Preparing For Your Bankruptcy Filing

Staying organized and on top of bills can be challenging at any time, but when there’s just not enough money to keep up with everything, it can become nearly impossible. The stress of dealing with creditors, cutting your budget, and trying to juggle all your expenses can get to be overwhelming, but bankruptcy can offer relief. If you’ve been suffering under the weight of debt for many months or even years, it’s time to give me a call so you can explore your bankruptcy options.

Getting Started

When we meet, we’ll discuss your situation and explore helpful solutions. Using the basic information you provide, we’ll conduct the Means Test which will help us decide which chapter of bankruptcy would be most beneficial to you Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 Bankruptcy. After we’ve made our decisions, I’ll give you a checklist of all the documentation you’ll need to provide to demonstrate your income, debt, assets, and living expenses. This includes paystubs, W-2s, tax returns, all your bills such as medical and credit cards, and proof of ownership or payments for autos and homes. These documents will need to go back for six months. I’ll also give you some worksheets to help you document all of your living expenses, such as rent, childcare, entertainment, food, and insurance. All of this information will not only help us and the court to get an accurate view of your overall situation, but it will also help you to see exactly where your money is going so that you can make a new budget you can stick to.

Almost There

While you’re working on gathering all your documentation and before we get your case filed, you’ll also need to complete an online Pre-Bankruptcy Credit Counseling class. I’ll give you a list of reputable providers who offer this affordable class, which won’t take much time at all. During this class, you’ll learn more about bankruptcy and other financial solutions, as well as gain more insight into budgeting and planning for the future.

The next step after completing your class and preparing all your paperwork is to get your case filed. As soon as everything is submitted, you’ll receive your case number and the date of your 341 Meeting, and the automatic stay will also go into effect. This means that the calls and letters from your creditors will stop as soon as you tell them you’ve filed for bankruptcy and give them my contact information and your case number. This is a huge stress reliever and you’re one step closer to putting your debt behind you.

The Home Stretch

At the point of filing your case, most of your work is finished, and you only have a few more steps until your case is resolved. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by your debt, it’s time to get some information about how bankruptcy can help you. Give me a call and we’ll look at your situation and discuss your options.