Nashville households and small-business owners facing wage garnishment, foreclosure notices, or unmanageable medical and credit-card balances file their petitions in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Tennessee. The court hears Chapter 7 liquidation cases, Chapter 13 wage-earner repayment plans, and Chapter 11 business reorganizations under Title 11 of the United States Code. Choosing counsel who routinely appears before the Middle District trustees, who understands Tennessee’s homestead and personal-property exemptions under Tennessee Code Annotated Title 26 Chapter 2, and who can move a means-test or 341 meeting through standard timelines is a significant decision for any debtor weighing a fresh start.
The three firms profiled below practice consumer and business bankruptcy in Nashville. Each entry summarizes founding year, attorney credentials, court admissions, and core practice scope drawn from public firm pages and recognized directories. Listings appear in alphabetical order and reflect publicly available information at the time of writing.
Quick Comparison #
| Firm | Credentials | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Flexer Law | Established 1981, Middle District of Tennessee Bankruptcy Court appearances, collective attorney experience exceeding 100 years across Nashville, Murfreesboro, and Columbia offices. | Chapter 7 liquidation cases and Chapter 13 wage-earner plans, means-test work, schedules of assets and liabilities, 341 meeting of creditors, emergency filings invoking the automatic stay of 11 USC Section 362 to halt foreclosure, repossession, and wage garnishment. |
| Lefkovitz & Lefkovitz | Third-generation Tennessee bankruptcy firm with more than 35 years of practice, Super Lawyers recognition for bankruptcy on the lead, Middle, Eastern, and Western District of Tennessee representation. | Chapter 7 discharge cases, Chapter 13 repayment plans including mortgage arrears and IRS tax debt, Chapter 11 reorganization for small and mid-sized companies, Subchapter V small-business cases, Chapter 12 family-farmer and fisherman filings. |
| Rothschild & Ausbrooks, PLLC | American Board of Certification Consumer Bankruptcy Specialist credential, NACBA Distinguished Service Award 2014, Mid-South Super Lawyers selection 2014, 2019, and 2020. | Chapter 7 liquidation, Chapter 13 wage-earner plans, foreclosure-prevention filings invoking 11 USC Section 362, wage-garnishment relief, debt-negotiation alternatives, application of Tennessee exemptions under TCA Title 26 Chapter 2. |
1. Flexer Law #
Established in 1981, Flexer Law has served Middle Tennessee debtors for more than four decades from offices in Nashville, Murfreesboro, and Columbia. The Nashville location sits at 1900 Church Street, Suite 400, a short walk from the federal courthouse where Middle District bankruptcy matters are heard. The practice reports collective attorney experience exceeding 100 years and, according to PACER filing records cited on the firm site, has filed more than 30,000 bankruptcy petitions in the Middle District of Tennessee.
Consumer and Wage-Earner Filings #
Day-to-day work at the firm centers on Chapter 7 liquidation cases and Chapter 13 wage-earner plans. Chapter 7 representation covers the means test, completion of the schedules of assets and liabilities, the 341 meeting of creditors, and the discharge order that typically issues within three to six months of filing. Chapter 13 representation covers preparation of the three- to five-year repayment plan, valuation disputes, and confirmation hearings before the standing Chapter 13 trustee. The office also handles emergency filings that invoke the automatic stay of 11 USC Section 362 to halt foreclosure sales, repossessions, and wage garnishments.
Free Consultation and Adjacent Services #
The practice offers a no-charge initial consultation for bankruptcy matters and accepts cases by phone at (615) 805-6374 or through an online intake form. Beyond debt relief, attorneys at the office also handle family law, criminal defense, workers’ compensation, and personal injury, allowing one point of contact for households working through overlapping legal issues alongside a bankruptcy filing.
2. Lefkovitz & Lefkovitz #
Lefkovitz & Lefkovitz is a third-generation Nashville bankruptcy firm with more than 35 years of bankruptcy practice in Tennessee. The Nashville office is located at 908 Harpeth Valley Place, and the practice maintains a secondary presence in Cookeville to serve the Upper Cumberland region. Attorneys Jay R. Lefkovitz and Stephen Lefkovitz lead the bankruptcy group and have represented corporate and consumer debtors throughout the Middle, Eastern, and Western Districts of Tennessee.
Full-Chapter Bankruptcy Practice #
The group is one of the few Nashville offices that handles the full range of consumer and business chapters. Consumer work spans Chapter 7 discharge cases and Chapter 13 repayment plans, including matters involving mortgage arrears, IRS tax debt, and prior dismissed filings. The business side covers Chapter 11 reorganization for small and mid-sized companies, Chapter 11 Subchapter V small-business cases, and Chapter 12 family-farmer and fisherman filings. Jay R. Lefkovitz is recognized in the Super Lawyers directory for bankruptcy, and the practice notes a long record on Chapter 11 cases that involve plan confirmation contests and adversary litigation.
Court Footprint and Contact #
The Nashville office accepts new bankruptcy matters at (615) 686-2279, and the Cookeville office answers at (931) 400-2218. Attorneys appear regularly before the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, where 341 meetings, confirmation hearings, and motions for relief from the automatic stay are heard. The practice describes its consultation as available to prospective clients evaluating a filing.
