How to File for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy

Table of Contents......Page 9
I. Introduction......Page 13
How to Use This Book......Page 14
What This Book Doesn’t Cover......Page 16
If You Need More Help......Page 17
The New Bankruptcy Law: A Work in Progress......Page 18
1. Should You File for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy?......Page 19
Bankruptcy in America: The Big Picture......Page 21
An Overview of Chapter 7 Bankruptcy......Page 22
Who Can File for Chapter 7?......Page 29
Does Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Make Economic Sense?......Page 35
Alternatives to Chapter 7 Bankruptcy......Page 40
2. The Automatic Stay......Page 47
Actions Prohibited by the Stay......Page 48
When the Stay Doesn’t Apply......Page 49
Evictions......Page 52
3. Your Property and Bankruptcy......Page 55
Property in Your Bankruptcy Estate......Page 56
Property That Isn’t in Your Bankruptcy Estate......Page 61
Property You Can Keep......Page 62
Property Exemption Worksheet......Page 70
Selling Nonexempt Property Before You File......Page 74
4. Your House......Page 79
How Bankruptcy Affects a Typical Homeowner......Page 80
If You’re Behind on Your Mortgage Payments......Page 82
Will You Lose Your Home?......Page 85
Ways to Prevent the Loss of Your House......Page 94
5. Secured Debts......Page 97
Secured Debts......Page 98
What Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Does to Secured Debts......Page 101
Ways to Deal With Secured Debts in Bankruptcy......Page 102
Choosing the Best Options......Page 110
Step-by-Step Instructions......Page 114
6. Complete and File Your Bankruptcy Paperwork......Page 135
Gather the Necessary Documents......Page 137
Get Some Information From the Court......Page 139
For Married Filers......Page 141
Required Forms and Documents......Page 143
Form 1—Voluntary Petition......Page 145
Form 6—Schedules......Page 153
Form 7—Statement of Financial Affairs......Page 194
Form 8—Chapter 7 Individual Debtor’s Statement of Intention......Page 205
Form 22A—Statement of Current Monthly Income and Means Test Calculation......Page 208
Mailing Matrix......Page 221
How to File Your Papers......Page 222
After You File......Page 224
7. Handling Your Case in Court......Page 227
Routine Bankruptcy Procedures......Page 228
Amending Your Bankruptcy Papers......Page 237
Special Problems......Page 241
8. Life After Bankruptcy......Page 259
Newly Acquired or Discovered Property......Page 260
Newly Discovered Creditors......Page 261
Postbankruptcy Attempts to Collect Debts......Page 262
Attempts to Collect Clearly Discharged Debts......Page 264
Postbankruptcy Discrimination......Page 265
Rebuilding Credit......Page 266
9. Which Debts Are Discharged......Page 271
Debts That Will Be Discharged in Bankruptcy......Page 272
Disputes Over Dischargeability......Page 282
10. Help Beyond the Book......Page 289
Debt Relief Agencies......Page 290
Bankruptcy Petition Preparers......Page 292
Bankruptcy Lawyers......Page 294
Legal Research......Page 298
Glossary......Page 305
Appendixes......Page 0
1. State and Federal Exemption Tables......Page 319
2. Worksheets and Charts......Page 357
Current Monthly Income Worksheet......Page 359
Personal Property Checklist......Page 361
Property Exemption Worksheet......Page 365
Homeowners’ Worksheet......Page 371
Judicial Lien Worksheet......Page 373
Bankruptcy Forms Checklist......Page 375
Bankruptcy Documents Checklist......Page 377
Median Family Income Chart......Page 379
3. Tear-Out Forms......Page 381
Form 1—Voluntary Petition......Page 383
Exhibit C to Voluntary Petition......Page 389
Exhibit D to Voluntary Petition......Page 391
Schedule A—Real Property......Page 393
Schedule B—Personal Property......Page 395
Schedule C—Property Claimed as Exempt......Page 401
Schedule D—Creditors Holding Secured Claims......Page 403
Schedule E—Creditors Holding Unsecured Priority Claims......Page 407
Schedule F—Creditors Holding Unsecured Nonpriority Claims......Page 413
Schedule G—Executory Contracts and Unexpired Leases......Page 417
Schedule H—Codebtors......Page 419
Schedule I—Current Income of Individual Debtors(s)......Page 421
Schedule J—Current Expenditures of Individual Debtor(s)......Page 423
Declaration Concerning Debtor’s Schedules......Page 425
Summary of Schedules and Statistical Summary of Certain Liabilities......Page 427
Form 3A—Application to Pay Filing Fee in Installments......Page 431
Form 3B—Application for Waiver of the Chapter 7 Filing Fee......Page 435
Form 7—Statement of Financial Affairs......Page 445
Form 8—Chapter 7 Individual Debtor’s Statement of Intention......Page 467
Form 16A—Caption......Page 469
Form 20A—Notice of Motion or Objection......Page 471
Form 21—Statement of Social Security Numbers......Page 473
Form 22A—Statement of Current Monthly Income and Means-Test Calculation......Page 475
Form 23—Debtor’s Certification of Completion of Instructional Course Concerning Personal Financial Management......Page 487
Form B201—Notice to Individual Consumer Debtor Under § 342(b) of the Bankruptcy Code......Page 489
Form 240A—Reaffirmation Agreement......Page 493
Form 240B—Order on Reaffirmation Agreement......Page 511
Mailing Matrix......Page 513
Amendment Cover Sheet......Page 515
Notice of Change of Address......Page 517
Supplemental Schedule for Property Acquired After Bankruptcy Discharge......Page 519
Proof of Service by Mail......Page 521
Pleading Paper......Page 523
Index......Page 525