Convincing clients that all of their debts must be included in bankruptcy is one of the hardest parts of being a bankruptcy lawyer. The struggle often seems Herculean. Sometimes, they will tell me they don’t want to include their car loan in the case because they “need the car”. Sometimes I find the student loan payment […]
Bankruptcy Alphabet: R is for Retirement
In my bankruptcy alphabet, R stands for Retirement. Retirement plans and IRA’s are safe in whatever chapter of bankruptcy you file. Your rights in an employer’s pension plan or a union pension plan are not even part of the property of your bankruptcy estate. The Supreme Court held almost 20 years ago that ERISA qualified […]
Bankruptcy Alphabet: Z is for Zillion
In my bankruptcy alphabet, Z is for zillion. Zillion is a real word but a made-up number. For certain, it’s lots and lots. It takes a zillion details, it seems, to file a bankruptcy case. And it goes on. Guess what? The 2005 Congress who passed the bankruptcy reform act wanted to make it detailed […]
Acing Bankruptcy’s Means Test For Those Over Median Income
Your future living expenses may be the key to passing the bankruptcy means test. Those who are under median income for their state have already passed the means test. Those over median income move on to the expense portion of the test to calculate whether they have more than the allowed disposable income. Most often, […]
What looks bad to the trustee in prebankruptcy conduct
Wondering what bankrutpcy trustees look for when they ask for bank statements and question you at the 341 meeting? Worried that a bankruptcy trustee will examine your situation and somehow disqualify you from bankruptcy because of something you did (or didn’t do) right before you filed? Not to worry. Your bankruptcy discharge does not depend […]
How Much Is My Chapter 13 Payment
Intrigued by Chapter 13, but worried about how much your Chapter 13 payment might be? OK, let’s walk through what your payment must be by law and what you want that payment to cover to get a fresh start. Part of the power of Chapter 13 is that you write the plan, with the help […]
Skip Bankruptcy’s Means Test
The couple was despondent when another bankruptcy attorney told them that, despite $100,000 in old taxes, they couldn’t file Chapter 7. This fine fellow told them that the means test showed they had $3000 of disposable income per month. A Chapter 7 would be an abuse of bankruptcy under the law. Only Chapter 13 was […]
Bankruptcy Schedules Are More Than Just Paperwork
Bankruptcy paperwork can make you feel like you are drowning in paper. There’s your paper; there’s the paper your lawyer needs. And there’s the paper the court insists on. Why bankruptcy schedules worth the work It’s easy to try to skate. To cut corners. To shut down. But that paper is critical. Nearly every question, […]
Did You Tell The Whole Truth In Your Bankruptcy Papers?
You must “tell the truth” on your bankruptcy paperwork, bankruptcy advice sites intone. Most of us shrug that off: we can’t imagine deliberately lying to a court. But carelessness about bankruptcy schedules abounds. If you give the bankruptcy paperwork just a lick and a promise, the resulting schedules aren’t truthful, not because of lies, but […]
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