By Scott Riddle Posted in Chapter 7Like all Bankruptcy lawyers, I am happy that just about every client or potential client that has walked through my door is completely honest with me and in their filings with the Bankruptcy Court. However, when discussing the Bankruptcy Schedules and list of assets, it is natural to occasionally get asked how Chapter 7 Trustees… Continue Reading
By Scott Riddle Posted in Chapter 7Student loans are one of the most important financial issues of the day, and as discussed in this post, are hard to discharge in Bankruptcy. The test of “undue hardship” is definitely a high bar, and depends on the specific facts of the case. Because of this, we will occasionally discuss cases in which Courts… Continue Reading
By Scott Riddle Posted in Chapter 13,Chapter 7When we think about student loans, we normally automatically think about loans taken out for college or other higher education. In the Bankruptcy context, we also know that public and private student loans are generally nondischargeable unless the borrower meets the tough “undue hardship test.” However, the fact is that Bankruptcy law does not limit… Continue Reading
By Scott Riddle Posted in Chapter 7One basic principle of Bankruptcy is that there is usually no “marital penalty” and individuals are still able to file for Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 based on their own financial circumstances and not the separate finances of their spouse. In fact, even in a joint Bankruptcy case filed by spouses, there are still technically… Continue Reading
By Scott Riddle Posted in Bankruptcy Basics,Chapter 13,Chapter 7One thing that Bankruptcy lawyers generally agree on is that it is very difficult to get a discharge of student loans and other educational obligations under the Bankruptcy Code and the cases that interpret the law. We discussed the legal test in this post, and under the law we often say that a discharge takes… Continue Reading
By Scott Riddle Posted in Bankruptcy Basics,Chapter 13,Chapter 7Update – Lien Stripping is no longer allowed in any Chapter 7 case. In this post about lien stripping, we discussed the significant benefits of “stripping,” or removing, second or third liens from homes when the value of the home is less than the higher priority liens. The ability to strip these wholly unsecured liens… Continue Reading
By Scott Riddle Posted in Bankruptcy Basics,Chapter 7If you are wondering how a Chapter 7 Trustee makes money from Bankruptcy cases, here is the answer. They typically get paid in several ways. First, they get $60 from the filing fee for each of their cases. If there is a fee waiver in the case, they get nothing. Most Chapter 7 cases are… Continue Reading
By Scott Riddle Posted in Bankruptcy Basics,Chapter 11,Chapter 13,Chapter 7A Rule 2004 Examination (often just called a “2004 Exam”) is the procedure used by parties in a Bankruptcy case to get documents or information from another party. The name comes from Rule 2004 of the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure, which governs the process. The rule is very broad and essentially allows any party… Continue Reading
By Scott Riddle Posted in Bankruptcy Basics,Chapter 11,Chapter 13,Chapter 7As discussed in more detail in this post, you there are two counseling requirements in individual Bankruptcy cases – one before filing the case, and one before getting a discharge. The overwhelming majority of people do the counseling sessions online. How do you find an approved Bankruptcy counseling agency and compare prices? One simple way… Continue Reading
By Scott Riddle Posted in Bankruptcy Basics,Chapter 13,Chapter 7One of the more common concepts in Bankruptcy Court, and most other courts, is that if a party does not respond or object to the relief requested by another party, the relief is deemed unopposed. Most commonly, that comes up when a defendant does not timely file an answer to a complaint and a default… Continue Reading
By Scott Riddle Posted in Bankruptcy Basics,Chapter 13,Chapter 7One of the great benefits of a Chapter 13 case (and, as discussed below, Chapter 7 cases in some states) is the ability to “strip,” or remove, a second or junior lien from your house if the value of the house is less than the outstanding balance of the first, or senior, lien. For example,… Continue Reading
By Scott Riddle Posted in Bankruptcy Basics,Chapter 13,Chapter 7Student loans have become a huge burden in the United States. Recent statistics show that current outstanding student loan debt is more than $1.1 Trillion. That is “Trillion” with a “T.” We can point our fingers in many directions to cast the blame for this high number, including lenders, borrowers, schools, and the federal government,… Continue Reading
