsport wage earners qualify for either Chapter 7 or Chapter 13.
Our firm walks Sullivan County families through the qualifying assessment that protects their income and assets:
If a layoff or reduced overtime has already put you outside typical Chapter 7 limits, a Chapter 13 plan can still stop collections immediately while protecting your home.
Chapter 7 clears unsecured debt outright in most cases, typically within three to six months, without touching a filer’s home or car equity.
Debt Kingsport clients most often eliminate:
We apply Tennessee’s exemption rules to keep protected property out of creditors’ reach and file the exact paperwork needed to stop garnishment or repossession before it takes another paycheck.
Small businesses across Eastman Chemical’s supply chain and Sullivan County’s shift-work economy can carry debt loads that hinder their growth. Chapter 11 allows a company to remain open and operating while restructuring its debts, rather than liquidating under creditor pressure.
Many Kingsport businesses qualify for Subchapter V, a version of Chapter 11 for small businesses that need a faster, less expensive path to reorganization and a long-term business plan.
The Pope Firm helps Kingsport business owners weigh reorganization against other options and choose the path that protects the business and their personal finances.
Bankruptcy cases from Sullivan County and the nearby counties of Hawkins, Washington, and Carter fall within the Northeastern Division of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee.
The division’s clerk’s office is located at the James H. Quillen U.S. Courthouse in Greeneville, the same court that handles filings for Kingsport, Johnson City, and the surrounding Tri-Cities area.
The Pope Firm can help you understand where your case is filed, what documents filers in Sullivan County typically need, and what to expect at each stage of the 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.
