TAMPA, Fla. — By the end of September, the United States saw nearly 384,000 bankruptcy filings, according to the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.
A 2019 study conducted by the Center for Economic Studies found veterans are more likely to file for bankruptcy. It said 14.7% of veterans file for chapter 7, and 15% file chapter 13, compared to 10.3% of the national population.
"You're used to being the solution. You're used to finding the solution for others, getting faced with a problem, finding a way to adjust, adapt and overcome. When you have now transitioned into civilian life, and you run into a problem, you don't have that same support structure that's already built in. It takes a toll," said Marine Corp Veteran Andrew Boutilier.
Andrew Boutilier knows firsthand just how difficult it is to leave active duty military service. Veterans often struggle to find available resources in the civilian world.
"If you don't know where to look, and you're not aware of some of the resources that are out there, that just compounds the problem. And I think that does have a lot to do with the 22 suicides every single day in the veteran community," he added. "In the civilian world, you run into financial problems, and you're not really taught necessarily the best practices."
Through the American Bar Association, the Legal Assistance for Military Personnel program refers active duty servicemembers to pro bono help.
Tampa attorney Steve Berman is working on giving veterans that same option.
"Asking for help is tough when they transition to civilian life. And so having a network letting them know that there are people who are willing to help, and having a system in place, I think, is going to be important to sort of bridge the gap," said Berman.
Working beside the American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI) Task Force on Veterans and Servicemembers Affairs and the Business Law Section of The Florida Bar are creating a pilot-program to link Veterans in need of insolvency legal representation to lawyers who can help address their financial issues in Florida.
"We just want to make sure that the resources are available and whatever needs are out there getting that," said Berman.
Before an official launch, they need more lawyers to sign up as volunteers. The database connects veterans looking for a financial attorney to volunteer attorneys in the three states with the most veterans: Florida, Texas, and California.
"Sometimes reaching out to an insolvency lawyer means someone has financial distress. Sometimes that's a need that can be solved with some counseling with some budgeting with some negotiation. There are lots of non bankruptcy options out there that bankruptcy lawyers employ as first steps. And so we want to make sure that we have enough lawyers," he said.
Any attorney interested in joining can find more information here or can call Steve Berman at (813)227-2332 to discuss the need and opportunities to serve. The plan is to roll out services as soon as a strong network of volunteers is assembled
It's what Boutilier saw as the ultimate 'Thank you for your service.'
"It's almost become just part of the American language. Like saying hello, you know, it's like, oh, 'thank you for your service.' But we have a lot of veterans. We identify when there's a little bit more behind that. And actions speak louder than words. And that's what we're accustomed to when we're in the military is your actions. So you don't say things that you don't intend to, to follow through on. So when we see things that are indicative of actually being thankful, actually helping the veteran community, it stands out. And so I think this is one of those things where there's actual teeth behind it," he said.
