If you face overwhelming debt and don’t foresee any change in your situation that allows you to recover financially, a Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing helps you get a fresh start. However, the laws have changed, making it more difficult to qualify to discharge debts under Chapter 7 permanently. You want an experienced, knowledgeable attorney to help you understand your rights and options.
At the office of Perry O’Brian, we bring more than 26 years of bankruptcy experience to people throughout Maine’s northern district. Our objective, with every client, is to simplify the process as much as possible to minimize stress and anxiety. Because of our extensive experience and knowledge, we move you quickly through the process, so you can put the past behind you and rebuild your life.
In a Chapter 7 bankruptcy proceeding, you are entitled to permanently rid yourself of certain debts in exchange for the sale of nonexempt property. Most Chapter 7 bankruptcy cases are referred to as “no-asset” cases, which mean that debtors do not lose any property by filing for bankruptcy. We let you know what property you could lose in a Chapter 7 bankruptcy and what can be done to protect your assets.
Chapter 7 only allows you to discharge unsecured obligations like medical bills, personal loans, or credit card debts. However, you still owe at the end of your bankruptcy case certain debts such as most tax debts and student loans. We carefully review your debts and let you know which bills you cannot discharge in a Chapter 7 bankruptcy.
Concerning secured debts such as home loans and car loans, you can reaffirm the debt by signing an agreement to keep paying for the property, surrender the property to the creditor, or in certain cases, redeem the property by paying the creditor in one lump sum, the value of the property. To reaffirm home loans and car loans, you must establish that you can afford the monthly payments.
Under the 2005 revisions to the federal bankruptcy laws, you must now qualify to file under Chapter 7 by submitting to a “means test.” This requires you to demonstrate to the bankruptcy court that your income is below the state median income given your household size. We look at your gross income for the six-month time period before the month of filing from all sources, except Social Security, to see if you qualify for Chapter 7.
If your income is above the state median income for this period, we file out a long means test form to see if you can still qualify for Chapter 7. Some above-median debtors who have the right mix of deductions can still file for Chapter 7. The intent of Congress in coming up with a means test was to force some higher-income debtors into filing Chapter 13 bankruptcies and repaying some of their unsecured debts.
When you hire us to assist you with a bankruptcy petition, we walk you through the means test to determine eligibility for Chapter 7. If you qualify, we carefully explain what debts can and cannot be discharged, as well as what property you can keep, so you know what to expect before you file. We then prepare and submit all necessary documentation and appear on your behalf at all meetings or hearings during the process.