Bankruptcy (Chapter 7 & 13)
Our Los Angeles Bankruptcy Law Firm diligently provides efficient and competent representation for individual clients within the Central District of California (Los Angeles and surrounding counties, including Orange, Riverside, Santa Barbara, San Bernardino, Ventura, and San Luis Obispo) who need the protection of U.S. Bankruptcy laws. When debts have become unmanageable, we can help. We focus on Consumer Bankruptcy, specifically under either Chapter 7 (Liquidation) or Chapter 13 (Reorganization) of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. For people who suffer from creditor harassment, are dragged into lawsuits, subjected to wage garnishments, judgments, repossessions and foreclosure, Bankruptcy protection will result in immediate relief as the filing of a Bankruptcy petition generally creates an automatic stay from creditor collections. Think Bankruptcy is right for you? Click here for a free initial case evaluation!
How Chapter 7 Works
A chapter 7 case begins with the debtor filing a petition with the bankruptcy court serving the area where the individual lives or where the business debtor is organized or has its principal place of business or principal assets. (3) In addition to the petition, the debtor must also file with the court: (1) schedules of assets and liabilities; (2) a schedule of current income and expenditures; (3) a statement of financial affairs; and (4) a schedule of executory contracts and unexpired leases Debtors must also provide the assigned case trustee with a copy of the tax return or transcripts for the most recent tax year as well as tax returns filed during the case (including tax returns for prior years that had not been filed when the case began). Individual debtors with primarily consumer debts have additional document filing requirements. They must file: a certificate of credit counseling and a copy of any debt repayment plan developed through credit counseling; evidence of payment from employers, if any, received 60 days before filing; a statement of monthly net income and any anticipated increase in income or expenses after filing; and a record of any interest the debtor has in federal or state qualified education or tuition accounts. A husband and wife may file a joint petition or individual petitions Even if filing jointly, a husband and wife are subject to all the document filing requirements of individual debtors.
Chapter 7 Eligibility
To qualify for relief under chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code, the debtor may be an individual, a partnership, or a corporation or other business entity. Subject to the means test described above for individual debtors, relief is available under chapter 7 irrespective of the amount of the debtor’s debts or whether the debtor is solvent or insolvent. An individual cannot file under chapter 7 or any other chapter, however, if during the preceding 180 days a prior bankruptcy petition was dismissed due to the debtor’s willful failure to appear before the court or comply with orders of the court, or the debtor voluntarily dismissed the previous case after creditors sought relief from the bankruptcy court to recover property upon which they hold liens. In addition, no individual may be a debtor under chapter 7 or any chapter of the Bankruptcy Code unless he or she has, within 180 days before filing, received credit counseling from an approved credit counseling agency either in an individual or group briefing. There are exceptions in emergency situations or where the U.S. trustee (or bankruptcy administrator) has determined that there are insufficient approved agencies to provide the required counseling. If a debt management plan is developed during required credit counseling, it must be filed with the court.
One of the primary purposes of bankruptcy is to discharge certain debts to give an honest individual debtor a “fresh start.” The debtor has no liability for discharged debts. In a chapter 7 case, however, a discharge is only available to individual debtors, not to partnerships or corporations. Although an individual chapter 7 case usually results in a discharge of debts, the right to a discharge is not absolute, and some types of debts are not discharged. Moreover, a bankruptcy discharge does not extinguish a lien on property.
The Chapter 7 Discharge
A discharge releases individual debtors from personal liability for most debts and prevents the creditors owed those debts from taking any collection actions against the debtor. Because a chapter 7 discharge is subject to many exceptions, debtors should consult competent legal counsel before filing to discuss the scope of the discharge. Generally, excluding cases that are dismissed or converted, individual debtors receive a discharge in more than 99 percent of chapter 7 cases. In most cases, unless a party in interest files a complaint objecting to the discharge or a motion to extend the time to object, the bankruptcy court will issue a discharge order relatively early in the case – generally, 60 to 90 days after the date first set for the meeting of creditors.
Role of the Case Trustee
The primary role of a chapter 7 trustee in an asset case is to liquidate the debtor’s nonexempt assets in a manner that maximizes the return to the debtor’s unsecured creditors. The trustee accomplishes this by selling the debtor’s property if it is free and clear of liens (as long as the property is not exempt) or if it is worth more than any security interest or lien attached to the property and any exemption that the debtor holds in the property. The trustee may also attempt to recover money or property under the trustee’s “avoiding powers.” The trustee’s avoiding powers include the power to: set aside preferential transfers made to creditors within 90 days before the petition; undo security interests and other prepetition transfers of property that were not properly perfected under nonbankruptcy law at the time of the petition; and pursue nonbankruptcy claims such as fraudulent conveyance and bulk transfer remedies available under state law. In addition, if the debtor is a business, the bankruptcy court may authorize the trustee to operate the business for a limited period of time, if such operation will benefit creditors and enhance the liquidation of the estate.
Chapter 7 Liquidation vis-à-vis Chapter 13 Reorganization.
As explained by the U.S. Department of Justice, Chapter 7 is the Bankruptcy Code’s liquidation chapter, which lawyers sometimes refer to as a straight bankruptcy. It is used primarily by individuals who wish to free themselves of debt simply and inexpensively, but may also be used by businesses that wish to liquidate and terminate their business. Under Chapter 7, most debts can be legally wiped out and financial recovery can begin immediately, giving the debtor a “fresh start.” On the other hand, the DOJ refers to Chapter 13 as the “wage earner’s” chapter, as this involves an adjustment of debts of an individual with a regular income from any source. Under this chapter, debts can be reduced and consolidated into one affordable monthly payment. Its purpose is to enable financially distressed individual debtors, under court supervision and protection, to propose and carry out a repayment plan under which creditors are paid over an extended period of time
Our services are one-on-one and will immediately offer peace of mind knowing there is promise for recovery. You need a Bankruptcy Attorney who is honest and competent to regain confidence and economic independence. We can help you attain this goal.
To learn more about BANKRUPTCY , Please contact the Law Offices of Elaine O. San Juan by calling us at 818-748-8872.
You may also contact us online to schedule a confidential consultation.