Month: April 2011

What Are the Benefits of Bankruptcy?

I am often asked during initial bankruptcy consultations about negative implications and benefits of filing either Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 Bankruptcy. My usual answer is that in most cases, benefits associated with a bankruptcy far outweigh its negative aspects. Debtors who are dealing with significant amounts of debt that they cannot repay should not fear filing. There are many benefits to filing; some readily obvious and some surprising.

Top 3 obvious benefits of filing for bankruptcy

1.    Assuming you are filing Chapter 7 bankruptcy, your bills will be discharged and you will not need to repay them. In Chapter 13 bankruptcy, you will be repaying either all or a portion of your debts through the plan that will be based on your ability to pay. Ultimately, bankruptcy will eliminate most or all of your credit card debt, loans, medical bills and other unsecured debt.

2.    Once you file for bankruptcy, your creditors will stop contacting you. You will no longer receive letters or phone calls from the creditors. Once the bankruptcy is filed, creditors have no right to contact you and can be punished by the bankruptcy court for doing so.

3.    After the bankruptcy is completed, debtors have an opportunity to have a fresh start without paying old bills and concentrate on rebuilding their financial health. They will not need to choose which bills to pay first, or chose between paying for their home or paying credit card debt.

Top 3 surprising benefits:

1.    Debtors get their dignity back.  They are able to sleep better at night knowing that they will not be harassed by creditors and they do not have to worry about the debt they are unable to repay. Once the bankruptcy is filed, there is an immediate sense of relief.

2.    Bankruptcy gives you a chance to rebuild your credit score. Your credit score is greatly affected by such negative items as judgments and late payments. While a bankruptcy will not rebuild your credit right away, it gives you a chance to make future debt payments on time which will lead to a better credit score.

3.    Your life becomes easier.   Concerns about debt can damage personal and business relationships, make work more difficult and can lead to depression. If those concerns are eliminated, debtors can go on with their lives.

Rather than being something negative, a bankruptcy is a solution to problems that otherwise cannot be resolved. It can help and it usually results in both financial and intangible benefits, and can lead to a life free of debt.

If you contemplating filing Chapter 7 Bankruptcy or Chapter 13 Bankruptcy, or are dealing with debt problems in Western New York, including Rochester, Canandaigua, Brighton, Pittsford, Penfield, Perinton, Fairport, Webster, Victor, Farmington, Greece, Gates, Hilton, Parma, Brockport, Spencerport, LeRoy, Chili, Churchville, Monroe County, Ontario County, Wayne County, Orleans County, Livingston County, and being harassed by bill collectors, and would like to know more about how bankruptcy may be able to help you, contact me today by phone or email to schedule a FREE initial consultation with a Rochester, NY, bankruptcy lawyer.

Hardship Discharge in Chapter 13 Bankruptcy

When a debtor files for Chapter 13 Bankruptcy in New York, the typical end result is either a 3 or 5 year plan requiring the debtor to pay his disposable income to the bankruptcy trustee, who in turn will pay to the debtor’s creditors. Occasionally, a debtor may suffer further financial reverses or health problems, so that the repayment plan is no longer affordable, and there is not possibility of modifying the plan. While one of the options is converting the Chapter 13 Bankruptcy into Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, it may not always be possible because of the means test issues.

If debtor can’t keep up with Chapter 13 plan payments, U.S. Bankruptcy Code includes a provision called a Hardship Discharge that provides relief for debtors who can’t continue with a Chapter 13 bankruptcy.  The hardship discharge is contained for in 11 U.S.C. 1328(b). The debtor who cannot complete the repayment plan, can ask the court for a hardship discharge. In most cases, the discharge is only available when the following conditions are met:

Through no fault of his own, debtor has experienced circumstances that are beyond his control that makes it impossible for him to continue to make plan payments.
The payments made so far in the Chapter 13 Plan are at least as much as each creditor would have received in a Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation case, i.e., the “best interest” test is satisfied.
The repayment plan can’t be modified to allow debtor to continue making payments at a lower amount.

When it is expected that the period of hardship is short, the bankruptcy courts prefer that debtor moves to modify his Chapter 13 Plan to pay a lower amount than was originally agreed upon until circumstances change for the better.  Given the present economic difficulties, bankruptcy courts, here in Rochester and elsewhere in New York, are willing to consider a hardship discharge as a way to move the case forward rather than risking dismissal or conversion to Chapter 7 Bankruptcy.

If debtor cannot continue to work as a result of an illness or injury, it is likely that his income was reduced significantly or he may not be able to work at all. In some cases, debtor might not have any money left over once his basic living expenses are met. In this case, a hardship discharge may be the answer. It will eliminate any debts that are dischargeable in a Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

If you contemplating filing Chapter 7 Bankruptcy or Chapter 13 Bankruptcy, or are dealing with debt problems in Western New York, including Rochester, Canandaigua, Brighton, Pittsford, Penfield, Perinton, Fairport, Webster, Victor, Farmington, Greece, Gates, Hilton, Parma, Brockport, Spencerport, LeRoy, Chili, Churchville, Monroe County, Ontario County, Wayne County, Orleans County, Livingston County, and being harassed by bill collectors, and would like to know more about how bankruptcy may be able to help you, contact me today by phone or email to schedule a FREE initial consultation with a Rochester, NY, bankruptcy lawyer.