The good news about Chapter 13 bankruptcy is that your life does not need to remain at a standstill once we file your case. You are allowed to live! Get married! Get pregnant! Move! We can always adjust your Chapter 13 plan through what is called a motion to modify the plan.
When we originally file your case, we are budgeting your Chapter 13 payments based on your foreseeable income and expenses at the time of filing. Obviously, life can throw some good and bad curveballs at us. That is why you are allowed to file modifications along the way to adjust your payments for any increased costs, income changes, etc. during the life of your Chapter 13.
If you get married while in a Chapter 13, your trustee will find out when they see your next tax returns. It is possible they will want to look at whether your new spouse has income that may be contributing to your household resulting in new disposable income for your Chapter 13 payments. Usually, they don’t bother because a new spouse may have new income, but they also have their own new expenses that typically negate the increase in household income. Therefore, it is likely irrelevant when our Minnesota bankruptcy clients get married.
If you marry someone that makes significantly high income, let your attorney know and they will help guide you in whether it may impact your payments. Otherwise, enjoy your wedding and don’t let it stress you out! More often than not, nothing changes!
Sometimes there are new expenses that arise during the life of the Chapter 13 like adding a baby to the household. If you become a parent during your bankruptcy, or add a new addition to your household, that obviously comes with increased household expenses. Let your attorney know right away and they can look at your budget to see if they can lower your Chapter 13 payments to account for the new addition J
You are allowed to move anywhere in the world while you are in your Chapter 13. As long as you stay current with your Chapter 13 payments and send in your tax returns every year, you can live anywhere. Simply let your attorney know your new address each time you move so we can update it in our system and with the Bankruptcy Court so you continue to receive important notices.
Kain & Scott’s experienced bankruptcy attorneys know how to get you the best deal in a Chapter 13 bankruptcy. If you are interested in learning more about how Chapter 13 bankruptcy can help with your debts, reach out to Minnesota’s nicest bankruptcy law firm by going now to www.kainscott.com. You will be thankful you did.