I'm a close friend of the senior who needs help. I help her with getting her to her appointments, etc. I recently took her to her bank, where she was told by the manager of the bank that she has a outstanding bill with them, and if it is not paid soon, they will garnish her disability check. Well I was livid, because my friend has slight dementia and she had know ideal what this young man was talking about. I then intervened and explained to this young man her condition which most of the staff of the bank were aware of, so his comment was in appropriate and if it were not for the fact that he was a transferred manager from another branch I would have had a mouth full for him, and beyond. However, I kept calm and explained to the manager that she is in the midst of filing for bankruptcy, please hold back with the threats so she can file. He agreed to hold off for now.
Garnishments don't happen overnight, but you certainly shouldn't wait to act on past due bills. There are many attorneys and legal clinics that would be happy to help. Contact the Florida Bar's lawyer referral service for help finding pro bono help; they can be reached at (800) 342-8011.