By Scott Riddle Posted in Bankruptcy Basics,Chapter 13,Chapter 7Well, you can! When a celebrity or famous person files a Bankruptcy case we (Bankruptcy lawyers) hit the Twitter and social media waves, and our Blogs (like this one) with the news, because if a celebrity can do it you certainly should not feel bad about it! Right?!? We also get good google hits for… Continue Reading
By Scott Riddle Posted in Bankruptcy Basics,Chapter 13,Chapter 7In this prior post, we discussed Exemptions in Bankruptcy and why very few people actually lose property to the Bankruptcy Trustee (mainly in Chapter 7 cases). The primary reasons that people filing for Bankruptcy do not lose property is because they either do not have property that could be sold for a significant amount, or… Continue Reading
By Scott Riddle Posted in Bankruptcy Basics,Chapter 13,Chapter 7Just about everyone facing financial problems and a possible Bankruptcy filing are concerned with what they get to keep. Many, unfortunately, have visions of someone showing up with a truck and hauling off their furniture, clothing, dishes and other personal items. Thankfully, this could not be further from the truth. In fact, the great majority… Continue Reading
By Scott Riddle Posted in Chapter 7When a Chapter 7 case is filed, or a case is converted from a Chapter 11 or Chapter 13 to a Chapter 7, a Chapter 7 Trustee is assigned for the case from the “Trustee Panel.” The Panel is made up mostly of lawyers in private practice, but may include accountants or other individuals with… Continue Reading
By Scott Riddle Posted in Bankruptcy Basics,Chapter 13,Chapter 7When people buy a house, they probably consider it the biggest investment of their life to that point. It is probably also their largest debt. For homeowners facing Bankruptcy, the most important question they have in initial meetings with lawyers is whether they will be able to keep their house after they file. One important… Continue Reading
By Scott Riddle Posted in Bankruptcy Basics,Chapter 13,Chapter 7If you own a house, chances are real good that your home loan is your largest debt – maybe even larger than all your other debts combined. It makes sense that people who have to consider Bankruptcy are very concerned about what will happen to their home. The most common question is whether they will… Continue Reading
By Scott Riddle Posted in Bankruptcy Basics,Chapter 11,Chapter 13,Chapter 7If you are reading about or researching Bankruptcy, you have no doubt run across the terms “Petition” and “Schedules.” What are they? Good question! The Bankruptcy Petition is the document that gets you in the door of the Courthouse and officially creates your Bankruptcy case. The minute the Petition is filed, the automatic stay is… Continue Reading
By Scott Riddle Posted in Chapter 7Many people considering filing a Bankruptcy case are justifiably concerned that they may lose their home in the case, either to the lender or to the Chapter 7 Trustee. The reality is that rarely will the Chapter 7 Trustee have an interest in the homes of individuals who have filed Chapter 7 cases. The reason… Continue Reading
By Scott Riddle Posted in Bankruptcy Basics,Chapter 13,Chapter 7The Bankruptcy “Means Test” is a form that must be completed by most individuals filing for Bankruptcy. The Test is used in determining whether an individual or couple qualify for a Chapter 7 case or whether they have sufficient disposable income (or “means”) to pay something to creditors in a Chapter 13 plan. Importantly, the… Continue Reading
By Scott Riddle Posted in Bankruptcy Basics,Chapter 11,Chapter 13,Chapter 7A “Discharge” in a Bankruptcy case is a permanent release from personal liability for certain debts. A discharge comes in the form of a Court order, and is permanently enjoins a creditor from trying to collect a discharged debt. In most personal Bankruptcy cases, the discharge of debt is the most important goal in the… Continue Reading
By Scott Riddle Posted in Bankruptcy Basics,Chapter 7Chapter 7 Bankruptcy is one of the two most common types of Bankruptcy filed by individuals (the other being Chapter 13). The major distinction between the two is that there is no payment plan in a Chapter 7 case and a typical Chapter 7 cases only lasts about 4 months instead of 3-5 years for… Continue Reading
By Scott Riddle Posted in Bankruptcy Basics,Chapter 11,Chapter 13,Chapter 7There are several types of Bankruptcy available for individuals, businesses and even governmental entities facing financial problems. Each type is identified by a Chapter number, based on its chapter in the Bankruptcy Code. This website primarily discusses individual (or consumer) Bankruptcy cases, which are primarily Chapter 7 and Chapter 13, and small business cases that… Continue Reading
