Tampa · Serving every county in Florida
Debt brought you here. We can get you out.
For clients who qualify, you won’t pay attorney’s fees until your case is filed.
Debt Relief Legal Group fights for Florida families drowning in debt. Bankruptcy is a legal tool, not a moral failure — and one free, confidential conversation will tell you where you stand.
What we put a stop to
- Harassing calls
- Lawsuits
- Garnishments
- Frozen bank accounts
- Foreclosures
Free confidential consultationSe habla españolFlorida Bar No. 58250
What our clients say about working with us
In their words — real Florida families we've helped get a fresh start.
Reviews published on our Google Business Profile, reproduced as written. Each reflects one person's experience.
What would convince you to trust a bankruptcy lawyer?
Lawyers say a lot of things. Every firm promises to fight for you like family. We understand that when you're this stressed, figuring out who to believe is one more burden you don't need. So we'd rather show you than tell you.
They were where you are.
Scared, embarrassed, and out of options — until they called. Read their words above. We didn't write them. They did.
In debt discharged in 2025 alone.
That's not a career total — that's one year. Add more than 50,000 bankruptcy cases filed since 1994, and you're looking at a firm that does this every single day.
Every case is different and a prospective client may not obtain the same or similar results.
Of legal experience — including landmark cases.
Our work includes In re White, a landmark Middle District of Florida decision that strengthened every Florida debtor's power to fight back against unscrupulous creditors.
Top five reasons to choose Debt Relief Legal Group
You will speak with an attorney — for free.
No call screeners, no runaround. Your situation will be reviewed by a lawyer, and your free consultation is exactly that: free.
You are more than a case number to us.
We treat you with the same empathy and respect we’d want for our own family — because financial hardship can happen to anyone, and it says nothing about who you are.
We’re the home of the $0 Down Bankruptcy Program.
If you qualify, you pay no attorney fees up front to file your Chapter 7 bankruptcy — and we offer affordable payment plans built around real budgets. Because we know money is exactly the problem you’re trying to solve.
We return your calls and keep you informed.
You’ll always know where your case stands. Questions get answered — promptly, and in plain English, in English or Spanish.
We fight for our clients all the way to trial.
We are not a settlement mill. When creditors and banks break the law — harassment, illegal collection, wrongful foreclosure, stay violations — we sue them under the FDCPA and FCCPA. Our attorneys’ work includes landmark consumer-rights decisions.
Meet the attorneys in your corner.
Alan Borden
Owner / Attorney
Owner of the firm since 2015 and a member of The Florida Bar since 2008. He represents Florida families in Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy, student loan discharge, foreclosure defense, and claims against creditors who break the law.
Richard Feinberg
Of Counsel · Founder
The firm’s founder, now Of Counsel. He built the practice in Tampa over decades before handing the reins to Alan in 2015, and remains a mentor to the firm.
Here’s the short answer
Most people who file in Florida keep everything they own.
Florida’s exemptions protect your homestead, a vehicle, your retirement accounts and the ordinary contents of your home. The question is almost never “will I lose everything” — it’s which chapter fits your income and what you’re behind on.
There's more than one way out of debt. We know them all.
What we handle
Chapter 7 & Chapter 13 Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy isn't the end — for most of our clients it's the beginning. Chapter 7 wipes out most unsecured debt in a matter of months. Chapter 13 lets you keep your home and car with a repayment plan built around your actual budget. The day we file, the automatic stay stops foreclosures, garnishments, lawsuits, and collection calls — by federal law.
Foreclosure Defense
Behind on your mortgage? You have far more options — and more time — than the bank wants you to know. We defend Florida homeowners in foreclosure, negotiate loan modifications, and when needed, use Chapter 13 to stop a sale and give you time to catch up on your own terms. And when banks won't play fair, we fight all the way to trial.
Consumer Rights — We Sue Creditors Who Break the Law
Harassing calls at work? Threats? Collection on debts you don't owe? Creditors who violate the automatic stay? Federal and Florida law — the FDCPA and FCCPA — give you real power, including money damages. Our attorneys have fought creditors all the way to landmark decisions, including In re White in the Middle District of Florida.
Recent wins
Bankruptcy
Foreclosure Defense
Consumer Rights
Every case is different and a prospective client may not obtain the same or similar results.
Explore each area
The scariest part of bankruptcy is not knowing what happens next. So here's exactly what happens next.
Most of our clients have never been through this before. Walk through the steps below — you'll see it's a well-worn path, and you won't walk it alone.
We talk. You breathe.
