When most people think of “bankruptcy”, they are thinking of a bankruptcy proceeding filed under Chapter 7 of the United States Bankruptcy Code. Sometimes this is called “straight bankruptcy.” The purpose of a Chapter 7 bankruptcy is to eliminate or to “discharge” debts. This page explores the financial requirements a person has to meet in order to be able to file under Chapter 7, some of the benefits and disadvantages to filing under Chapter 7, what types of debts you can usually discharge and other frequently asked questions.
Can I File Under Chapter 7? Under the new law (after October 2005) a person who wishes to file a Chapter 7 case must financially “qualify”, so to speak. The analysis that is involved usually is referred to as the “means test.” The first step in this process is to compile your income for the six month period prior to the date of filing. For example, if the date of filing is during the month of September, the income that must be compiled is what has been received during the months of March through August. “Income” is very broadly defined, and includes such items as wages, dividends, gifts and contributions from other persons in your household. Indeed, the only exclusions mentioned in the Bankruptcy Code are Social Security payments and certain payments made because you have been the victim of certain crimes.
The total “income” then is divided by six in order to arrive at what is referred to as the “current monthly income.” If this current monthly income is under the state median income for the parish in which you reside, taking into account how many people there are in your household, then you have “passed” the means test, and you are eligible to file Chapter 7. If your income is over the median income, you still might be able to file, but it is then necessary to examine your expenses in order to see if they are sufficient to bring your net income below the threshold amount. Some of these expenses are not your actual expenses, but instead involve national or state standards. Needless to say, the analysis can become extremely complicated and detailed.
Are All Debts Eliminated in Chapter 7? The chief advantage and principal goal of a Chapter 7 bankruptcy is that after the discharge you will not owe any debts. However, there are important exceptions to this of which you should be aware. Some of these are the following. As always, however, please consult an experienced bankruptcy attorney before concluding that any particular debt in your situation will or will not be discharged:
Income taxes. Unless income tax liability is old enough, it is not dischargeable. Generally, in order to be dischargeable, this kind of debt must be for a taxable year for which the return was due more than three years go, with the return being filed over two years ago, and with the date of assessment being more than 240 days ago. There are some things that can increase this time, for example, offers in compromise and previous bankruptcies. In order to determine whether a tax is dischargeable, detailed analysis must usually be made.
Student loan debt. This kind of debt, if it was made or guaranteed by a governmental agency or a nonprofit institution, is not dischargeable unless you can show “undue hardship”. To prove undue hardship you have to prove 1 that you cannot maintain, based on current income and expenses, a “minimal” standard of living for yourself and your dependents if forced to repay the loans; 2 that this state of affairs is likely to persist for a significant portion of the repayment period of the student loans; and 3 that you made good faith effort to repay the loans. It is extremely hard to meet this burden of proof.
Debts incurred by false representation or fraud. One frequently litigated issue in this area concerns credit card debt. Commonly, the situation is that the debtor has made sizable charges on the card shortly before filing the bankruptcy petition, suggesting that the debtor has “loaded up”, knowing that he or she is going to file the bankruptcy petition. Normally, the burden of proof lies with the creditor, meaning that the creditor must prove that the debtor has committed fraud. However, the Bankruptcy Code provides that any credit card debt aggregating more than $500.00 from any single creditor for nonessential, “luxury” goods incurred within 90 days prior to filing the bankruptcy, or cash advances totaling over $750.00 on a credit card, taken within 70 days prior to filing, are presumed to be nondischargeable. The effect is that the burden shifts to the debtor to show that the charges were not fraudulent. This particular provision of the Bankruptcy Code simply sets forth a presumption of fraud. It does not mean that if you wait more than 70 or 90 days, as the case may be, you are automatically free from an objection to discharge, nor does it mean that if you file the bankruptcy within the 70 or 90 day period that the debt will not be discharged. To avoid possible problems, which is one of my goals as a bankruptcy attorney, do not use your credit cards for anything other than food, clothing and other essentials during the applicable period. Really, it is best not to use them at all.
Alimony and Child Support. This kind of debt cannot be discharged under any circumstance. Also, if a debt has been incurred in the course of a divorce, even if it is not alimony or child support, under the changes in the law, it is not dischargeable. For example, if you have agreed to pay a certain debt in a property settlement agreement, that debt is not dischargeable!
Injury caused by an intoxicated debtor’s operation of a motor vehicle. The Bankruptcy Code provides that not dischargeable is a debt “for death or personal injury caused by the debtor’s operation of a motor vehicle, vessel, or aircraft if such operation was unlawful because the debtor was intoxicated from using alcohol, a drug, or another substance.”
Other exceptions to discharge. There are other categories of debts that are “excepted” from discharge. Space does not permit full discussion of all of these exceptions. When you discuss your situation in detail with your attorney, you will be advised of any other exceptions that may be applicable. It may be that you may have one or more debts that are not dischargeable in Chapter 7, but are dischargeable in a Chapter 13. For example of the exceptions discussed above, those involving fraud and intoxicated operation of a motor vehicle are dischargeable in a Chapter 13. Of course, this may have a bearing on which Chapter you file.
