The word bankruptcy comes from “banca rotta,” the Italian term for “broken bench.” This came from olden times when merchants who went bankrupt had their benches broken so that they could no longer do business. In modern times, with our consumer credit culture, there has to be a way for people to get a fresh start, a clean slate, a new beginning to go on with their lives after a financial catastrophe. Perhaps you lost your job, you had a failed business, you went through a nasty divorce, or you or a loved one had a medical issue. Whatever got you here to this point, filing a bankruptcy may be a necessary thing to get your financial life back on track.