Mirror of Justice

Bankruptcy Law and the States

July 18th, 2009 at 02:52pm Under Discrimination Law

Although federal bankruptcy law mainly regulates bankruptcies, the individual states can have specific guidelines for the process within their jurisdiction. States can typically choose to have their own rules that govern the types of exemptions that the debtor is allowed to keep after filing for a discharge of their debts.
For instance, some states will allow debtors to keep their homes no matter how expensive or extravagant they are whereas other states will force the liquidation of property as an attempt to pay off the debts. Other variations include the types of debt that a debtor can discharge, although many of these are federally mandated without exception.
Florida bankruptcy law heavily favors debtors in regards to the property that they can retain. In fact, Florida has a reputation for being one of the most liberal states in the country for debtors to petition for a discharge of debts. The state government has elected to opt out of the federal regulations concerning the debtor’s lawfully retainable property.
According to Florida bankruptcy proceedings, you can keep more of your personal property during a bankruptcy than in any other state. As a result, many people who plan to file often move to Florida with their assets in order to take advantage of the state’s lenient bankruptcy law.
To see a contrast in the how the bankruptcy law changes from state to state, look at the exemptions that the Maryland law allows. Maryland is stricter in regard to the debtor’s assets that must be liquidated in a bankruptcy.
For instance, a debtor who files bankruptcy in Maryland is only entitled to keep $500 worth of household goods and furnishings as well as $3,000 of cash in their bank accounts. Also according to Maryland bankruptcy law, debtors can only retain up to $2,500 worth of personal property and the rest must be sold or liquidated so the proceeds can go towards paying the creditors.
Different states have varying guidelines regarding bankruptcy law, but each category has specific regulations, too. In a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, for instance, you can have many of your debts completely discharged so you can get a fresh financial start.
On the other hand, Chapter 13 bankruptcy requires you to enter into a repayment agreement that the courts will oversee and make provisions to help you pay off your creditors in a timely manner. Rules also vary as to how much of your property you are allowed to retain when going through a bankruptcy.
Although federally regulated, bankruptcy law hinges on the guidelines of the individual states and the bankruptcy chapter that the debtor chooses to file. While some states have lenient laws that favor the debtor’s situation, the bankruptcy laws in other states tend to favor the creditor.
Until the recent amendments to the federal bankruptcy code, the federal guidelines favored the debtor, but those times have changed and now it is much more difficult for a debtor to completely discharge their debts. As a result, many people either try to find solutions through loopholes in the system or they deal with the ramifications that filing for bankruptcy will have on their financial future.

Consumer Education is Key When Considering Bankruptcy

July 17th, 2009 at 08:57am Under Consumer Law

Only a few short years ago, it used to be fairly easy to file bankruptcy, almost as easy as it is in the board game of Monopoly, where the ramifications of doing so were about the same as in Monopoly. But it was determined that so many people were taking advantage of bankruptcy to compensate for a lack of financial skills, a lack of money management, and basically attempting to lead a champagne lifestyle on a beer budget that the bankruptcy laws were recently changed.

To be sure, the bankruptcy laws still vary from state to state, but there are some things that even state legislature cannot disagree on if they conflict with the federal bankruptcy laws. Even at this, some people have attempted to file bankruptcy in a state that may have more lenient bankruptcy laws than the state in which they have listed as their address of residence, and one of the things that the new bankruptcy laws is doing is ensuring that people who file bankruptcy do so in the state in which they live.

Another requirement of bankruptcy with the new laws is that the person filing bankruptcy is required to attend credit counseling sessions and financial education courses. While this is still part of the law and you can expect that requirement into the foreseeable future, studies are starting to show that such a requirement has so far failed to deliver the positive results that were expected, and in fact have delivered very few significantly measurable benefits to the consumer.

