I often counsel clients about whether they should file Chapter 7 and 13 Bankruptcy. In the course of counseling clients, I often remind them that their finances are sick; they are not. Do you see the difference? You are not your finances. When you pass from this earth, no one says, “She really knew how to pay a million-dollar hospital bill after her heart attack 10 years ago”. No one says this because you are not your finances. 

    Suppose you filed a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy in Minneapolis, MN. You have a lot of equity in your home so your attorney correctly uses the Minnesota Exemption scheme to protect your assets the best she can. I say the best she can because when using the Minnesota Bankruptcy Exemption scheme, we know not all of your assets will be protected. Why? Because the Minnesota Bankruptcy Exemption scheme is fairly rigid; your assets either fit neatly into a Minnesota Exemption or it does not. There is no “wild card” exemption as there is in the Federal Exemption scheme. 

Generally, Chapter 7 debtors are entitled to a discharge of their pre-petition debts. However, some debts are excepted from discharge. 11 U.S.C. 523(a). Of those debts that are excepted, some are excepted from discharge as a matter of law, e.g., 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(5) (domestic support obligations) and Section 523(a)(7) ) (fine, penalty, or forfeiture payable to a governmental unit). 

     You live in Minneapolis, MN and you are contemplating hiring LifeBack Law Firm to file Chapter 7 Bankruptcy on your behalf. You know you are going to hire LifeBack Law Firm as your bankruptcy law firm because LifeBack Law Firm is Minnesota’s most kind and helpful bankruptcy law firm. But before you file, you want to know, what do Chapter 7 Bankruptcy trustee’s look for in a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy case. The first thing you need to understand is Chapter 7 trustee’s get paid a small fee to administer most Chapter 7 Bankruptcy cases. Most would not be a trustee if they were paid this small fee only.