A bankruptcy attorney in Santa Clarita is sharing four questions he recommends asking yourself before you buy something new, whether it be big or small.

Louis Esbin from the Law Offices of Louis J. Esbin in Valencia advises his clients — and the community at large — to consider if they truly like, want, need and can afford to make the purchase before they acquire something new.

“The first two are easy,” Esbin said. “‘Need’ and ‘afford’ require a lot more thought and a lot more self-evaluation.”

When contemplating “need,” Esbin says to consider if you already have a very similar item, even if it isn’t the latest model, or if you already have a high number of the same kind of item.

“You already have 35 pairs of shoes — do you need a 36th pair?” Esbin said. “When you go into the Apple store, do you need the latest iPhone, or is it just that you want it or that you convince yourself that you need it?”

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“Afford,” the last question, is usually the toughest one for most people to wrestle with, according to Esbin.

“Do you have life insurance? Do you have health insurance? Do you have six months of savings set aside? Have you done those things to plan for your future?” he said. “If you have not, honestly then, you cannot afford it.”

If you find yourself answering “no” to any of Esbin’s four questions, then he advises making the decision to walk away from the purchase.

“The first three aren’t that tough, but (it’s) the fourth question that requires you to step back and really think through where you’ve been, where you are and where you’re going,” Esbin said. “So I try to share that with as many clients as I can.”

Louis Esbin of the Law Offices of Louis J. Esbin is an attorney in Santa Clarita and Canyon Country, Valencia, Saugus, Stevenson Ranch, Newhall and Castaic neighborhoods who specializes in bankruptcy law, business law and consumer protection. The motto of his firm is, “When experience counts, count on experience,” and Esbin has been practicing law locally since 1993. His experience in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York also enables him to pledge to provide his clients with high quality, big-city legal services as a Santa Clarita attorney. In addition, the bankruptcy attorney in Santa Clarita is founding treasurer of the Santa Clarita Valley Bar Association, a founding member of the Central District Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys Association and a member of the Financial Lawyers Conference and California Bankruptcy Forum. Those searching for the best attorney in Santa Clarita or an “attorney near me,” can contact the Law Offices of Louis J. Esbin today for more information. 

The Law Offices of Louis J. Esbin

27451 Tourney Road, Suite 120

Valencia, CA 91355-6304

661-254-5050