A chapter 7 bankruptcy is a great and powerful tool that allows people to get rid of huge amounts of debts that they can no longer financially afford to pay. Unlike, in a chapter 13, in which a person pays as much as they can towards their debts in a 3 to 5 year repayment before receiving a discharge of their remaining debts, a person in a chapter 7 bankruptcy case is not required to make payments towards their debts, and typically receives a discharge within 3 to 4 months after filing their case. Any person is allowed to file for chapter 7 bankruptcy so long as they qualify based on their income (the person must have an income that is below the State median income for their family size).
