When people hear about bankruptcy, they often assume it is a bad idea, or something that should only be considered as an absolute last resort. The fact is, other options are often either unreasonable, or don’t actually work. For example, debt forgiveness plans and debt consolidation options sound great on the surface, but almost never work for real people. Just working hard and paying down your debt may be an option if you can significantly increase your earnings and avoid unexpected expenses, but since this isn’t a perfect world, it is unreasonable to think that is going to happen in many cases. Chapter 7 bankruptcy, however, is available to most people with financial troubles, and is a proven legal option that can wipe your slate clean so you can start over.