Bankruptcy can be trying times for people struggling to make ends meet. Though you can file for bankruptcy on your own, Los Angeles based bankruptcy law firm https://bankruptcy.recoverylawgroup.com/ suggest that you hire a bankruptcy attorney to help you with your case. Despite a lot of information regarding bankruptcy is available online, it is important that you ask the following questions with any potential attorney you wish to hire for handling your bankruptcy case.
- Which chapter of bankruptcy would work best for you?
Individuals can file for bankruptcy under Chapter 7 or Chapter 13. To qualify for Chapter 7, you should be able to pass the means test. According to this, your average income should be less than the state median for a household of similar number of members. Chapter 7 is preferred as it takes relatively smaller timeframe to get a discharge. Any non-exempt property you have is liquidated to pay your creditors and remaining unsecured debts are discharged at the end of the bankruptcy case.
If you are unable to pass the means test, Chapter 13 is an option. For this case, you need to have enough income to support a repayment plan, where your disposable income will be used to clear your debts over a period of 3 to 5-years. Additionally, if you have more equity in the property than can be exempted, Chapter 13 allows you to keep the non-exempt property if you pay unsecured creditors an amount equal to the value of the non-exempt property. An adept bankruptcy attorney can help in determining which chapter would be best for you.
- Which assets can be protected during bankruptcy?
Anything you own including your property and any assets becomes part of your bankruptcy estate. However, federal and state government provide exemption through which you can protect your property. A qualified bankruptcy attorney Los Angeles can help you in protecting most of your assets when you file for bankruptcy. This includes any foreclosure or repossession from creditors.
- What happens in the case of preferential payment?
If you pay any creditor at the expense of another, this might be considered a case of preferential payment, which is not looked upon kindly by the court. An experienced bankruptcy lawyer can distinguish between the payments made by you to all creditors, to determine whether any of them can be considered preferential. If there are any such payments made, they might also find ways to rectify them.
- What is the 707B objection?
Sometimes, the bankruptcy trustee might object to Chapter 7 filing of a debtor. This may be due to the high income of the debtor, which makes them a better candidate for Chapter 13 bankruptcy. Generally, your income and the type of your debts are considered while deciding on the bankruptcy chapter. Higher-income generators have a better chance of paying their debts and therefore in such cases, Chapter 7 bankruptcy is rejected in favor of a Chapter 13 bankruptcy. Bankruptcy lawyers at 888-297-6023 can help you with your bankruptcy.