You’ve filed bankruptcy and now your § 341 Creditors Meeting is coming up.  What should you expect?  Understandably, many people are apprehensive about their “court” appearance.  Usually, in most consumer oriented bankruptcy cases, the § 341 Meeting of Creditors is not an ordeal.
First, the § 341 Creditors Meeting is required and it is required that you attend this [...]

What will they ask me at my bankruptcy hearing?

If a creditor files a proof of claim in a Bankruptcy Proceeding, it is deemed allowed unless you or another interested party objects.  So what does “allowed” mean and what are its ramifications?

I’ve been asked the question a thousand times.  “How can your clients afford to file bankruptcy if they don’t have any money?”  Its a good question.  Certainly a question I asked before opening my consumer bankruptcy practice 18 years ago.  Where does the money come from?
Lets start with the obvious.  Family.  I have seen parents [...]

Medical bills from a prolonged or serious illness are one the most common reasons why people need to file for bankruptcy.  I often get calls from people looking to file a medical bankruptcy.
But there is no such thing as a medical bankruptcy.
Medical bills are unsecured debts ( just like credit card debts), so a debtor filing for a [...]

Pamela Stewart, a Houston/Victoria (Texas) consumer bankruptcy lawyer spoke recently about bankruptcy at The People’s Law School sponsored by The University of Houston Law Center  – Center for Consumer Law.
Highlights of the session included discussion of the different chapters of bankruptcy, who is eligible to file a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy, the meeting of creditors that all [...]

Under the Bankruptcy Code, we calculate your “current monthly income” to see if you qualify for a chapter 7 case. Those with “current monthly income” more than the median income are presumed to be abusing the bankruptcy system if they file a chapter 7.  They can “overcome” this presumption in some cases through the complex [...]

Filing for Bankruptcy is no walk in the park.  It is an extensive process, with significant document gathering and processing, in addition to research, disclosures, and sometimes multiple court and trustee hearings.  Nevertheless, the more work done up front, the smoother the process will be.  One such area involves compiling all the due diligence documents [...]

I am often asked what to I need to do to file a bankruptcy.  My reply is you have taken the first step. You have contacted a bankruptcy lawyer seeking information.  Only with this information can you determine if you can file bankruptcy and if bankruptcy is the right thing for you to do.  I [...]

If you are a consumer thinking about filing bankruptcy, you will want to figure out whether to file bankruptcy before or after November 1 when changes to the income eligibility guidelines take effect.  For some people, the means test changes will help and for others the changes will hurt.
In Kansas, for example, median family income [...]