Bankruptcy is a legal process through which a person who is struggling to make payments on his/her debts and/or bills, is able to gain financial relief. The legal right to file for bankruptcy is a right provided by federal legislation, thus all bankruptcy cases in California are dealt with by the federal court system. Filing for bankruptcy not only provides you with long term relief, it also helps you gain breathing room in the short term, as filing for bankruptcy automatically stops creditors from attempting to collect any money you might owe, until your debt situation has been handled in court.