Do you guys think bankruptcy is a bad thing? I don't really know how to put this into words, but is filing for bankruptcy something you should feel ashamed of? Does it damage your life so much that you end up regretting it?
This has been the most stressful few months of my life. I am filing separately from my husband. We are under median. The Schedule I/J my attorney created has us about -$500 in the hole based on our current CMI, but my husband’s income varies greatly.
All year he has had no overtime and then right when I get everything filed 3 guys quit. So now he’s working like 20 hours a week more than usual. I have to turn in updated paystubs to the trustee right before the 341, and I have no idea how it’s going to go. He’s making $400-600 more per week. I already stopped paying my creditors so I’m thinking if this gets dismissed I’ll be behind beyond the point of catching up and one card charges off the 31st so I feel like a lawsuit would be imminent.
The OT won’t last but I also can’t say for sure when it’s going to end. This whole process has just been so stressful. I won’t do a chapter 13 because when he doesn’t get overtime we are severely in the hole. His income is way too variable for me to commit to a payment plan.
I just have a bad feeling it’s not going to work out. It’s consuming my life at the moment.
so i made a big mistake 2 years ago when i decided it was a grand idea to lie on my taxes and claim a business loss when in reality i had no business and no business loss to claim. i lied and said i lost about 20k to get another 1k ish back on my tax returns. i understand i was wrong and i regret my mistakes now that it’s all falling back on me. i am trying to file for chapter 7 bankruptcy to clear all of my debts but i am afraid to talk to my BK attorney about it because i dont want to get turned in and i am also afraid if i dont say anything about it that one of my debt collectors will notice and call me out when the time comes. my attorney is requesting my 2024 and 2025 tax returns so i know they will see what i did because i made this mistake on my 2024 returns. considering waiting another 6 months until next tax season so i only have to send them my 2025 and 2026 tax returns but im not too sure thats a better idea. any help or advice would be greatly appreciated because i just turned 22 and im just trying to set my future up for the straight and narrow.
I live in FL, divorced single female, 0 assets liquid or otherwise, I do have an almost paid off 2020 Ford vehicle, worth less than I owe on it... Just painting the picture of what my bankruptcy is going to look like.....
I am about to file for bankruptcy on about 25-30K in CC debt, and I am wondering if somewhere along the line I am going to need to provide some kind of document "lease agreement" to show where and how I sleep at night.
The person I live with is a really cool and chill kind hearted lady who I met on roomates dot com surprisingly. She is a very responsible professional middle school reading teacher.
Should I tell her I am filing for bankruptcy?
I just fear that I will need to show some kind of rental agreement, and we dont really have one we have a "roommate agreement" and it is month to month.
My friends say no do not tell her, and I am inclined to agree outside of the fact that I worry about needing to provide a lease agreement to the court.
Thank you for your insight!
Filing chapter 7 for my business and personal. Should be filed next week! How soon after or what can i do right after filing to start rebuilding?
I’m considering filing Chapter 7 and I’m completely new to this, so I’m hoping someone can explain what my first steps should be.
I have about $10,000 total across 10 credit cards, and that is basically all of my debt. I don’t have a mortgage or own a home, we rent. The only significant asset in my name is a paid-off 2006 Honda Accord worth maybe around $3,000, which I absolutely need for transportation/work.
I’m currently not working. I had to leave my previous job because it required full-time overnight hours, which was no longer possible after having my baby. We also cannot afford daycare, so going back to full-time work isn’t financially realistic right now.
I am actively looking for part-time work that I can schedule around childcare. I have applied to 20+ jobs and haven’t been hired anywhere yet. My father-in-law is willing to watch my baby during the hours I eventually work, but I still have to find a job that works with that arrangement. I also recently filed for unemployment and it looks like I may receive benefits.
My husband is working and supporting our household, but he has his own debts and we can no longer afford to keep paying mine. We’ve been budgeting heavily and have reached the point where we can’t even afford groceries on our own. We’re relying on food banks and help from family for food. I had to turn off autopay on my credit cards because there simply isn’t money available to continue paying them while we’re struggling with basic necessities.
I would be filing Chapter 7 individually, without my husband filing.