Do I Have To List All Debts? Yes, you do, even though you may not want to. Clients often tell me that for some reason they do not wish to list a creditor. Sometimes they indicate that they are current with their payments with a creditor, maybe a home mortgagee or a car lender, and do not wish to disturb their good relationship with the creditor. I have to advise them that the Bankruptcy Code requires that all debts be listed. This does not necessarily mean that the relationship with the creditor will be damaged. If the creditor has a security interest in some property, such as your home or vehicle, usually the creditor and debtor enter into a “reaffirmation agreement.” This is a special document which is also signed by your attorney and is filed with the court. The effect of the reaffirmation agreement is to again make the debtor legally responsible for the debt. The creditor usually is very happy to enter into this agreement. After all, the creditor would much rather have you pay the debt than to go to the expense and hassle of seizing and selling the collateral, usually at a loss. If the debt is an “unsecured” debt, meaning that there has been no property pledged to “secure” the debt, it almost always is not advisable to reaffirm the debt. The reason for this is that there is no benefit such as retention by the debtor of secured property to justify the reaffirmation of the debt. To reaffirm the debt, and consequently to be obligated to repay it, prevents a true “fresh start”, which, after all, is the purpose of filing a Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Having said that, however, the Bankruptcy Code allows you to pay any debt on a voluntary basis, if you wish to do so. Whether this is advisable is questionable and is an issue to be discussed with your attorney.
Can I Lose Property In A Chapter 7? As is true under any Chapter of the Bankruptcy Code, you are required to list all of your assets (and, as mentioned above, all of your debts) in the “schedules” filed with the court. An asset is any property you own or may have a right to own in the future. It could be “tangible”, such as a vehicle, or “intangible”, such as a legal claim or the right to receive a tax refund. Your assets become the property of the bankruptcy estate. In general, any property that you acquire after the date of filing the bankruptcy petition that you were not entitled to receive prior to filing is not included in the bankruptcy estate. One notable exception to this rule is inheritance rights; if you inherit property within 180 days of filing, that inherited property is considered part of the bankruptcy estate.
In a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, the trustee, who is a person appointed to take charge of the bankruptcy estate, can, if necessary, sell the property which is not exempt from seizure, and then pay creditors with the proceeds. It is very important, then, to identify in the schedules what property is protected as exempt. At least some, and perhaps most, of your assets will be exempt. In Louisiana, state law, not federal law, governs which property is exempt. It is not possible to fully cover all of these exemptions here; however, some important exemptions include the following:
Homestead. This important exemption protects up to $35,000 of equity in your home. It is not available if you co-own the property with someone who is not your spouse.
Household goods. Most of the items in our home that we use for our support and maintenance are included in this category. Examples are clothing, furniture and appliances.
Retirement funds. There are actually two layers of protection when it comes to retirement funds. The first is not really an exemption, but rather, is a decision by the United States Supreme Court in the landmark case of Patterson v. Shumate that retirement funds that are “ERISA approved”, meaning basically that they cannot be transferred to another person, are not even included in the bankruptcy estate. Thus, they cannot be administered by a trustee. The second layer of protection is a Louisiana state law that exempts 401 K plans, Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA) and similar plans from seizure, to the extent of contributions made more than one year prior to the filing of the bankruptcy petition. Needless to say, this is a most important issue for many people, and consultation with an experienced bankruptcy attorney is a must.
Tools of the Trade. This exemption covers property which we need to use in our work A carpenter’s tools, for example, are exempt from administration by the trustee.
Motor Vehicles. Frequently, the question arises whether motor vehicles are exempt. In Louisiana, we are entitled to a $7,500 exemption for one motor vehicle per household. Additionally, there is a $7,500 exemption available per household for a vehicle that has been substantially modified, equipped, or fitted for the purposes of adapting its use to the physical disability of the debtor or his family and is used by the debtor or his family for the transporting of such disabled person for any use.
Wedding or engagement rings. So long as the value of the ring(s) does not exceed $5,000, it is exempt.
Federal earned income tax credit. This is totally exempt, except for seizure by the Louisiana Department of Revenue or for child support obligations.
One final note regarding exemptions: Even though you now live in Louisiana, if you have recently moved from another state you cannot use Louisiana exemptions and you must use another state’s law, usually the state from which you moved to Louisiana. This analysis can become very complicated.
