Posted on June 29, 2021 in Student Loans

You may have heard that student loans are not dischargeable in bankruptcy. However, this is a construed and oversimplified statement. Under certain circumstances, you can get your student loans discharged, but the threshold is higher, and the process is more complicated than it is for other forms of debt.

To do so, you must demonstrate that paying the debt will cause you and your dependents undue hardship. Courts use different criteria to determine whether a borrower has shown undue hardship. Our District, the 5th Circuit uses the Brunner Test.

The student loan will get canceled if you can successfully prove undue hardship. Declaring bankruptcy also shields you from collection actions on your debts.

Consult with a bankruptcy lawyer to understand how bankruptcy and student loans interact.

Undue hardship

In legal terms, an undue hardship is a set of situations that entirely or partially excuses an individual or group of people from performing a legal obligation to avoid an unreasonable or disproportionate burden or hindrance.

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 Posted on June 29, 2021 in Taxes and Bankruptcy

There is a life after bankruptcy, and it includes taxes. Since bankruptcy and tax laws are both complex, it is critical to know how filing for bankruptcy may impact previous tax debt as well as future commitments to the IRS before you file.

The Bankruptcy Code requires a debtor to file an individual tax return or request an extension, per the IRS Publication 908 Bankruptcy Tax Guide and this return MUST be provided to your case Trustee. The bankruptcy case may convert or dismiss if this does not occur.

Bankruptcy and taxes can make anyone feel uncomfortable, especially during hard times. In this article, Acker Warren P.C. will share some facts about bankruptcy and taxes so you can prepare for what to expect and hopefully reduce some stress.

Will Bankruptcy Wipe Out Tax Debt?

Different bankruptcy chapters exist, and the sort of debt you owe might impact which chapter you must file and how your bankruptcy case will proceed. The bankruptcy court may compel you to sell some of your assets to pay off some of your debt. In other cases, before the remaining sum of your debt can be discharged, the court may create a payment plan with you to pay off creditors for a specific timeframe.

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 Posted on May 24, 2021 in Bankruptcy

The research team at Super Lawyers selects no more than 2.5 percent of the lawyers in the state to obtain this honor every year. The Texas Rising Stars list for 2021 included Arlington Based Law Firm Acker Warren P.C.

Super Lawyers is a Thomson Reuters business that recognizes distinguished lawyers from more than 70 fields of practice that have attained a high rate of peer recognition and professional success. The picks for the Rising Stars list are made by a patented multistage process that includes a statewide lawyer survey, an unbiased polling assessment of candidates, and peer reviews by practice field. As a result, a trustworthy, extensive, and varied list of outstanding attorneys develops.

About 2.5 percent of lawyers in each state are named to the Rising Stars list. To be considered for Rising Stars, an applicant must be under 40 years old and have practiced for a decade or less. Licensed and practicing attorneys are eligible to be nominated by their peers.

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 Posted on May 24, 2021 in Personal Debt

Getting sued by a debt collector can be overwhelming. Financial hardship takes a toll on our minds and can affect our mental health. However, it is essential to know that you’re not alone and have options if you’re facing debt-related problems. To understand what to do when you have been served, you’ll need to learn more about what happens to unpaid debts and how these lawsuits typically proceed.

What Happens When You Don’t Pay Your Debt

When you miss a monthly payment on a loan for the first time, the creditor will most likely contact you or send you a letter via email or postal mail to recover the overdue amount. After several months of missed payments, the initial creditor is likely to cut losses and sell the loan to a collection agency. The debt collector who bought your debt will then start collecting from you. If all collection efforts fail and you proceed to fall behind on your payments, creditors can file a lawsuit against you.

