Q & A

Who can file a chapter 7 bankruptcy?
Anyone can file a Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

Is there a court filing fee?
There is a court filing fee of $200 for chapter 7 bankruptcy and it is paid directly to the court, not to us. If you like, you can ask the court to allow you to pay the fee in four monthly installments of $50 each. We provide you the completed form you will need for this.

Is there any minimum or maximum debt that you must owe before you can file?
There are no minimums or maximum amounts that you must owe before file a chapter 7 bankruptcy.

When will the creditor phone calls stop?
Your creditors are required by law to stop harassing you the moment you file bankruptcy. They cannot call you or send you collection letters. They cannot start or continue any lawsuits, wage garnishments, repossessions, foreclosures, evictions. If they have a judgment against you, they cannot try to collect the judgment.

Who notifies the creditors that I have filed?
The court clerk notifies them. Approximately one to two weeks after filing, the court clerk sends out a notice to every creditor that you have listed on your bankruptcy asking them to back off from harassing you. You do not need to do anything for them to be notified.

Do I ever have to repay the debts?
You never ever have to repay them anything. When your debts are discharged, it is as though you never even owed it.

Will my employer find out that I filed?
Though bankruptcy is public information, the court notifies only the creditors that you list in your bankruptcy. They do not notify your employer.

Can I get fired for filing bankruptcy?
Employers are prohibited from discrimination against you because you filed bankruptcy.

Does my spouse have to file too?
Your spouse does not have to file too. Even though you are married, you can file as an individual. If you and your spouse want to file together, you can file a joint bankruptcy and save money.

Can I keep my credit cards?
You can keep a credit card after filing bankruptcy but that depends on what you negotiate with the credit card company. We offer free reaffirmation agreements that you can use to keep the credit card or other debts that you want to pay after bankruptcy. Reaffirmation agreement are an option that you can select when you place your order for our services.

Will I have to go to court?
There is no court appearance required. You will have to attend a meeting of creditors which is presided over by a person appointed to look over your case. Though it is called the meeting of creditors, creditors rarely ever show up and seldom ever ask you anything. The trustee usually asks you a few simple questions such as whether the information on your papers is correct truthful. The whole processes usually  lasts about a minute. After that, you just go home and wait for the discharge letter.

Can I keep my house and autos?
In almost every case, you can keep your house and auto if you are able to keep up the payments. You are allowed to keep lots of property so that you can get a fresh start after bankruptcy rather than become dependent on the state. There are certain limits though, but most people who really need to file bankruptcy are well within those limits and have nothing to worry about.

Can I reaffirm some of my debts?
Reaffirmation is a process whereby you agree to keep on making payments as usual on select debts such as your house or car or even on a credit card. When you order from us, you have the option to order unlimited reaffirmation agreements too. Look for it on the order page.

How many years will bankruptcy stay on my credit?
Credit bureaus are allowed to report bankruptcy on your credit for 10 years but that is not as bad as it may sound. First, bad credit such as collections and charge-offs and judgments can stay on your credit for multiples of 7 years. That is, a judgment creditor can have it renewed every 7 years so that your bad credit could keep on showing for 7, 14 or even 21 years. When you think of it this way, you will see that bankruptcy is better than bad credit. The really good news is that you can purchase a house with the best interest rates in as little as 2 years after bankruptcy. You do not have to wait for 10 years to have good credit again.

Will my spouse be affected?
Your spouse will not be affected in they are not responsible for the debt, that is, if they did not sign for the debt. There may be some state by state exceptions to this though, in which case you may want to check with your state laws on marital debts.

Will I ever get credit again?
You will get credit again and it can be in as little as the day after you file or in 2 years, depending on the type of purchase you want to finance. You can get an auto loan in a matter of days but you will have to wait two years to finance a house.

Do I need to list all my creditors?
You will want to list all your creditors or else the ones that you do not list will not be wiped out. The whole idea of filing chapter 7 bankruptcy is to get rid of unwanted creditors.  We do not insist that you list every creditor. Assets are a different matter. You must make a full and truthful disclosure of your assets.

Can bankruptcy discharge student loans?
Bankruptcy can discharge student loans under the hardship rule. Student loans require a two-step process. You file bankruptcy and then you file a complaint for dischargeability.

If you have decided to free yourself once and for all from the burden of debt, having us prepare your bankruptcy is your best option. It is quick, extremely high quality, convenient and it works every single time. You can give us your bills now and kick back and relax while we do all the hard work for you -- or  you can procrastinate until your situation becomes beyond unbearable.

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