What Are The Disadvantages Of Filing Chapter 7? Although a Chapter 7 discharge is a powerful remedy and offers a financial “fresh start”, there are some drawbacks which must be considered. One is that the bankruptcy filing will be included in your credit record for up to 10 years. Any prospective creditor can be expected to obtain your credit report in deciding whether to extend credit, and to include as a factor the bankruptcy filing. How much will the bankruptcy hurt your chances of getting credit in the future? In order to answer this question, one issue will be what condition your credit record was in at the time of filing bankruptcy. If, as sometimes happens, your credit is excellent up until the time of filing, then the bankruptcy can be expected to be damaging. However, if the credit record is not good, the bankruptcy filing will be less damaging, and actually may be of benefit to your creditworthiness. Prospective creditors know you won’t be able to file another Chapter 7 bankruptcy for at least 8 years, and therefore, they don’t have that risk to bear. Also, the debt that you were burdened with prior to filing will be discharged, which will make you more attractive to a prospective creditor. You may not get as high a credit limit as you once had, or be able to borrow large sums of money, but getting some credit (such as a secured or even an unsecured credit card) shouldn’t be that difficult, and you can rebuild your credit over time. What you will likely face for some time are higher interest rates and higher down payments. Some people do have difficulty rebuilding their credit, but it is usually due to other factors besides bankruptcy, such as their employment record, other credit problems, etc. Many of my clients who have received a Chapter 7 discharge report to me that they have been successful in rebuilding credit, and have purchased homes, vehicles and other assets on credit.
As mentioned above, you are not able to file a Chapter 7 if you have filed a previous Chapter 7 within eight years, and received a discharge in that previous case. Therefore, you should not file a bankruptcy if you need the option of doing it again in the next eight years. (This eight year rule does not apply if the second filing is a Chapter 13).
What is the cost of filing Chapter 7?
My fees are extremely competitive. I pride myself on providing a very high quality of service for my clients. I have also set up my practice to minimize expenses and pass those along to my clients in the form of the lowest possible attorney’s fees. I will work with you to arrive at a payment plan that fits with your personal situation. If you “shop around”, you will find that my fees are in line with most attorneys who handle bankruptcy matters regularly. There are also the costs to file your case: currently it is $335 for a Chapter 7; $310 for a Chapter 13. There are the costs for credit counseling and debtor education, approximately $50. There is the cost of obtaining (with your permission) a download of your credit reports that helps your attorney do his job. The fee I quote you includes all the above costs. Some attorneys artificially make their fees appear to be a bargain by not including the costs that you will have to pay in addition to their fee.
How to choose an attorney?
Am I comfortable with this attorney? Does the attorney sincerely care for me and my legal problem, or am I just another case? Does this attorney have the experience and expertise to handle the problems that may arise in my case? Ask the attorney how many Chapter 7 bankruptcy cases he or she has handled. Is the attorney personally handling the main portions of my case, or instead, delegating the work to secretaries or paralegals? Of course, there is nothing wrong with an attorney using support staff to assist in the preparation of your case. However, you should guard against the situation where most of the preparation with you is done by a paralegal.
Do I Need An Attorney At All? You may be tempted to attempt to prepare and file the bankruptcy documents yourself. After all, you can buy the forms and fill in the blanks by yourself. That way, you avoid the attorney’s fee (you still have to pay the court costs). Or, there are some “bankruptcy preparers” who charge a minimal fee to prepare and file the necessary paperwork to file a bankruptcy. While in some cases this may not be a major problem, it has been my personal experience that the risk is simply not worth it. Much of what goes into the bankruptcy petition, schedules and statements comes from insightful and probing questioning from a qualified bankruptcy attorney. Bankruptcy preparers are strictly prohibited from practicing law and, therefore, cannot give legal advice or even ask the necessary questions to make sure you are completing your paperwork fully and completely. Even if they were legally allowed to do so, they are not able to adequately assess the laws surrounding exemptions and to determine what your best options are. In preparing the documents yourself, with or without the assistance of a bankruptcy preparer, you may assume, for example, that there is no problem with not listing a particular asset or debt, or reaffirming a particular debt, only to find out months or even years later that you did not get rid of that debt, or that you may lose an asset, or any number of other problems. Perhaps most importantly, without an attorney, you will not have representation in court if the need should arise (and it often does when paralegals handle things). Further, if you list things incorrectly in your petition, schedules or statements, or omit necessary items, it is YOUR problem, not the paralegal’s problem. You sign all your bankruptcy papers under penalty of perjury. Ultimately, the debtor may have to spend several thousand dollars to attempt to remedy a situation that could have been prevented, or at least planned for, at the beginning. Bankruptcy is a very important decision. It is basically the first step towards your entire financial future. The entire bankruptcy system is designed so that attorneys represent all parties involved, whether they be debtors or creditors. That is what we are trained to do. Do you want to trust this future to yourself or to a non-licensed non professional? This is the time that you should do things correctly. Don’t skimp and save at this point. Hire the most competent attorney that you can afford and take the first step towards your fresh start.
Nothing contained herein should be construed to constitute advice for your personal situation. Furthermore, this is intended as a peripheral glance at the various options available, but by no means is this a comprehensive or exhaustive analysis of the bankruptcy laws. Whether or not you should file a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy, or seek any other type of relief, will vary depending on your personal situation. This decision should only be made after careful consideration and analysis, and after consultation with a professional. The information regarding bankruptcy law you see here may contain information and rules peculiar to the Eastern District of Louisiana. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send any confidential information to us until such time as an attorney-client relationship has been established.