Bankruptcy Means Test

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WHAT IS THE BANKRUPTCY MEANS TEST? The bankruptcy means test is a process to determine whether a debtor is eligible to file Chapter 7 bankruptcy, based upon his or her income. After the application of the means test, if one has significant disposable income remaining, the debtor may not be eligible to file Chapter 7 bankruptcy. The bankruptcy means test was implemented in the 2005 Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act (BAPCPA), and is designed to prevent debtors with high income from filing Chapter Read More +

Bankruptcy Chapter 7 Cost

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The cost of a Chapter 7 bankruptcy may differ depending upon the region or jurisdiction in which the debtor files Chapter 7 bankruptcy. This means the cost in terms of attorney fees may differ. The filing fees are the same within all of the jurisdictions in the United States. The filing fee for a Chapter 7 bankruptcy is $335, as of May, 2017. No matter where one files Chapter 7 in the United States, the filing fee is $335. The filing fee has been steadily Read More +

The Roles Of The Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Trustee

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Going through bankruptcy is a very stressful and time-consuming situation. We at The Weller Legal Group are your helping hand in making the bankruptcy process easier and more efficient for you and your family. In this article we are going to discuss a popular question that many clients have, and that is what are the roles of a Chapter 13 bankruptcy trustee. WHAT IS CHAPTER 13 BANKRUPTCY? Chapter 13 bankruptcy is a type of bankruptcy where the court determines a debtor’s disposable income and uses Read More +

Should I File For Bankruptcy? – Reasons Why Bankruptcy May Be Right For You

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The decision to file for bankruptcy is a tough one no matter how you cut it. Going through the bankruptcy process takes time and money. Once a petition is filed, a person’s entire financial situation is a matter of public record and open to others. The process will take an emotional toll on the filer and his/her family and loved ones as well. So – again – the decision to file for bankruptcy is a tough one. One that should not be taken lightly and Read More +

The “means Test” In Bankruptcy (chapter 7) – Part Iii

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Part III of Three Related Articles [See related articles on this blog: The Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention & Consumer Protection Act (BAPCPA), “Part I, Rationales”&“Part II, Changes in Bankruptcy Law”] After passage of the BAPCPA in 2005, anyone wanting to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy relief was faced with the new requirement of having to pass a “means test” to determine their eligibility. The primary purpose of the means test is to help the court determine whether an individual should be allowed to file a petition Read More +

Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention & Consumer Protection Act Of 2005 (bapcpa) Part Ii

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Part II – Changes in Bankruptcy Law [See related articles on this blog: The Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention & Consumer Protection Act (BAPCPA), “Part I, Rationales” &Part III The “Means Test in Bankruptcy”] The enactment of the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention & Consumer Protection Act (BAPCPA) in April, 2005, wrought significant changes in the law embodied in Chapter 7 of the United States Bankruptcy Code. Changes were also affected in Chapter 13 of the code, but such changes in that section were not as broad or as Read More +

The Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention & Consumer Protection Act Of 2005 (bapcpa) Part I

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Part I–Rationales [See related articles on this blog: “The Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention & Consumer Protection Act (BAPCPA), ‘Part II, Changes in Bankruptcy Law’, and “Part III, The Means Test in Bankruptcy”] The Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act (BAPCPA) was a “bankruptcy reform” measure passed by Congress during the fifth year of the Bush (#43) Presidency. According to a report by the U.S. House of Representatives’ Judiciary Committee (Report 109-031), the BAPCPA “represented the most comprehensive set of bankruptcy reforms in more than twenty-five Read More +

Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Filings – 770 As Of March, 2018 – Highest In 7 Years

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*** UPDATE *** (See prior article on this blog – “Chapters in Bankruptcy, a Short Primer…”) The number of Chapter 11 (“reorganization” bankruptcy) filings has reached an all-time high since 2011. In that year, there were 789 Chapter 11 filings as the nation was still trying to recover from the “great recession” of 2008 – 2009. According to data from the American Bankruptcy Institute (“ABI”), the year-over-jump (that tracks the number of such filings in comparison to previous reporting periods) was the second highest to be Read More +

Dodd-frank: Title Xiv – Mortgage Reform And Anti-predatory Lending Act

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Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending Act, amendment to the Truth in Lending Act (TILA), was brought about as a reaction to the lending practices that had lead to the burst of the real estate bubble in 2008. Many mortgages prior to the burst of the real estate bubble included clauses that were unfavorable to those who had borrowed the money. Some such clauses made it impossible to pay off mortgages where the value of the property dropped below the amount of the loan. Mortgage Reform Read More +

Chapter 7 Bankruptcy

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Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code allows debtors to have their debts forgiven through liquidation. During this process, nonexempt assets are sold and the proceeds are distributed to creditors. Unlike Chapter 13 bankruptcy, where a debtor retains their property and pays back a portion of their debts, Chapter 7 bankruptcy discharges remaining debts so the debtor does not have to pay them. As the most common form of bankruptcy, Chapter 7 is also known as straight or ordinary bankruptcy. Chapter 7 bankruptcy is usually a Read More +