Advice On How To File For Bankruptcy
Advice On How To File For Bankruptcy
When you start the process of filing for bankruptcy, you are making the claim that you do not have the money you need to pay your bills. The reasoning behind the lack of funds, does not play any role in the court's decision to accept your petition. Use the tips below to help you through this difficult and confusing process.
Make sure that you have all of your financial paperwork with you when, you go to meet with your attorney about bankruptcy. They should tell you what you will need to bring. Generally, the paperwork will include car loan documents, home loan documents, and various financial records like credit card bills.
Trying to exclude family members you owe money to before filing for personal bankruptcy can get you into serious hot water. The court will look into who you pay-off as far as a year back, and if they find you showing favor to family over other creditors, they could invalidate your filing completely.
A huge mistake people make before filing for bankruptcy is maxing out their credit cards. This can lead to disaster when you file and the credit card companies might not discharge the debt. If you can, you need to stop using your credit cards at least six months before you file, and ideally for a year prior. Also, do your best to pay the minimum payments on these cards for at least six months before you file.
Don't charge up your credit cards knowing you are going to file bankruptcy, if you have already started the process or made recent purchases for luxury items. While this type of purchasing is still part of your "�debt,' it is likely that you'll still be responsible for repaying the money for those items. In most cases, what you are attempting to do is obvious.
Watch your lawyer fill out your paperwork carefully. They, most likely, have multiple cases going on at the same time and may not be able to keep up with every detail of your case. Be sure to carefully read all of that paperwork, in order to make sure that everything is filled out correctly.
A useful tip for those thinking about using personal bankruptcy as a way out of their financial difficulties is to exercise great care when choosing an attorney. By selecting a practitioner who specializes in bankruptcy and who has handled a large number of such cases, it is possible to ensure the very best outcome and the greatest likelihood of forging a positive financial future.
Make sure you have a solid understanding of which debts can be eliminated by bankruptcy, and which ones cannot. Debts like student loans, child support or alimony payments, and taxes, are generally not discharged through bankruptcy. Bankruptcy can help if your wages are being garnished or if you have large unsecured debts, like, credit cards and utility bills.
Take note of any tip you found to be especially helpful here. Print a copy to keep on your desk as you prepare to file for personal bankruptcy. This will make it easy to benefit the most from the information learned here. It is the details that are missed that may hurt you the most, so be sure to be careful when filing.