Is there a value to requiring consumers to spend (or as some say, “waste”) their time on credit counseling and financial education courses before being allowed to file bankruptcy? Many are saying it makes no sense at all. On one hand, the advocates who say it makes little sense are right, since by the time a person is so far in financial distress that bankruptcy is their most viable option, the time for financial education and credit counseling has long since passed. But on the other hand, how do you require someone to attend those classes and counseling sessions BEFORE they get into a bankruptcy situation, since the vast majority of people are unwilling to admit, even to themselves, that they are heading in the wrong financial direction.

Good consumer information about bankruptcy is one answer. While the government or the state cannot protect each and every consumer from financial folly, nor can they force the consumer to attend courses or counseling, they can put the monkey on the consumer’s back by making information about bankruptcy available, perhaps even at no charge. The vast majority of consumers have no clue about the various chapters of bankruptcy and which one they should choose if they get into a bankruptcy situation.

Moreover, most consumers think of bankruptcy as their only option, when in reality the act of declaring bankruptcy should be the option of last resort. There are many viable alternatives to bankruptcy, most of which do not have the long-lasting negative impact on the consumer, such as the fact that bankruptcy stays on one’s credit report for the next 7 to 10 years. Consumers should be taught about the options that are available before considering the “act of last resort”, which is bankruptcy. For example, debt consolidation firms can pull a consumer out of the financial fire without requiring bankruptcy in many situations.

Consumer education about bankruptcy is paramount, and every consumer should make a point to understand at least the basics of bankruptcy, what it means, how it works, and most of all, what viable alternatives to bankruptcy are available.

Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Law Provides Reorganizaiton Of Debts For Businesses

July 17th, 2009 at 02:52am Under Discrimination Law

It is the Chapter 11 bankruptcy law that allows businesses to seek the same protection and relief that individuals have a right to under the Federal bankruptcy statues. Any business entity, whether a large corporation, a small partnership or even a one-man sole proprietorship, can file under Chapter 11 in order to have their debts reorganized.
The Chapter 11 law requires that the business filing for brokeness, must provide full financial disclosure to the bankruptcy court. This means that the organization, or their attorney, must provide a complete and detailed list of all of the company’s assets, all of the liabilities and a complete statement of the financial status and affairs of the entity.
Unlike other types of bankruptcies, according to Chapter 11 law, the debtor is able to act as his own trustee. In Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy cases, the court appoints a trustee.
When a debtor acts as a trustee in a Chapter 11 bankruptcy, it is known as a “debtor in possession” because the trustee maintains possession of the property. However, the court is able to appoint a different trustee to the case if there is just cause shown, such as in the case of mismanagement of the business entity.
After approximately one month from the time that filing for bankruptcy took place, the business and their bankruptcy attorney attend a meeting with the various creditors of the entity. According to Chapter 11 bankruptcy law, the company also is required to submit monthly activity reports that show the company’s income and expenses. These reports are also summarized in the form of a balance sheet and a profit and loss statement for the period.
Chapter 11 law allows for the debtor to file a financial plan during the first four months after a new bankrupt filing is submitted to the Federal bankruptcy court. After that time, the creditors of the company are allowed to submit filings of their plans.
The Chapter 11 law also requires that the plan submitted by the debtor includes a disclosure statement that goes into detail of company’s financial situation and future plans. Some of the areas that are disclosed are the following:
- a summary of the company history and the primary cause that necessitated filing for brokeness;
- the company’s assets and liabilities;
- the income and the expenses of the operation; a
- description of the company’s treatment of their creditors;
- an analysis of asset liquidation; projections of future earnings;
- expected tax consequences;
- a discussion of various options open to the entity;
- and finally, the plan for repayment of the debts.
According to Chapter 11 bankruptcy law, the plan for reorganization can stipulate that the company must continue to operate the business in order to make the payments from future income, or from the proceeds of new loans or the sale of existing assets. Creditors who hold priority claims, including tax debts, are required to be paid in full.
Any secured claims also require full payment and must include interest as well. Other debts that are non-priority and are unsecured receive dividend payments which equal at least the amount that would have been granted under a Chapter 7 filing.

