When a person files for chapter 7 bankruptcy, they are asking the court to discharge, or completely wipe out, their debts without having to make any payments to their creditors. Usually, all their debts are discharged, except for certain types of debts (i.e. student loan debt, most tax debt, and debt owed as alimony or child support). In order to qualify for a chapter 7 bankruptcy discharge, the debtor must be unable to afford making payments to their creditors, as they would have to do in a chapter 13 repayment plan.

Unlike a chapter 13 bankruptcy case in which the debtor makes payments to creditors in a three to five year payment plan before receiving a discharge, a chapter 7 requires no payments to any creditors, and involves a discharge a mere few months after the case is filed. However, while the debtor gets to keep all their property in a chapter 13 case, this is not always so in a chapter 7 case. In the majority of chapter 7 cases, the debtor gets to keep all their property due to the fact it is “exempt”, or legally protected from being taken to pay creditors. However, in some chapter 7 cases, the debtor has certain nonexempt property that they must either surrender to the trustee to be liquidated (sold with proceeds going to pay creditors) or, alternatively, must be paid for by the debtor for their right to keep the nonexempt property. Any money paid by the debtor to keep nonexempt property likewise goes to pay creditors.

In most chapter 7 and chapter 13 cases, there is only one hearing you will need to attend.

Right now, there are hundreds of people in Eagan, Minnesota wondering how much it costs to file Chapter 7 Bankruptcy. Why do they wonder this? Because they are saddled with crippling debt and are looking to get their lives back.

One of the most important parts of filing a bankruptcy is the ability to get rid, or discharge your debts.  

It is that time of year, again. Tax filing season is upon us. If you find yourself in a Chapter 13 Bankruptcy in Minnesota, you may be wondering if you are able to keep your tax refunds. The answer to this question is determined by what your specific plan calls for. If your Chapter 13 plan is silent as to tax refunds, presumably you are allowed to retain possession of 100% of your tax refunds. However, if your plan has specific provisions dealing with excess tax refunds, you must comply with them.

It is typically easiest if all of your creditors are listed in your case correctly when the case is first filed. But, that cannot always happen. Sometimes you are unsure that a debt went to collections, maybe it was sold, maybe the creditor is finally trying to collect after years of not doing anything with the debt, or maybe you even forgot it existed. You can add creditors after your case is filed, but there are a few exceptions.

When a person files for chapter 7 bankruptcy, they are allowed to claim certain property as “exempt,” or legally protected from creditors up to a certain value. Property that is exempt cannot be taken by the chapter 7 trustee to be used to pay the debtor’s creditors, whereas “nonexempt” property can be taken for that purpose. Minnesota allows debtors to elect either “State exemptions” or “Federal exemptions” to exempt, and protect, their property. The Federal exemptions are those specifically provided in the Federal Bankruptcy Code. State exemptions include any Minnesota State law, or applicable Federal law, not provided for in the Bankruptcy Code. Deciding whether to use State or Federal exemptions is complicated and better elaborated upon in other blogs. However, it is imperative that the debtor select the correct exemptions to use, as it often drastically impacts how much property they will be able to exempt. This is why it is also a good idea to discuss one’s potential bankruptcy case with an experienced bankruptcy attorney before filing one’s bankruptcy case.

When filing a personal bankruptcy, you have to choose the bankruptcy chapter that will work best for your situation. Your attorney can help advise you on selecting the appropriate chapter. Although, some debtors are not eligible for filing a chapter 7, and will have to select a chapter 13 filing, others will voluntarily select to file a chapter 13. There are several reasons a debtor may choose a chapter 13 filing over a chapter 7, but once you have decided a chapter 13 is the right choice for you-you will next consider the length of the commitment period.

LifeBack Law is your neighbor! LifeBack Law is Eagan’s favorite bankruptcy law firm and we are located near you in Eagan, Minnesota at 4480 Erin Drive, Eagan, MN 55122. If you are looking for Minnesota’s HIGHEST GOOGLE reviewed bankruptcy law firm, look no further than LifeBack Law Firm right near where you live. When Eagan, MN residents are suffering from overwhelming debt, they want a law firm whose staff pampers them and takes care of them, not a law firm whose staff is self-centered and could care less about you.

If you are considering filing bankruptcy and wondering whether your spouse will have to file with you, the answer, which may surprise you, is no.

Are you an estate planning lawyer in Minnesota? I am not. I am the managing partner at LifeBack Law Firm, Minnesota’s largest bankruptcy law firm. And I am writing this article to highlight some issues we bankruptcy lawyers see often; including pitfalls and how to avoid them. When you meet with your estate planning clients, I suspect the subject of bankruptcy does not come up often. In other words, how is what you are doing with the client, in terms of estate planning, impacting a non-client heir who needs to file bankruptcy? 

Life is so humbling. Your best plans can go awry, quickly. I mean, who among us hopes when you get married, your marriage will be a failure? Who among us wishes for our business venture to turn into a disaster? Who among us hopes for an extended illness that costs tens of thousands of dollars and leaves us off work without pay? Nobody does this. We humans make elaborate plans and dream big dreams, and we should. However, life does not always play out the way you had planned it. I have accepted this broken road.

Receiving a Summons and Complaint from a creditor, or being threatened with a judgment can be scary, but what does it really mean for you financially? This is a question that a lot of potential clients have when we first meet. Please read on to find out more!

If you receive an inheritance before filing bankruptcy, whether it’s cash or physical property, then those items may become part of your bankruptcy.  

One of the most common questions we field this time of year is whether personal income tax debt is dischargeable. So many people are under the impression that tax debt can never be discharged in a bankruptcy, but that is not always the case! As with many things in life, and bankruptcy, the answer is not a simple yes or no. Read more to find out if your tax debt might be discharged in a bankruptcy.