Szabo Law Group is a Fort Lauderdale bankruptcy and immigration law firm at 1401 Sawgrass Corporate Parkway. We file Chapter 7, 11 and 13 cases in the Fort Lauderdale Division of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, defend foreclosures and garnishments across Broward County, and handle family, employment and investor immigration matters. Consultations are available in English and Hungarian.
Fort Lauderdale Office
1401 Sawgrass Corporate Parkway
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33323
Areas We Serve
Fort Lauderdale, Sunrise, Plantation, Weston, Coral Springs, Tamarac, Lauderhill, Pompano Beach and all of Broward County
Bankruptcy Attorneys in Fort Lauderdale
If you live in Broward County, your bankruptcy case is filed in the Fort Lauderdale Division of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida, at the United States Courthouse, 299 East Broward Boulevard. That division covers Fort Lauderdale, Sunrise, Plantation, Weston, Coral Springs, Pompano Beach, Pembroke Pines, Hollywood and roughly two dozen other Broward municipalities. Our office sits a short drive west of the courthouse, in the Sawgrass corporate corridor.
One practical detail worth knowing before you file: your 341 meeting of creditors is conducted by Zoom, not in a courtroom. Since October 2023 the U.S. Trustee Program has held these meetings virtually, which means you will need a device with a working camera and microphone, and valid photo identification and proof of your Social Security number ready on screen. We walk every client through that appearance in advance so there are no surprises.
Which chapter fits your situation
Chapter 7
A liquidation case that discharges most unsecured debt in roughly four to six months. Eligibility depends on the means test, which compares your household income to the Florida median.
Chapter 13
A three- to five-year repayment plan. This is the route that lets homeowners cure a mortgage arrearage and stop a Broward County foreclosure sale.
Chapter 11 / Subchapter V
Reorganization for businesses and higher-debt individuals, including the streamlined small business track that has become common for Broward contractors, restaurants and marine services companies.
What Florida law protects
Florida is one of the most debtor-friendly states in the country when it comes to exemptions. The homestead exemption protects unlimited equity in your primary residence, subject to acreage limits and a federal look-back period for people who recently moved to Florida. Florida Statutes § 222.25 exempts $1,000 of equity in a motor vehicle and $1,000 of personal property, with a $4,000 wildcard exemption available if you do not claim the homestead. Under § 222.11, the wages of a head of family are broadly protected from garnishment. Applying these correctly to your particular assets is the single most valuable thing an attorney does in a consumer case.
Foreclosure, Garnishment and Repossession Defense in Broward County
Florida is a judicial foreclosure state. Your lender must sue you in the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit in Fort Lauderdale, and you generally have 20 days from service to file a response. Missing that deadline is how most foreclosure judgments are entered — by default, without anyone ever examining whether the lender can prove standing, notice or the accounting behind the payoff figure.
We defend the case on its merits, negotiate loan modifications and short sales, and where it makes sense, use a Chapter 13 filing to stop a scheduled sale and spread the arrearage over a plan. The same applies to wage garnishments and vehicle repossessions: the automatic stay that arises the moment a bankruptcy petition is filed halts collection activity immediately.
Immigration Attorneys in Fort Lauderdale
Broward County is one of the most internationally diverse counties in Florida, and the immigration work that comes through our Fort Lauderdale office reflects that. Applicants in this area are generally scheduled at the USCIS Oakland Park Field Office for naturalization and adjustment-of-status interviews, while removal cases are heard at the Miami Immigration Court.
Family-based cases
Spouse and relative petitions, adjustment of status, consular processing, and removal of conditions on a two-year green card.
Business and investor visas
L-1 transfers for companies opening a U.S. presence, E-2 treaty investor visas, and EB-5 and employment-based green cards.
Citizenship
Naturalization applications, eligibility review where there is a criminal record or long absences abroad, and interview preparation.
Criminal defense of immigrants
Assessing and limiting the immigration consequences of an arrest or plea — an area where general criminal counsel often cannot advise safely.
Fort Lauderdale’s economy — marine and yachting services, hospitality, aviation, healthcare and construction — runs on foreign-national talent and foreign-owned small businesses. That overlap is also why bankruptcy and immigration sit under one roof here: a financial problem can carry immigration consequences, and an immigration filing can be complicated by an unresolved debt or judgment. Handling both in one office means nothing falls between the two.
Why Clients Choose Szabo Law Group
- Both practice areas, one firm. Debt relief and immigration are handled together, so a Chapter 7 filing is reviewed for its effect on a pending petition before anything is filed.
- Bilingual representation. Aron T. Szabo is a native Hungarian speaker admitted in Florida and the District of Columbia, with earlier experience at an international firm in Budapest and postgraduate study at the University of Oxford.
- A long client record. The firm has been reviewed more than 45 times by clients on Avvo with an average of 4.8 out of 5.
- Four Florida offices. Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Orlando and Jacksonville, so representation continues if you move within the state.
Talk to a Fort Lauderdale attorney about your options.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where will my Fort Lauderdale bankruptcy case be filed?
In the Fort Lauderdale Division of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida, at 299 East Broward Boulevard. The division serves Broward County residents and businesses.
Do I have to appear in court in person?
In most consumer cases, no. The 341 meeting of creditors is held by Zoom, and the majority of Chapter 7 debtors never appear before a judge. Contested matters are the exception.
Can filing bankruptcy affect my immigration status?
Filing bankruptcy is not a crime and is not, by itself, a ground of inadmissibility or removal. It can, however, intersect with public-charge analysis, financial sponsorship obligations under an Affidavit of Support, and naturalization’s good-moral-character review. Those interactions should be reviewed before you file, not after.
Will I lose my house or my car?
Most Broward clients keep both. Florida’s homestead exemption protects home equity without a dollar cap, subject to acreage and residency-period rules, and vehicles are usually retained by staying current on the loan or reaffirming it. The answer depends on your equity, your loan status and which chapter you file.
How quickly can you stop a foreclosure sale date?
A bankruptcy petition triggers the automatic stay the moment it is filed, which stops a scheduled sale. It is far better to call weeks before the sale date than the day before, because a rushed filing limits your options.
Our other Florida offices:
This page is general legal information about practice in Broward County and does not create an attorney–client relationship or constitute legal advice for your situation. Court divisions, procedures and statutory exemption amounts change; verify current details with counsel. We are a debt relief agency. We help people file for bankruptcy relief under the Bankruptcy Code.