Credit card companies and others drove through bankruptcy reform legislation in October, 2005, A great many people were filing Chapter 7 bankruptcies and walking away from their debt. In Sacramento those chapter 7 filings fell 80% in 2006, after the act took effect. Lawyers specializing in bankruptcy said their business fell through the floor, with so few filings. Bankruptcies are now rising again … but not because of divorces, job loss and catastrophic medical bills, the traditional causes. More and more people can’t pay their subprime mortgages … and see no other choice.