Bankruptcy can be a good solution for individuals who have tried other methods of debt resolution and have experienced no relief. Sometimes, a debtor has tried budgeting, refinancing is not an option, and credit counseling has even proven ineffective because they cannot afford to pay their bills through the credit counseling agency and still meet their other obligations. After being forced into a "rob Peter to save Paul" last ditch effort, the debtor realizes they need salvation. Often, debtor's finances are stacked against them. Limited financial resources cause a situation in which attempts to handle the debt is just prolonging the agony and making it nearly impossible to effectively satisfy all of their obligations. Bankruptcy may be the only effective alternative to dealing with the tension and emotional distress that are created by the financial hopelessness. When a consumer files for bankruptcy, they are protected from the emotional distress of collection attempts because the creditors must obey an automatic stay that requires them to cease any collection activity, including telephone calls, bills, and even lawsuits that are pending against them. Each bankruptcy case is assigned a court appointed trustee who acts as an intermediary and is responsible for seeing that the creditors recover as much as possible within the legal limits of the bankruptcy court.