For someone with a relatively simple situation like mine, what should my first steps be? Should I contact a bankruptcy attorney first? Can someone in my situation realistically file without an attorney? What documents should I start gathering, and is there anything I’m overlooking?
My biggest concern is making sure I can keep my paid-off car, since it’s my only significant asset and I need it for transportation and eventually getting back to work.
I know $10k may not sound like a huge amount of debt to some people, but with no current income of my own and our household struggling to afford basic necessities, I simply cannot keep up with it anymore. I’ve never filed bankruptcy before and genuinely don’t know where to start, so any guidance would be appreciated.
I might not get all the terms right but I just got my order of discharge from my lawyer (yay!) but I still have stuff pending for a property I own that I relinquished during the bankruptcy. The mortgage company filed a relief from the automatic stay and the trustee denied it. There's a hearing pending for early next month about the property and automatic stay.
Now that I have the order of discharge paperwork, what does that mean for the property? I asked my lawyer but they weren't incredibly helpful by saying that the case just stays open until that's resolved. Does that mean I don't have to worry about the debt from the property and it's all up to the trustee now? Should I be expecting more paperwork or anything regarding the property? Am I able to relax and move forward with my life without thinking about the property?
Just a little confused on how it works from here. TIA!!
I’m so relieved this is over. I filed 5.13.26, had my 341 on 6.17.26, & discharged on 8.18.26 was also on my credit report.
I also took out 2 new cc’s total 4k, am really being cautious this time around.
I’m 71 on limited income & my cc debt & irs totaled 50k
My attorney did payments and my case was simple.
Ty for this forum, it really helped me with my decision & my attorney to file.
I feel like a cloud lifted & am now able to enjoy my retirement.
Hello, I have almost 100K in debt, 72 in unsecured loans, about 17 in CC's and 9 in a car which I'll be wanting to keep. I got divorced over 3 years ago and I kept the kids. I currently make 55K a year for a family of 3 in Georgia, have no assets and I rent. My sister-in-law went through a Chapter 13 years ago and suggested I consult with a lawyer for a Chapter 7 or 13. I've been overwhelmed the last 2 years trying to keep up with everything and I'm to the point I just can't keep going this direction.
I have a consultation next Thursday, but I have a payment for a loan coming up in 2 days. I already stopped the auto pay and was wondering should I still pay it as I currently have no late payments or misses? I'm at the point I'm going to file if I'm able to. Just I guess my anxiety is telling me to stay on top of payments of the loans and at least the mins on credit cards until the meeting.
I lost my job 2 days ago and I’ve been on my chapter 13 payment plan for 2 years and in total I have 3k saved up and was going to use some for the lawyer and is it possible to use the rest of that money for bills? Also during my chapter 7 process if I find a job that pays me just above the means test will I have to go back to my chapter 13 or something else? If it helps I’m from Kansas
Hello, I have some questions for some of you who have gone through this process.
I have about $80,000 in debt with about half of that debt being in Federal Student loans. I make $50,000 a year.
Do you think that my student loans will get discharged in a chapter 7 bankruptcy?
Thank you in advance.
Hello!
I know there is no legal advice to obtain here however I am looking for others experiences in being successful without an attorney.
I do not have the funds to hire an attorney and am trying to do this on my own. Through my research I see that this can be difficult. Has anyone filed their own? My two fears are one being rejected completely and two, leaving out a creditor.
Thank you! (Also I’m in CNY)
Hello,
I have a question, I went to flight school and took out a terrible Sallie Mae loan (no co signer). The school took twice as long as expected and I was basically a student for 2 years. I racked up debt and the interest grew my 90k loan to now around 130k.
I filed bankruptcy last year and got discharged of credit cards etc. I asked my lawyer about the Sallie Mae in the initial suit and they kinda brushed it off as “oh it’s a student loan we can’t discharge it, at the time I was happy to get all the other debt discharged and just took that as the gospel.
Fast forward to this year and a few payments behind, harassing calls from Sallie Mae and even calling 4 family members in another state. I looked into it further to see my options.
I saw someone who also went to a flight school get Sallie Mae discharged because the flight school wasn’t accredited. My flight school is also non accredited and not federal or listed as Title IV and is not part of a degree granting college or anything like that.
