A college education should increase a person’s earning capacity over a lifetime.  Unfortunately, many graduates are finding that the value of their education is outweighed by heavy student-loan debt. This may be the reason that the delinquency rate on student loans has surpassed that of other types of consumer loans, such as credit cards and car loans. To find out if Bankruptcy is an alternative for relief from student loans read the full article by Attorney L.  Alexandra Hogan. Click here for article.

Alexandra Hogan presented the New Foreclosure Law presentation at the 11th Annual Western Massachusetts Bankruptcy Conference.

Steven Weiss speaks about personal bankruptcy.  To read more about the article Click Here.

Michele Feinstein will be volunteering to answer phone calls from the public during a program in partnership with the Massachusetts Bar Association (MBA) and WGGB, Channel 40. This will be a free legal help call-in program that will be held from 5:00 – 7:00 pm. While a guest attorney is interviewed during the newscast, MBA attorney volunteers will take calls from the general public and answer basic legal questions– similar to the MBA’s Western Mass Dial-A-Lawyer program — on WGGB’s phone lines.

James Sheils was recently awarded the first John Auchter Award from Goodwill Industries for his more than three decades of service to the non-profit organization.  Read more on this article from the Reminder in East Longmeadow.

Business West published an article written by Attorney Ann Weber entitled “Do Well by Doing Good” on December 17, 2012,  where she discusses structuring gifts, through charitable remainder trusts or annuities, as a way to reduce taxes.

The husband-and-wife team of Gary Fentin, partner at Shatz, Schwartz & Fentin and Susan  Fentin, partner at Skoler, Abbott & Presser, raised more than $20,000 for the 33rd annual Pan-Mass Challenge benefiting cancer research and treatment at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. See the article on MassLive.

James Sheils has received the first John Auchter Award from Goodwill Industries of the Pioneer Valley for his more than three decades of service to the non-profit organization.

Alexandra Hogan was named to the board of the New England network of the International Women’s Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation (IWIRC) demonstrates.