Richard E. West

 

 

Rick West – Miami Valley’s trusted Debt Relief Specialist for over 25 years.

Rick West is not your typical lawyer. He knows what it’s like to be in debt, hounded by his creditors and sued for bills he could not pay. Although he always helped consumers with difficult debt problems since he started practice in 1986, he had a horrible accident in 1993 and broke his back after falling off of his rooftop. He could not work for months, and had to close his law practice while, literally, he “got back on his feet.”

As a result, he had to live on credit cards, pay his mortgage and feed his family with borrowed money. He was unable to pay his bills and – eventually – got sued by attorneys he knew.  They would not work with him.  They did not care about him, or his family. They wanted money he could not pay.  It was devastating.

In time, Rick did get back on his feet, and was able to pay the creditors.  But the experience changed him forever and he vowed to devote the rest of his professional life to helping good, hard-working people who, through no fault of theirs, could not pay their bills.

He closed his general practice, and began to specialize in debt relief.  He became one of only a handful of attorneys in Ohio who are board certified in consumer bankruptcy, and he is also a certified consumer credit counselor as well as an accredited debt arbitrator and debt workout specialist, certified by the IAPDA.  He is the only attorney in Ohio to hold all of these certifications. He has lectured widely to attorneys across Ohio on bankruptcy law, and has appeared on numerous television programs as a bankruptcy specialist.

Rick understands the importance of credit.  His firm is the only firm in Ohio to offer – to all clients – a unique 3-Step Plan for total financial recovery.  He combines his expertise as a consumer credit counselor with his extensive bankruptcy experience to help his clients get out of debt, rebuild their credit, and – after the bankruptcy is over – Rick’s firm continues to help his clients to ensure that their credit report is accurate.

Because he is also licensed to practice before the United States Tax Court, Rick can also help with consumer tax debt problems, including the “pennies on the dollar” offer-in-compromise program.

Since 1986, over Ten Thousand Miami Valley consumers have trusted Rick to turn their finances around and help them get  a true “fresh start” – including restored credit.

Dustin R. Hurley

Dustin earned his undergraduate degree from Miami University’s Farmer School of Business. He then earned his Juris Doctor degree from University of Dayton School of Law. Following law school, Dustin served as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for Montgomery County. He later began practicing with Richard West, Dustin’s step-father. He is currently a partner at West, Hurley & Malkiewicz and limits his practice to consumer bankruptcy law.

Dustin has lectured on bankruptcy law topics at attorney seminars in Dayton and Cincinnati. He is also a volunteer for the Greater Dayton Volunteer Lawyer’s Project, where he represents low income clients pro bono (for free).

Dustin is admitted to the Ohio Supreme Court and United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. He is a member of the American Bankruptcy Law Forum, the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys, and the Ohio, Dayton, and Cincinnati Bar Associations.

 

 

 

William Matthew Tinch:

“Matt” earned his undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of Cincinnati’s McMicken College of Arts & Sciences.  He went on to earn his Juris Doctor degree from the Liberty University School of Law.

While at the Liberty University School of Law, Matt served as Chairman of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Board, Associate Justice of the Student Bar Association’s Supreme Court, and co-founded the Liberty Legal Journal where he served as Faculty Works Editor.

Before coming to West & Hurley, Matt worked with Advance Auto Parts General Counsel’s Office in Roanoke, VA, redrafting the company’s proxy statement to be in compliance with the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, Section 951 shareholder “say-on-pay,” and Section 1502 “conflict mineral” reporting requirements.  He also worked with Liberty University’s General Counsel’s Office in Lynchburg, VA, on a historic $120 million municipal revenue bond agreement with Morgan Stanley.  Matt was also honored to clerk for the Honorable Rupert E. Ruppert at the Franklin Municipal Court.

Matt is admitted to the Ohio Supreme Court and the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One Response to “About Us”

1. Anonymous says:

   August 14, 2010 at 1:59 pm

   I am considering making an appointment for bankruptcy protection but a friend told me about a program that makes you “judgement proof” if your only income is social security. I’m not sure if I can qualify for that because my husband is still working. (The credit cards I have are all in my name).

   If I would qualify for this could your company handle this for me?

   Sincerely, (name removed by Rick West)

   ———————————————
   Great Question.

   There is no such program. But, often folks who have only social security income are judgement-proof, and I frequently tell them they need not file, since creditors cannot garnish social security income.

   But, this does not mean that one has nothing to fear from creditors if their income is only social security. I frequently see retired people who have savings in the bank that could be taken by creditors, or houses paid off that could be lost to creditors, or vehicles that are paid for.

   Yes, creditors, even credit card creditors, can take your house and car if you don’t pay them.

   So, you see, just having social security income and not looking at other aspects of your situation could be a recipe for disaster.

   Always best to call us up and discuss these things. The call is free. You don’t even need to come to the office. We are happy to help you understand if you are judgement proof, – really – or not.