Meet Michelle Bass
Your Personal Bankruptcy Legal Advocate
Let Michelle and Team Work for You
Michele H. Bass - Consumer Bankruptcy Practice Lead
Michelle Bass leads the consumer bankruptcy practice at WBK Bankruptcy, powered by Wolfson Bolton Kochis PLLC, where she focuses on helping individuals regain financial stability through practical, compassionate legal guidance. A Board-Certified Consumer Bankruptcy Attorney, Michelle represents people facing foreclosure, wage garnishment, overwhelming debt, and other financial stress—guiding them through Chapter 7, Chapter 13, and Chapter 11 reorganization processes.
She has a strong record of success in stopping foreclosures, eliminating second mortgages, and restructuring loans, particularly for individuals looking to protect their homes and assets. Michelle also has significant experience in divorce-related bankruptcy cases and frequently speaks on how family law and bankruptcy intersect.
In addition to her work with individuals, Michelle represents small business owners and high-income earners navigating complex financial restructuring, including cases filed under Subchapter V of the Small Business Reorganization Act.
She has defended appeals in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan and the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, reinforcing her reputation as a trusted advocate at every level of bankruptcy litigation.
Michelle is actively involved in the legal community. She serves on the American Bankruptcy Institute’s 40 Under 40 Steering Committee and previously co-chaired the ABI’s Consumer Bankruptcy Committee. Locally, she has chaired the Oakland County Bar Association’s Debtor/Creditor Committee, co-chaired the MI-IWIRC Michigan Network, and continues to serve on the Western District Bankruptcy Seminar Planning Committee. She is a member of the Consumer Bankruptcy Association and the OCBA.
Outside of her practice, Michelle is passionate about community service. She serves on the Board of Trustees at Temple Israel and the Tamarak Camps Board of Directors. She has previously held leadership roles at JARC and Kadima.
She earned her J.D. from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law and her B.A. from the University of Michigan. Michelle is admitted to practice in Michigan, the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
If you’re facing financial stress, you’re not alone—and you don’t have to navigate it by yourself. Michelle and her team are here to listen, guide, and help you find a path forward. Fill out the form on the right to schedule your free consultation and see how Michelle can help you protect what matters most and start fresh with confidence.
- University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, J.D.
- University of Michigan, B.A.
- Undergraduate Thesis completed in Contemporary American History
- Michigan
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan
- U.S. Court Of Appeals 6th Circuit
- DBusiness Magazine’s Top Lawyers (2025); Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights Law
- The Best Lawyers in America (2010 – 2025); Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights
- Leading Lawyers (2023-2024)
- Michigan Super Lawyers Super Lawyer (2023-2024)
- Certified by the American Board of Certification in Consumer Bankruptcy Law, September 2021
- Michigan Lawyers Weekly – Women in the Law, 2019
- Michigan Super Lawyers Rising Stars (2014 – 2022)
- Crains 2021 Notable Women in the Law
- “Granting a Discharge to the Dishonest and Fortunate Debtor? Fraud, Fairness and Finality in Chapter 13”, American Bankruptcy Institute Journal, July 2022 and Best of ABI 2022: The Year in Consumer Bankruptcy
- “Dealing with Collections and Mounting Debts in Divorce Cases” ICLE’s Top Tips in Ten Minutes, ICLE 2021
- Co-Author of “Thorny Issues in Consumer Bankruptcy Cases,” Second Edition, American Bankruptcy Institute, Alexandria, VA, 2020
- “Uncodified Best Practices in the Digital Age: Expectations Regarding the Reasonable Use of Technology,” American Bankruptcy Institute Journal, October 2019
- “Fail to Make Direct Payments to Secured Creditors? No Discharge,” American Bankruptcy Institute Journal, May 2019
- “A Fresh Start With Flexibility,” American Bankruptcy Institute Journal, August 2018
- “Lien on Me”, Panelist, American Bankruptcy Institute’s Annual Spring Meeting, April 2025
- “Pre-Confirmation Chapter 13 Issues”, Panelist, Consumer Bankruptcy Association Detroit, November 2024
- “No Bankruptcy For You! Alternatives for Dealing with Student Loans”, Panelist, Federal Bar Associate for the Western District of Michigan’s 35th Annual Bankruptcy Section Seminar, July 29, 2023
- “Ethical Dilemmas in Consumer Practice and How to Handle Them: Where Do You Draw the Line?” American Bankruptcy Institute’s Winter Leadership Conference, December 2022
- “Put Up Your Dukes! 13 Discharges with Unpaid Secured Creditors,” 47th Annual Southeastern Bankruptcy Law Institute, April, 2021
- “Trending Bankruptcy Issues,” ABI’s Consumer Practice Extravaganza, November, 2021
- “The New Normal: Navigating Virtual/Hybrid Practice,” ABI’s Consumer Practice Extravaganza, November, 2022; “Ethical Dilemmas in Consumer Practice and How to Handle Them: Where Do You Draw the Line?,” ABI’s Winter Leadership Conference, December, 2022
- Bankruptcy Bootcamp: Motion Practice and Contested Matters, ICLE 2021.
- So You Want to be a Consumer Bankruptcy Attorney, Panelist, ABI’s Consumer Practice Extravaganza, November, 2021.
- Intersection of Family Law & Bankruptcy, Cooley Law School, 2011 – Present.
- Chapter 7 & Chapter 13 Discharge, Panelist, Southern Bankruptcy Law Institute, May, 2021.
- Shapero Cup Regional Moot Court Competition, Guest Judge, 2020.
- “State vs Federal Exemptions,” ABI’s Steven W. Rhodes Detroit Consumer Bankruptcy Conference, November 2019.
- “For Richer or for Poorer: When Divorce and Bankruptcy Law Collide,” 18th Annual Family Law Institute ICLE, November 2019.
- “The Ethics of Representing the Vulnerable Client Population,” ABI’s Central States Bankruptcy Workshop, June 2019.
- OCBA/CBA Bankruptcy Seminar “When Worlds Collide,” May 2019.
- Western District of Michigan Debtors Bar Seminar, 2017.
- Intersection of Family Law & Bankruptcy, ICLE, 2016.
- American Bankruptcy Institute 40 Under 40 Steering Committee Member, 2023 – Present.
- Western District Federal Bar Association Bankruptcy Seminar Planning Committee Member, 2024 – Present.
- Oakland County Bar Association Debtor/Creditor Committee Chair, 2021 – 2023; Professional Development Committee liaison to the Debtor/Creditor Committee, 2020-2021.
- American Bankruptcy Institute Consumer Bankruptcy Committee Co-Chair, 2021-2023; Newsletter Editor 2020-2021; Membership Relations Director 2019-2020.
- International Women’s Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation (MI-IWIRC) Michigan Network Co-Chair, 2017 – 2021.
- Consumer Bankruptcy Association, Member, 2008 – Present.
- Oakland County Bar Association, Member.
- Temple Israel, Board of Trustees Member, 2022-present
- Tamarack Camps, Vice President Board of Directors, 2020 – 2024
- Tamarack Camps, Board Secretary, 2014 – 2017
- Tamarack Camps, Board Member, 2010 – Present
- JARC, Board Member, 2012 – 2018
- Kadima, Board Member, 2011 – 2014
- Gold, Lange & Majoros, P.C., 2008-2017
- Giarmarco, Mullins & Horton, P.C., Law Clerk, 2007
- Honorable Chief Judge Bernard A. Friedman for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Judicial Intern, 2006
