In the first quarter of 2010, the rate of personal bankruptcy filings in a dozen states increased by double-digit percentages over 2009's monthly averages. "What is surprising is that there are still hefty increases in states like Arizona, California and Florida," says AACER president Mike Bickford, referring to the fact that it might seem that the worst would be over in states hard-hit by the housing bubble. "Intuitively, you would think there might be some leveling off in these states, but that is not the case. In addition, there were large increases in bankruptcy filings in the Midwest, especially Michigan and Illinois."
But many law scholars are not surprised by Americans' mad rush to bankruptcy court. Adjusted for inflation, personal borrowing in the U.S. is 10 times greater than in 1960, according to the Federal Reserve. "Now, consumer credit has dried up," says law professor Robert Lawless,...