I reached out to the lawyer I filed with and they basically said it’s $4,900 to reopen the case to get that process started but won’t even tell me or advise me if it’s worth pursuing. Kinda feels like they just want my money and odd especially since they are the ones who told they wouldn’t do that the first time I filed.
Any (not l actual legal advice”) out there?
Hi guys
my company has failed and closed shop. now vendors are piling up with collection letters etc.
is there such a thing as chapter 7 for business only? will my personal assists and credit report not be affected by this? some of mg loans were not personally guaranteed. i am only aware of chapter 7 for personal
please enlighten me.
thank you
Disclaimer: Not legal advice just for educational purposes only.
A long time ago I knew very little about bankruptcy and went and talked to a bankruptcy attorney in his office.
I did not have complicated finances. No assets, no investments. Checking and savings. $274 a month car loan at the time.
I think this bankruptcy attorney was a former car salesman and a good one at that. He really PUSHED on filing Chapter 13 bankruptcy. Saying I could lose the car loan in a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, my credit will improve faster than a Chapter 7.
I was ready to file Chapter 13 bankruptcy after leaving the law firm. Glad I got a second opinion from a different bankruptcy attorney.
I told this second attorney everything what the first attorney told me. Second attorney immediately said "he just wants you to file Chapter 13 bankruptcy to get more money out of you. You'd be better off filing Chapter 7 bankruptcy and getting a clean slate".
I filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy with the second attorney. Got to keep the car and HUGE WEIGHT was lifted off my shoulders. My credit score improved faster than I thought too.
Nothing but lies from the first bankruptcy attorney!
Always get a second opinion from a different bankruptcy attorney.
If most of my debt is in my name, I can declare bankruptcy and leave my wife’s credit intact?
Hi I have $65,000 credit cards debt, earn $64,500 before taxes, a house paid off which $180,000 more than homestead exemption. After deducting all food, medical bills, utilities, insurance, HOA, property tax, I have about $700 left each month. I have had a hard time from divorce with 2 kids 3 years ago plus health conditions which I can’t pay minimum for all cc debt. I tried to work side hustle but couldn’t do much because of my health issue. I contacted DMP & Debt Settlement, but their monthly payments were still too much for me to afford. Should I file chapter 13? I’m really overwhelmed and afraid I might pay 100% repayment plans for 5 years. They might force me to put the house for sales or loan to pay off the creditors.
Is it possible that I can have less than 100% and still keep my house?
Thank you 🙏🏼
I have $100k unsecured debt and make decent money but with CC debt and all, cant pay the loans. Should i file for bankruptcy. I have some savings which i can pour into the debt. Please advise
Hello, so I had my consultation in july , paid my retainer fee . When I paid I was told they start to work while you are still making payments. Fast forward to today the lawyer was very cold. Every time I brought up addressing my student loans in a separate proceeding he stated that it wasn’t possible and kept shooting me down basically saying it’s not possible. Then he stated that they won’t know what I will qualify for or look at paper work to officially qualify until I pay the full 2,900. We are near the median income due to the overtime the past couple of months. I just find it rude they can’t even look at paper work to decide. I don’t want to end up in a 13. Anyone have lawyers they worked with in pa that work through a payment plan? I probably won’t file now until march because that’s when I finish school.
So basically me and my mom both are on the houses title, I’m filing chapter 7 and let the lawyers know that me and my mom both are fine if the trustee forces us to sell and we just keep our homestead exemption check or if the trustee decides it isn’t worth it we will just keep making the payments (we’re current). The issue is that my mom was going to pay the mortgage today and the loan company is telling us that since I’m filing chapter 7 and surrendering that they’re going to foreclose the home and she’s on the hook for the balance even though we’re still current and she hasn’t filed anything.
The lawyer never mentioned this to me as a possibility, he just stated that if the trustee decides not to sell then we can make payments like normal, no
One ever said anything about forced foreclosure even if we’re current on payments and the trustee decides it’s not worth selling. I’ve already reached out to lawyer with no response today so I guess I’m just posting this here hoping to get some feedback.
FYI we’re in Georgia.