It is not that easy to get rid of your debts, even with bankruptcy. Not only a lot of paperwork is involved for filing the petition, but you are also required to take a financial management course and provide a certificate of completion in the court to get bankruptcy discharge before you can rebuild your financial situation.
Los Angeles based law firm Recovery Law Group has been involved in assisting many clients with bankruptcy proceedings. Since many individuals have no prior experience of lawyers, bankruptcy and financial distress, much of it is overwhelming for people. It is therefore essential to inform the clients that they meet all deadlines for personal financial management and have all papers in order.
As per U.S. bankruptcy code, it is mandatory for bankruptcy filers to undertake a Personal Financial Management course within 45 days of filing for bankruptcy (under either Chapter 13 or Chapter 7). The course must be conducted by a U.S. Trustee approved provider. The course is an important and integral part of the pre-discharge duties and should be a priority for filers. Some exceptions can be made so that the filer doesn’t have to complete the debtor education course. The exceptions are:
- Unavailability of course in the filer’s district.
- Having a disability prevents the individual from attending the course.
- The individual is on active military duty.
However, unforeseen circumstances can force the filers to miss the 45-day deadline for debtor education requirement. In case the 45-day limit passes, legal assistance from your bankruptcy lawyers can help evaluate your options. Missing the deadline may not be a drastic issue, especially if your case is open and you can take the course and submit the completion certificate.
In case your bankruptcy case was closed before you could complete the Personal Financial Management course, most times judges allow debtors to reopen the bankruptcy case just for the filing of the certificate. A fee of $200 is charged to reopen the case, which is worth the money to get bankruptcy discharged.