New Bankruptcy Law

July 16th, 2009 at 02:52pm Under Discrimination Law

It is imperative that both the debtors and creditors should be aware of the new bankruptcy laws so that they can save themselves from any unwanted future mishap. The U.S. Congress has made enormous changes that came into existence from October 2005.

There are some facts that are related to bankruptcy which are the main causes that bankruptcy law needed to be changed. Some of the facts are:

The filing of bankruptcy has just increased twice in the year 1995-2004 and the credit card companies were earning tripled profits. Approx. 80% of the people above the age of 60 had lost their job due to bankruptcy. Last but not the least, the filers of bankruptcy had the median income of $28,000.

Now let’s go through with the new changes in the bankruptcy law. If you are filing for bankruptcy, then the bankruptcy court can ask you to go through the Means Test first. On the basis of your result only, the court will conclude which bankruptcy will suit your case the most. As per the test, it will be assessed that how much money you are holding after paying off the necessary expenses. If your money is less than the median monthly income of the state, then you are qualified for the Chapter 7 bankruptcy. On the other hand, if your money is more than the median monthly income of the state, then court will ask you to file for Chapter 13 bankruptcy. The unfortunate part is that the day to day necessary expenses will be decided by the IRS instead of you. The court and IRS will allow you minimum allowable expense only.

These above bankruptcy laws will be a great help to you before filing bankruptcy so that you can estimate which chapter is best for you.

Bankruptcy Law

July 16th, 2009 at 08:53am Under Discrimination Law

Bankruptcy is a legal procedure in which people or businesses that are not in a position to pay their debts are dealt with. Creditors will normally file petition against individuals or businesses that are not in a position to pay their debts after a long period of time. Debtors are normally given a chance to appeal against the petition filed against them for their failure to pay their debt.  There are times when the debtors are not in a position to pay their debts as they fall due. In this case the bankruptcy law comes in handy. This law allows the debtor to divide his assets among the creditors as a way of settling the debt. This is done under the supervision of trustees who review the debtors petitions and also have the responsibility of overseeing the pay plan in the debt recovery process.In the United States of America, the bankruptcy laws are supervised in the courts in a special procedure. However with time this may not be so. The law has taken a new path meaning it will no longer be as easy for new filers to file a petition against debtors as it has been. In the past, debtors were allowed to pay their creditors as they earn, but the new law  may make this impossible.There will be a procedure where the debtors will be required to go through counseling in matters to do with handling cash and on how to manage debt. It is only after the completion of this that one’s debt can be forgiven accordingly. In the old rule, one was able to choose the best way to deal with their financial situation.

Important Facts About Bankruptcy Laws

July 16th, 2009 at 02:53am Under Discrimination Law

Due to the latest law changes in bankruptcy, it is becoming very difficult for people to file bankruptcy. Due to these changes those people who are high income earners, who used to pay their debt at Chapter7 have now to repay their debts at chapter13. Before the prosecutor (debtor) to file a case of bankruptcy, there must be budget counseling and management session of their debts before any of their debts can be wiped out of the phase. Since the new law has imposed new requirements, the attorney finds it difficult to represent you in a bankruptcy case since lawyers aren’t favored by the new law.As a result of the new regulations, claimers are not privileged in choosing the kind of insolvency that is friendlier to them. Meaning that (liquidation-chapter 7 bankruptcy opposing repayment-chapter 13 bankruptcy).As a result, new rules are more efficient as it is not used by high income earners.The choice of using either chapter 7 or chapter 13 comes across from what one earns per month. The monthly income, depending whether one is a high income earner is or a low income earner. Incase of a lower income or one same to the median, chapter seven is used either way one passes the means test.The represented trial permits one to conclude whether you have adequate throwaway profits after Hiring out the liability disbursements and the expenditures tolerated so as arrangement on Chapter13 bankruptcy.Depending on the total that’s missing after the working outs of the review revenue with the permissible operating cost and balance compensations you can choose whether to use part seven go or else. The simplicity of this can be made via the means examination calculator that’s online by means of the assent profits, expense orthodox of your situation, region and spring to end your aptness in this scheme. Requirements for bankruptcy counselingCredit psychotherapy by the United States Trustees office should be permitted to resolve whether to file under chapter7 bankruptcy laws or chapter 13 bankruptcy laws. At the ending of this case an individual go to one more therapy meeting to study of the private monetary supervision.Since chapter 13 uses the old rules, it is cheap and readily available since the disposable income is devoted to the repayment plan. This chapter filers use their disposable income given by expense amount dictated by the IRS-not their actual expenses-if their income is higher than the median state whereas these expenses are subtracted from the filer’s actual earnings each month but from filer’s income six months before filling.

