There are a lot of financial stressors in life. In the blink of an eye you might lose your job, dissolve your marriage, suffer a costly injury, or be subject to the onset of a devastating illness. Any of these scenarios can be financially devastating, and it might force you to consider drastic measures, all out of fear of filing for bankruptcy. But bankruptcy is not your enemy. If you don’t believe us, then look more closely at some of your financial relief options. After all, the devil is in the details.

As an example, let’s look at payday loans. These short-term loans are meant to bridge the gap between the time when you find yourself with insufficient funds and when you receive your next paycheck. It sounds like a great service, right? It probably isn’t. These loans usually come with sky-high interest rates that can reach 400%. You might think that the short term of these loans reduces the risk, but the tragic reality is that many of the people who take out these loans can’t afford the interest, and they find themselves trapped in a spiral where they have to keep turning to payday loans just to get by.

As a result, what started out as a $200 loan can quickly wind up costing $1,000 or more. This can leave an individual struggling to decide which bills to pay. Far too often a payday loan or other unpaid debts are turned over to debt collectors who end up harassing individuals for payment. Property may end up repossessed and your credit destroyed while you continue to fight to find a way to crawl out of the hole.

But you can save yourself the stress and time of dealing with this process by simply choosing to pursue bankruptcy. Although personal bankruptcy has a lot of negative associations, it really shouldn’t. It is a very real way of obtaining debt relief and a fresh financial start. The process may be easier than you think, too. So, if you’re like the millions of Americans who are tired of scrambling to make ends meet, then it might be time for you to consider your legal options.