file before collection starts

Nope. I have been making payments to my attorney for almost 10 months. Whenever I get calls, I tell them to call the attorney, and they leave me alone. They do not seem to want to pursue an account that they are not going to get anything out of.

even if they do sell it to a diffrent collection agency as soon as you file the automatic stay i think they called it goes into place. i retained my attorney on july 17th, same day i let all my stuff default. i went ahead and sent c&d letters to everyone i could think of and told them to call my attorney. i might get a few calls here and there but for the most part its pretty quiet.

I have foreclosures and credit card debts. How long can these liens or judgements be pursued by the creditors? What protection can bankrupty offer? There are no assets. My primary residence is in a negative amorization. My car has a loan, no equity.

It depends on what state you live in. In most statews judgements can last around 20 years. They can be eliminated in a chapter 7 bankruptcy discharge. Your car loan is debatable. it depends on what the payment is compared with your disposable income. Same thing with the loan on your house. I decided to let my car go back to the finance company, and let put the dificiency balance into the bk filing. I bought a cheap car that is paid for, and is not worth enough to affect the bk.
Your best option is to get a free consultation with a local attorney and discuss all of your concerns with him/her. You may even want to talk to more than one and see if they give you the same story. They would be able to advise you best to your specific situation in your specific area.