Start with the real story
I want to understand what happened, what is urgent, and what a good outcome actually looks like.
Attorney / Founder
I wanted to practice law differently.
I’m Ben Heston, the founder of Nexus Bankruptcy. I have practiced bankruptcy law in Southern California for more than a decade, primarily representing individuals and families in Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 cases.
BHBENJAMIN HESTON
Why Nexus exists
Sophisticated advice. A personal practice.
I started Nexus Bankruptcy in 2022 because I wanted to build a practice where people could get sophisticated legal advice without feeling like they were being processed through a high-volume law firm.
Bankruptcy clients are often dealing with some combination of financial stress, embarrassment, fear, and uncertainty. My goal is to understand what is actually going on, explain the realistic options, and find the best path forward.
I grew up in Southern California and attended UC Irvine, where I earned my bachelor’s degree in 2009. I received my J.D. from Southwestern Law School in 2013 and was admitted to the California Bar in 2014. I am also admitted to practice before all four United States District Courts in California.
Since becoming an attorney, I have focused almost exclusively on bankruptcy law. Most of my work involves Chapter 7 and Chapter 13, but I also handle adversary proceedings, dischargeability disputes, trustee litigation, and bankruptcy appeals when a case becomes more complicated.
View California Bar profile ↗Why the personal model matters
★★★★★
“Throughout the whole process I was kept up to date on all the proceedings and felt I was important. This firm is anything but a "grindhouse." You'll find like I did, that even in the tough times there are still good people who will go the extra mile for their clients like Ben did for me.”
— Kevin M.
A personal practice, by design
If you hire me,
you are hiring me.
You will not be handed off to a revolving cast of attorneys who know your case from a set of notes. I take that responsibility seriously.
Explain realistic options
The recommendation, alternatives, risks, and tradeoffs should make sense before a decision is made.
Plan before filing
Income, property, transfers, liens, deadlines, and timing are reviewed before the case creates consequences.
Stay with the case
I try to give every client the representation I would want if I were sitting on the other side of the desk.
Experience when matters get complicated
Focused on bankruptcy from the beginning.
Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 cases for individuals and families across Southern California.
Adversary proceedings, dischargeability disputes, trustee litigation, contested matters, and bankruptcy appeals.
Bankruptcy lectures for the Peter M. Elliott Inn of Court, Riverside County Barristers Association, and San Bernardino County Bar Association.
Former Vice President of the Riverside County Barristers Association.
Volunteer bankruptcy services through the Public Law Center and Riverside Public Service Law Corporation, plus financial-management teaching at the California Institution for Men.
Service and family
The work is personal because life is personal.
Financial problems rarely fit into a neat stereotype. My clients include people who lost jobs, went through divorces, had businesses fail, faced medical problems, accumulated tax debt, got buried by credit cards, or simply reached a point where the numbers stopped working.
Bankruptcy exists for a reason. When it is the right solution, I believe people should be able to use it without being judged for needing it. That belief has shaped my work outside private practice, including volunteer bankruptcy services through the Public Law Center and Riverside Public Service Law Corporation. I also previously taught a personal financial management course to inmates at the California Institution for Men in Chino.
Outside the office, I’m a dad to two boys, Elijah and Ezra. Elijah is happiest when he is moving, competing, or making somebody laugh. Ezra is an artist who seems capable of turning just about anything into a drawing or a character. Being their dad is easily the most important thing I do.
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