Dealing With Bankruptcy Laws

July 15th, 2009 at 02:52pm Under Discrimination Law

It is always a matter of importance to keep ourselves updated with the current development and happenings that go on around us. It is especially crucial to be aware of the changing laws because you never know when you might need to face it. This is one fact that we cannot emphasize enough. Approaches to dealing with bankruptcy are guided by a number of laws. At one point or another in your business venture when you find yourself in this situation, it will require you to verse yourself well with the truths concerning the legal procedures that you should undertake as far as paying your debtors is concerned.Currently, there have been changing sections of the bankruptcy laws and they may not be as you used to know them previously. Many of the changing laws will make it a bit harder to prove your need for filing insolvency and in addition if you manage this stage, the process might take longer than expected for it to go through.Other aspects of the laws that are prone to change are the fees payable to the attorneys. It is likely that the fees will go up by up to 100 percent. The different chapters of the law will also be revised especially chapter 7 and 13. Once this takes effect, many debtors will be forced to file under chapter 13, which will see to it that debt cancellation will almost be impossible. This will prove to be much tougher on many debtors, who would otherwise prefer chapter 7 since it gives room for debt cancellation. For more information please keep yourself updated by visiting the bankruptcy law web pages.

New Bankruptcy Laws

July 15th, 2009 at 08:53am Under Discrimination Law

Someone said that the only permanent thing in the world is change itself. For this reason, we do not expect anything to last forever as it is today. What more do we need to be told? With this fact on the table, isn’t it true that we need to keep ourselves updated about the changing legislation, laws and regulations that govern our lives and our businesses?Are you a business person who has had to file for bankruptcy before, simply because you had more debts than assets and you could not manage to pay your debtors? Do you still recall what the law required of you and what the different chapters of the same required of you? Well then, all that might be changing now.There are new bankruptcy laws that are now in use and you need to familiarize yourself with them, just incase you might find yourself in this sticky situation, or you might know someone who is going through the same.  Just to mention a few of the changing rules, in the old law, if you filed under chapter 13, it was easy to determine for yourself what you would be paying to your creditors on a monthly basis but that will no longer be possible.In the new bankruptcy law, the IRS will be involved in determining what you are worth per month after deductions of your basic needs of food, clothing and rent and the remaining amount will be divided in certain proportions to your creditors. Life will be a lot harder for debtors under this new law, but when the going gets tough, the tough get going.

