Troubled U.S. economy tops list of general concerns while job loss or wage reduction hits individuals the hardest. A recent survey by Total Attorneys found that a large majority of people interested in filing for bankruptcy list the health of the U.S. economy and the survival of federal entitlement programs as top concerns, and more than half believe they are "worse off" or "significantly worse off" financially than they were a year ago.

According to the survey results released today by Total Attorneys, more than 45 percent of respondents said the U.S. economy, inflation and the stock market top their list of economic concerns. The next greatest concern to survey respondents was the survival of Social Security and Medicare at a little more than 25 percent, followed by "Job Creation" at about 22 percent.

In addition, almost a third of respondents said they were affected by a job loss or wage reduction, and nearly 60 percent said they were "worse off" or "significantly worse off" financially than they were a year ago. Approximately 80 percent of respondents said one or more family members or friends have considered bankruptcy as an option within the last year.

"The struggles people are facing are very real and very difficult," said Kevin Chern, Total Attorneys President. "In tough times, having proper and capable legal counsel to help overcome the challenges is an important option. We are committed to providing small law firms with the comprehensive back-office support that will allow them to effectively and compassionately serve clients facing life-altering issues such as bankruptcy, divorce, personal injury and criminal defense."

The unscientific survey was sent to more than 3,000 subscribers to the Total Attorneys Bankruptcy newsletter in November. Nearly six percent of all subscribers voluntarily responded to the e-mail survey. More than 580 subscribers opened and reviewed the survey, with 30 percent of them choosing to participate. Edmund Scanlan, the founder and CEO of Infra-Strategy, the parent company of Total Attorneys, called the survey "a unique perspective on the troubled economic times."