What to Expect During Your Chapter 13 Case
- At the free initial consultation, one of our bankruptcy attorneys will meet with you to discuss all facets of your financial life, including the type and amount of debt which motivated you to contact us.
- At the end of the initial consultation, you will receive a packet of information to complete and return to us, which will allow us to prepare your bankruptcy case. The packet includes: a disclosure explaining how bankruptcy works; a list of approved credit counseling agencies; and a 26-page questionnaire.
- As you prepare your questionnaire, you should also make copies of the following information:
- 6 months worth of household income statements (pay stubs; support payments; etc.) for each debtor;
- Copies of your federal tax return for the last 2 years in which you actually filed a return;
- A copy of a credit report for each debtor, which can be obtained at www.annualcreditreport.com;
- A copy of the credit counseling certificate issued to each debtor.
- After you return these materials to our offices, we will prepare your filing, and e-mail or send the same to you for review prior to filing.
- Once we file your case, you will receive confirmation, both from our office and the office of the Chapter 13 trustee assigned to your case, of your case number, the date of your 341 meeting of creditors (approximately 6 weeks after filing), and the date for the bankruptcy court’s hearing to approve your plan of reorganization (approximately 6 weeks after your 341 meeting).
- Please remember that the first payment under your Chapter 13 plan will be due 30 days after your case is filed.
- One of our attorneys will accompany you to your 341 meeting of creditors, which is conducted by the Chapter 13 trustee at 6305 Ivy Lane in Greenbelt, Maryland. The meeting is purely informational, and provides an opportunity for the trustee and your creditors to question you under oath about your case, and for the trustee to comment on your proposed Chapter 13 plan. No decisions are made at the 341 meeting of creditors.
- Our bankruptcy attorneys will spend the time between your case’s filing date and its plan confirmation date addressing any objections to your plan filed by creditors or by the Chapter 13 trustee.
- If all objections are resolved and the Chapter 13 trustee consents to your plan, attendance at the confirmation hearing is usually not required.
- After your plan is confirmed, an order will be entered directing the automatic withdrawal of the plan payment from your paycheck or other income source.
- When performance of your plan is complete (3 to 5 years), you will receive a discharge, if applicable, and your case will be closed.
