From the very first day a debtor files their bankruptcy case, they receive protection from the “automatic stay,” which is a court order that prevents most creditors from taking any debt collection efforts against the debtor. This protection lasts through the debtor’s bankruptcy case, unless a creditor receives court permission to “lift the automatic stay” and pursue the debt. This is typically only allowed in special circumstances such as where the debtor is using, or possessing, valuable property used to secure a debt owed to the creditor for which the debtor is not fairly compensating the creditor, to the detriment of the creditor’s rights (i.e. driving a car around with a loan against it and not making payments).