3. Rothschild & Ausbrooks, PLLC #
Mary Beth Ausbrooks has practiced consumer bankruptcy law in Middle Tennessee since 1996 and serves as attorney-owner of Rothschild & Ausbrooks, PLLC since 2008. The office is located at 110 Glancy Street, Suite 109, Goodlettsville, Tennessee 37072, and serves Davidson, Sumner, Wilson, and surrounding counties within the Middle District of Tennessee. The group also includes associate attorney Lauren Pritchett, who earned her Juris Doctor from the Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law in 2024.
Board-Certified Consumer Bankruptcy Focus #
Mary Beth Ausbrooks holds American Board of Certification credentials as a Certified Consumer Bankruptcy Specialist, a designation she earned in 2007 and that is accredited by the American Bar Association. She received the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys Distinguished Service Award in 2014 and has been recognized as a Mid-South Super Lawyer in 2014, 2019, and 2020. The Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education and Specialization recognizes Consumer Bankruptcy as a certified specialty in the state, and Ausbrooks is among the small group of Tennessee attorneys holding that certification.
Consumer Filings and Free Consultation #
Practice scope is focused on consumer matters: Chapter 7 liquidation, Chapter 13 wage-earner plans, foreclosure-prevention filings invoking 11 USC Section 362, wage-garnishment relief, and debt-negotiation alternatives where a filing is not the right fit. Tennessee exemptions under Tennessee Code Annotated Title 26 Chapter 2, including the personal-property exemption and the age- and household-adjusted homestead exemption, are applied to each schedule of assets. The office offers a no-charge initial consultation and can be reached at (615) 242-3996.
Selection Methodology #
Consumer and commercial bankruptcy practice in Davidson County runs through the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, so the filter for the three firms above started at the Middle District attorney admission list rather than the state bar register alone. Each lead attorney holds active Middle District of Tennessee bar admission, lists practice volume across Chapter 7 liquidation, Chapter 13 reorganization, and (where claimed) Chapter 11 small-business cases, holds American Bankruptcy Institute or National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys membership, publishes filing-fee transparency and trustee-meeting preparation detail, and works from a Davidson County office address matching the BPR profile. Document-prep services running without an admitted attorney and out-of-state filing mills were excluded.
Reference Notes #
- The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Tennessee hears Chapter 7, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, and Chapter 13 cases filed by debtors residing in or doing business across the district. Court rules, judges’ standing orders, and trustee panels are published on the court’s official website.
- Chapter 7 of Title 11 of the United States Code provides for liquidation of non-exempt assets and discharge of qualifying unsecured debt. Individual debtors must complete the means test under 11 USC Section 707(b), attend the 341 meeting of creditors, and complete two pre- and post-filing credit-counseling courses.
- Chapter 13 of Title 11 of the United States Code provides for repayment of debt under a court-approved plan lasting three to five years for individual debtors with regular income who fall within statutory debt limits. Plan confirmation is governed by 11 USC Section 1325.
- Chapter 11 of Title 11 of the United States Code provides for reorganization of business debt, with Subchapter V offering a streamlined track for qualifying small-business debtors under the Small Business Reorganization Act of 2019.
- 11 USC Section 362 imposes an automatic stay upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition, halting most collection activity, including foreclosure sales, repossessions, and wage garnishments, subject to statutory exceptions and motions for relief from stay.
- Tennessee Code Annotated Title 26 Chapter 2 governs property exempt from execution. Effective January 1, 2022 (2021 Tennessee Acts, Chapter 301), the basic homestead exemption under TCA 26-2-301 is $35,000 for an individual and an aggregate $52,500 for jointly owned principal residences, with higher amounts for certain qualifying filers. A personal-property exemption of $10,000 is available to each debtor.
- The American Board of Certification offers a Board Certified Consumer Bankruptcy Attorney credential. The Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education and Specialization recognizes Consumer Bankruptcy as a certified specialty.
- The National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys publishes standards and continuing-education programs for attorneys representing consumer debtors. The American Bankruptcy Institute is a multi-disciplinary, non-partisan organization devoted to research and education on insolvency.
- Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct 7.1 and 7.2 govern lawyer communications regarding services. This article is informational and does not constitute legal advice or solicitation; results vary by case, and selecting a lawyer is an important decision that should not be based solely on advertisements.
Frequently Asked Questions #
Q: Is the initial consultation free or paid?
A: Some Nashville firms offer a complimentary initial consultation for a defined practice area, others charge a flat or hourly intake fee that may or may not credit toward the engagement if the matter proceeds. Confirm the consultation fee structure in writing before booking, and ask whether the conversation is privileged regardless of whether the firm is retained.
Q: How does the firm structure fees: hourly, flat, or contingency?
A: Fee structure depends on the matter type. Litigation and complex matters are often hourly with a retainer trust deposit; transactional and certain defined-scope matters may be flat fee; plaintiff personal injury, workers compensation, and similar matters are commonly contingency with a stated percentage. Request the full fee structure and expense pass-through policy in writing before signing the engagement letter.
Q: Are any of the three firms paid placements?
A: No. The three profiles above are editorial selections drawn from publicly verifiable sources. No firm sponsored placement.
Q: What is the typical case or matter timeline for this practice area?
A: Timelines vary widely by court docket, opposing counsel responsiveness, discovery scope, and settlement posture. Ask the firm for a written timeline estimate broken into typical phases (intake, investigation, pleadings, discovery, resolution) and the lawyer’s communication expectations at each phase. Davidson County and federal Middle District calendars also affect timing.
Editorial Note #
This guide was published on 2026-05-11 and reflects research current as of that date. Verify licenses, phone numbers, and current business status before engaging any firm.