One of the hardest issues for a bankruptcy attorney to deal with is the issue of the Reaffirmation Agreement. When a person files a Chapter 7 bankruptcy he is given a rare opportunity: To start over fresh without his debts! This means that a debtor has the right to get rid of both his debts to unsecured creditors and secured [...]
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A common question I get this time of year is whether the trustee will take the debtor’s tax refund if he files for bankruptcy. The answer depends upon many factors. The Trustee has a duty to administer non exempt assets if those assets are worthy of administration. For a tax refund to be worthy of administration the [...]
What happens to a co-debtor when a debtor files for bankruptcy depends upon the type of case that is filed. Many clients come to my office relieved to find out that a bankruptcy stays proceedings against them, but they worry about whether there is a stay of proceedings for the co-debtor. The client is justified in worrying about the [...]
The new median family income numbers used for determining whether a debtor can file a Chapter 7 bankruptcy went into effect today, November 1, 2010. The numbers are provided by the U.S. Census Bureau. The means test was one of the major changes that occurred as part of Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act (BAPCPA) [...]
I return to this series (for the patient among you) on unbundling legal services because I believe the bankruptcy court system will incorporate more of its principles into the day to day practice of bankruptcy law, and the maxim regarding unintended consequences will come increasingly to bear. For example, in New Mexico, a sitting bankruptcy [...]
Bankruptcy lawyers and their clients are plagued by the Brunner test when trying to discharge student loans. While the Bankruptcy Code says that student loans may be discharged if the debtor shows “undue hardship,” the Brunner test provides that student loans may only be discharged if the debtor shows: (1) inability, at his current level [...]