California Bankruptcy Laws Provide Two Options For Exemptions

July 15th, 2009 at 02:53am Under Discrimination Law

Things happen. No matter how hard a person tries, sometimes events in a person’s life turns everything on end and creates havoc. Often, this results in serious financial challenges which leads people to seek bankruptcy relief to help them recover from such problems. If you happen to live in California, then there are some California bankruptcy laws that apply specifically to that state.
In California, bankruptcy laws are basically derived from the US Federal bankruptcy statues and codes, or Title 11 of the United States Code. However, the state has allowed for some differences in the exemptions that are allowed when filing for brokeness. In general, the exemptions refer to income and assets that a debtor has which will not be affected by it, or in other words, which are exempt from the brokeness proceedings.
The laws in California allow for the use of the federally sanctioned supplemental exemptions, in conjunction with the allowed California State exemptions. This state is comprised of four areas for US bankruptcy court California districts and each of these courts is named for that district. The four districts are: the California Central bankruptcy court, the California Eastern bankruptcy court, the California Northern bankruptcy court, and the California Southern bankruptcy court.
There are two different sets of exemptions that are allowed under the California bankruptcy laws. These two classifications of exemptions are known as System One and System Two and the debtor has the ability to choose which system of exemptions they will file their bankruptcy claim form under.
Under California law, the System One option provides for a homestead exemption of up to $50,000 for a single person who is not disabled, up to $75,000 for families, and up to $125,000 for those who are senior citizens. System One also allows for the following personal property exemptions: cash in the bank up to $2,000; building materials of up to $2,000; jewelry and heirlooms up to a value of $5,000; motor vehicles up to a value of $1,900; burial plots; appliances; home furnishings; personal clothing; health related aids; food; and any money that comes from personal injury or wrongful death claims.
Additionally, System One also makes allowances for the following exemptions: insurance claims of any type; pensions; benefits such as unemployment compensation; workers’ compensation claims; health aid claims; tools of the trade which includes such items as tools, uniforms, equipment, books and manuals needed to continue in a trade; and wages exempt at a minimum of 75%.
System Two exemptions of the brokeness laws in California differs a great deal from the System One exemptions. The homestead exemption in System Two allows for a maximum of $17,425 for all homestead categories. The jewelry and heirloom exemption is capped at $1,150.
The motor vehicle exemption is up to $2,775 and the trade tools exemption is limited to $1,750. System Two also limits the total amount of personal benefits that can be exempted to $17,425 and also allows for a wild card exemption of up to a value of $925. Under System Two there is no wage exemption and only ERISA-qualified pension benefits are exempt.
Because these two exemption systems under the California bankruptcy laws tend to be complex, it is strongly recommended that people hire an attorney who specializes in this area of the law for help with bankruptcy. Generally, the attorney will review your complete financial situation and make a recommendation about which of the two exemption systems would be best to use when it is time to file bankrupt in this state.

There Are Bankruptcy Laws That Can Protect Us

July 14th, 2009 at 08:53am Under Discrimination Law

Some times people get to a point where they have taken on too much credit and become overpowered by the weight of too much debt, just remember though that there are bankruptcy laws that can protect us. There are some creditors that will think nothing of bullying and harrassing people who do not pay on time, this isn’t such a bad thing when there are people that are just plain irresponsible. In most cases though people who can’t pay the bills are living at the bottom financially. They don’t know where to turn for help to get out of their situation, and the constant telephone calls and threatening letters only add to the stressful situation.
This is one of the reasons why people get to the point where they file for bankruptcy. Bankruptcy laws are very clear, creditors cannot contact the people one they have filed, although some may continue to call and plead ingnorance to the bankruptcy filing. When this happens the person’s attorney will probably write a letter to the company reminding them of bankruptcy laws. This will most often stop the harrassment and give the clients of these companies some much needed relief.
Bankruptcy Laws – Learning All About Them
When someone decides to seek protection from creditors, they will go to an attorney to find out about their options. If you find yourself in this situation, you should ask about the bankruptcy laws that pertain to you and your individual situation. Learning the bankruptcy laws can save you a lot of worry when going through this arduous process. You need to understand that the laws were put into place to protect people from having to deal with addtional anxiety in an already stressful situation. To a creditor, the difficulty that someone is going through doesn’t matter at all.
The creditors are the main reason that bankruptcy laws were established. The bankruptcy laws’ purpose are to protect the individual who is forced to file for bankruptcy, from the creditors that are only interested in collecting the money due to them. Although these laws are in place, there are some companies that will stand on the fine line of the law and even cross this line to get their point across. This is why you must get a good lawyer involved with your case as soon as possible, so that you have a professional intemediary that can deal with the less than professional companies.