A free, confidential conversation with an attorney — by phone, by video from anywhere in Florida, or in person at our Tampa office. Bring your worries, not paperwork. We'll listen to what's happening, answer your questions in plain English, and tell you honestly whether bankruptcy is even the right tool. Sometimes it isn't, and we'll say so.
Remember: your consultation is free, and you'll speak with a lawyer — not a call screener.
We build your plan together.
Chapter 7, Chapter 13, foreclosure defense, or an alternative like settlement or loan modification — we'll map out the path that fits your life, your income, and what you want to protect. You'll understand every choice before you make it.
Remember: it's your life and your decision. Our job is to make sure it's an informed one.
We gather the paperwork — with you, not on you.
Pay stubs, bank statements, bills, tax returns. Our team walks you through exactly what's needed and helps you pull it together. We prepare your petition carefully, because accuracy protects you.
Remember: you don't pay attorney fees until your case is filed.
We file — and federal protection begins that day.
The moment your case is filed, the automatic stay takes effect. Collection calls, foreclosure sales, garnishments, repossessions, lawsuits — stopped. Not after a hearing. That day. If a creditor keeps coming anyway, they're breaking the law, and we can make them answer for it.
Remember: this is the day the phone goes quiet. Most clients tell us they sleep that night for the first time in months.
The Meeting of Creditors — less scary than it sounds.
About a month after filing, you'll attend a short meeting (called a 341 meeting) where a trustee asks routine questions about your paperwork. It's usually over in minutes, creditors rarely even show up, and your attorney is right beside you the whole time.
Remember: we prepare you for every question beforehand. No surprises.
Discharge — your debts are legally wiped away.
In a Chapter 7, discharge typically comes just a few months after filing. In a Chapter 13, it comes at the end of your repayment plan. Either way, discharged debts are gone for good — creditors can never lawfully collect them again.
Remember: this is the fresh start the law promises. You've earned it.
Rebuild — we don't disappear after the discharge.
Our Credit Recovery Program and 5 Steps to Rebuild Your Credit help you climb back. Many of our clients are surprised how quickly life moves forward — some even buy homes again through our Home Buying Assistance Program.
Remember: bankruptcy isn't the end of your story. It's the chapter where things turn around.
What you keep
Filing does not mean losing everything you own.
This is the fear that stops people calling for years. Here is what Florida law actually protects.
Your home
Florida’s homestead exemption protects unlimited equity in your primary residence, subject to acreage limits and how long you have owned it.
Your car
A motor vehicle exemption applies, and it stacks with the personal property exemption when you do not claim homestead. Most people keep the car they drive to work.
Your retirement
401(k)s, IRAs and pensions are protected in full under federal and Florida law. Bankruptcy does not reach them.
Your job
It is against federal law for an employer to fire you because you filed for bankruptcy. Most employers never find out.
Exemption amounts and eligibility depend on your circumstances, including how long you have lived in Florida. This is general information, not advice about your case.
The attorney you’ll actually speak to
Alan Borden
Consumer Bankruptcy Attorney
- Admitted to The Florida Bar, 2008
- Bar No. 58250
- Juris Doctor, South Texas College of Law
Alan Borden is a consumer bankruptcy attorney and the owner of Debt Relief Legal Group in Tampa, Florida, admitted to The Florida Bar in 2008. He represents individuals and families in Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy, student loan discharge, foreclosure defense, and claims against creditors who violate the FDCPA, the FCCPA, and the automatic stay.
More about AlanWhat our clients say
We have a 4.8-star rating from more than 300 reviews on Google. Reviews live on our Google Business Profile rather than on this page, so you are reading them where they can’t be edited by us.
The questions everyone asks (usually at 2am)
Will I lose my house and everything I own?
What's the difference between Chapter 7 and Chapter 13?
Do the collection calls really stop?
How much does it cost? I'm broke — that's the whole problem.
Will bankruptcy ruin my credit forever?
Can bankruptcy help with student loans or tax debt?
Headquartered in Tampa. Serving every county in the great state of Florida.
Our main office is in Tampa — and thanks to fully virtual representation, our reach is the entire state. From Pensacola to Key West, wherever you live in Florida, we can help.
Can't make it to Tampa? You don't have to.
We are fully equipped to represent you virtually, from anywhere in Florida — free consultations by phone or video, documents reviewed and signed electronically, and your case handled start to finish without you ever stepping into our office, unless you want to. Wherever you live in Florida, we can help.
Get your free consultation
Don’t pay attorney fees until your case is filed.
You’ve carried this long enough. One free, confidential conversation with an attorney — no obligation, no judgment.
CALL A LAWYERFree confidential consultationHome of the $0 Down Bankruptcy ProgramSe habla español
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