Wednesday 12 October 2016

How To File Bankruptcy In The US

Bankruptcy laws are a series of federal laws enacted to allow people to be relieved from their debts and start over with a clean slate. The laws changed in 2005, making the road to a fresh start more complicated, so it is important to completely understand the benefits and drawbacks before you decide to declare bankruptcy. Understand how to know when you should file bankruptcy, the different types of bankruptcy, and the procedure for filing.

Method 1. Deciding To File For Bankruptcy

Consider other options. Bankruptcy should only be used as a last resort. Before filing, try other options available to you to pay off your debts. Contact your creditors and try to negotiate for a loan settlement or a repayment plan with lower payments. Alternately, you can try a short sale of your assets to cover your debt, assuming you are not underwater on your loan. Try consulting with a debt management agency before deciding to file for bankruptcy.


Analyze your debt. Certain kinds of debt cannot be discharged, or erased, even if you declare bankruptcy. Categorize all of your debt and calculate how much falls into categories that cannot be discharged. If the majority of your debt cannot be erased, then bankruptcy may not the right option for you. Note that each state has specific provisions for those assets which are exempt from bankruptcy. Be sure to check state law. The following kinds of debt cannot be discharged in a bankruptcy:
Alimony
Child Support
Debts that arise after bankruptcy is filed
Some debts incurred in the six months prior to filing bankruptcy
Loans obtained fraudulently
Debts from personal injury while driving intoxicated
Debts from willful and malicious injuries to person or property
Some student loans
Some taxes
Secured loans, as lenders can foreclose on their capital
Know which assets are exempt from seizure in bankruptcy proceedings. While bankruptcy proceedings will seek to seize and sell off your valuable assets to repay creditors, there are some assets that are protected under state law. The exempted assets will depend on the type of bankruptcy you are filing for and your state's laws. Assets may be completely protected or protected up to a certain value. For example, there might be at automobile exemption of $5,000, meaning that you could keep a $4,000 car but not a $20,000 one.
Common protected assets are cars, wedding rings, and your home.
Some states may offer "wild card" exemptions that allow you to keep any other valuable assets up to a certain amount.
Chapter 13 bankruptcy allows you to keep all of your assets, but you can reduce your liability to creditors by selling of assets of significant value.
Understand that bankruptcy does not erase debt for cosigners. A cosigner agrees to pay your debt in the event that you cannot pay. For example, a parent may have cosigned an auto loan for you when you graduated from college because you had little or no credit. However, if you declare bankruptcy, a cosigner on your loan is still be legally obligated to repay your debt. For example, your parent will still have to repay all or part of that car loan, even if you declare bankruptcy.


Learn about the different kinds of bankruptcy. Bankruptcy in the United States is handled in federal court under the rules of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. The U.S. Bankruptcy code identifies several different kinds of bankruptcy. These are usually referred to by their chapter in the U.S. Bankruptcy code.
Individuals and businesses may file for Chapter 7. Property may be liquidated to pay off creditors. Secured debt may be eliminated, or you have the option of allowing the property to be repossessed or paying the creditor a lump sum equal to the current value of the property. Your income must be below a certain level to qualify for Chapter 7.
Chapter 13 is also known as “wage earner” bankruptcy. Under Chapter 13, if you have a reliable source of income, you can propose a repayment plan to your creditors that pays them back over the next three to five years. Your debts must be below $1,149,525 in secured debt and $383,175 in unsecured debt. Note that the amount received by the creditors is established by your income after bankruptcy, not the amount of debt owed.
Municipalities, such as cities, towns, villages, taxing districts, municipal utilities, and school districts can reorganize under Chapter 9.
Businesses can reorganize under Chapter 11 or liquidate under Chapter 7.
Chapter 12 is similar to Chapter 13. It is reserved for businesses for which 80% or more of debt is from the operation of a family farm or fishery.
Understand the Consequences of Bankruptcy. Learn about the kinds of debt that can be erased and what debts will not be forgiven. Recognize the impact on cosigners to your loans. Decide if you can live with the negative impact bankruptcy has on your credit. Evaluate whether or not you even qualify for bankruptcy.
The impact bankruptcy has on your credit is largely determined by how good your credit is to begin with. If your credit score is high, it will probably take a huge hit and drop significantly. If your credit is already pretty bad, bankruptcy might not lower your score by very much.
The more accounts associated with the filing, the bigger the impact on your credit score.
If you file for Chapter 7 or 11, it will remain on your credit report for up to 10 years.[13] If you file for Chapter 13, it may stay on your report for up to seven years.
A Chapter 11 bankruptcy will stay on the business's credit report, not the individual owner's, unless they file a personal bankruptcy.

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