2024 Update: Federal Guidance on Discharging Student Loans in Bankruptcy IS a Game Changer

The 2022 Justice Department and Department of Education collaboration introduced new bankruptcy guidelines, notably easing the "undue hardship" exception for discharging student loans, marking a departure from the stringent "Brunner Test" requirements. Here the Bransons give us a look at the progress being made in discharging student loans.

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Branson Law PLLC (Orlando, FL)

Tammy Branson is a senior paralegal at BransonLaw for over 25 years in Orlando. She has been a Certified Bankruptcy Assistant since 1995. She is a member of the Central Florida Bankruptcy Law Association and the Association of Bankruptcy Judicial Assistants. She has presented topics covering Chapter 13 issues and Mortgage Modifications to the Central Florida Bankruptcy Law Association Paralegal Subcommittee. She has worked on over 400 loan modifications through the Orlando Divisions Residential Mortgage Modification Program. She has led the charge for Mortgage Modification Mediation programs across the Country and has taught hundreds of attorneys in the process. In 2016 she was nominated by all three of the bankruptcy judges in the Orlando Division, Middle District of Florida for the Orange County Bar Association Paralegal Section, Paralegal of the Year Award, for which she won. She is the current Committee Chair for the Middle District of Florida Student Loan Program Committee.

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Branson Law PLLC (Orlando, FL)

Robert Bailey Branson is an attorney focusing on consumer bankruptcy for twenty five years in the Orlando area. He served proudly in the United States Army from 1978 to 1983. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Central Florida in 1985 and a Juris Doctorate from the University Of Florida College Of Law in 1988. He is a member of the Central Florida Bankruptcy Law Association and the former Chair of the Orange County Bankruptcy Committee. He is a current member of the Steering Committee for the Middle District of Florida Bankruptcy Court. He is a mediator with the United States Bankruptcy Court and as mediator has performed over 500 mortgage mediations. As Debtor Counsel he has completed over 300 mortgage modifications since the program’s inception. Mr. Branson participates and has established Mortgage Modification Education, a company dedicated to training attorneys and staff to perform effective loan modification mediations.

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