The Bankruptcy Code requires that all individuals filing bankruptcy receive credit counseling before their case is filed. Credit counseling must be provided by an agency approved by the Department of Justice’s U.S. Trustee Program. These agencies will charge a fee of around $50. Upon completion of the course, debtors receive a certificate of completion. This […]
BANKRUPTCY: SCHWAB V. RILEY – WHAT EXACTLY ARE WE EXEMPTING?
Bankruptcy law doesn’t seem to get much attention from the Supreme Court. So on June 17, 2010 when the Supreme Court decided Schwab v. Reilly, bankruptcy attorneys, judges, and trustees paid close attention to the Court’s holding, which explained what debtors are protecting when they claim an exemption in bankruptcy. 130 S.Ct. 2652 (2010). In […]
BANKRUPTCY: WHAT IS A TRUSTEE?
A trustee in bankruptcy is a person who is appointed by the United States Department of Justice to administer the bankruptcy estate. This means different things depending on whether the debtor files bankruptcy under Chapter 7 or Chapter 13. In Chapter 7 bankruptcy, the trustee presides over the 341 meeting of creditors, during which the schedules […]
CAN I KEEP A CREDIT CARD WHILE IN CHAPTER 13 BANKRUPTCY?
I probably answer over a hundred questions for my clients each week. Unfortunately, my answers are often long, complicated or the oh-so-helpful “it depends.” Luckily, once in a while, I get a question like the one in the title of this article, and I get to give a simple, easy to understand answer. “No.” I […]
CHAPTER 13 BANKRUPTCY: WHEN IS MY FIRST PAYMENT DUE?
Under the Bankruptcy Code, your first payment is due “not later than 30 days after the date of the filing of the plan or the order for relief.” 11 U.S.C. § 1326(a)(1). This means that once a case is filed, the trustee must have a payment in hand within 30 days. A payment mailed on […]