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 Posted on April 20, 2021 in Bankruptcy

On some occasions, debtors must act quickly to stop a creditor’s collection action such as garnishment, foreclosure, or repossession. In that case, quickly declaring bankruptcy may be beneficial. When a Debtor files a case, the court issues an automatic stay, which prevents most creditors from pursuing recovery efforts against you. However, completing all the bankruptcy forms takes time. If time is of the essence, you can file an emergency bankruptcy to obtain an automatic stay and file the remaining documents afterward.

An emergency bankruptcy filing is filed without any of the requisite paperwork to avoid a collection proceeding that is about to happen, such as a foreclosure, repossession, or wage garnishment. With an emergency bankruptcy filing, the automated stay is activated, halting all collection actions. The filer gets some time to complete the remainder of their bankruptcy forms. If the filer does not meet the deadline, the bankruptcy is dismissed, lifting the automatic stay.

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 Posted on April 20, 2021 in Life After Bankruptcy

Some people find themselves in a situation where they are unable to repay all their accumulated debts. Whether it is due to medical emergencies or a job loss, these dire situations put some people in a position where they have no choice but to max their cards and deplete their savings. Unfortunately, making the minimum monthly payments on credit cards and loans remains challenging even with unemployment checks or a temporary job.

Filing for bankruptcy can be a viable approach if you have financial issues. All collection actions are halted, including phone calls, wage garnishments, and certain lawsuits. It also eliminates various debts, such as credit card accounts, medical bills, and personal loans. However, it does not eliminate all responsibilities. For example, you still need to pay your student loans (most filers will NOT qualify for student loan discharge) as well as arrearages for child support, alimony, and most tax debts.

Life after bankruptcy means a new beginning. Your credit score will likely improve immediately upon discharge of your case. This is due to a large portion of one’s credit score stemming from the Debt-to-Income Ratio. The bankruptcy filing will stay on your credit report for ten years. However, it will only affect you for about two years. Most filers find that they can purchase a vehicle the instant a case is discharged. Additionally, debtors can expect a reasonable interest rate on a vehicle approximately a year after discharge. Most filers find that they are able to receive a credit card as soon as the Bankruptcy has been discharged. The reason for the rapid recovery of one’s credit is because you are viewed as a lower risk post discharge. You have legally written off at least some of your previous debts thus lowering your debt-to-income ratio. The largest affect stemming from a bankruptcy filing is a filers ability to qualify for a mortgage. Most filers find that they can qualify for a mortgage 2 years after a Chapter 7 discharge.

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 Posted on April 06, 2021 in Life After Bankruptcy

Financial struggles are a common source of marital difficulties that lead to divorce. Going through a tough divorce during the COVID-19 pandemic is difficult enough. Still, the struggles will be exacerbated if you lose your job or have to pay for extensive medical attention. Even if you don’t get sick or lose your job, divorce hurts most peoples’ finances and is the leading cause of bankruptcy in the United States.

Divorce and bankruptcy are two of the most stressful and mentally draining experiences a person can go through. Nonetheless, planning ahead will make both your bankruptcy and divorce less complicated and less expensive. The amount of property and debt you have, as well as the form of bankruptcy you intend to claim, determine if you can file for bankruptcy before or after a divorce.

In addition, applying for divorce and bankruptcy at the same time is not a smart option. Filing for bankruptcy when divorcing will confuse property separation, make each spouse’s living arrangement less predictable, and cause both the bankruptcy and the divorce to be prolonged.

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 Posted on April 06, 2021 in Bankruptcy

Bankruptcies track the financial climate as companies and consumers pursue relief from macro-economic disruptions. During the COVID-19 crisis, though, this relationship has flipped around. Despite media reports and many experts’ expectations on how the coronavirus and bankruptcy would interact, consumer and small business filing have sharply declined since mid-March 2020.

Despite accounting for a limited proportion of all bankruptcies, the number of Chapter 11 filings by major companies has risen since 2019. Consumers, small companies, and multinational firms have had different financial experiences during the COVID-19 crisis. Large companies have pursued and obtained bankruptcy protection as they would in a typical recession. Comparatively, affluent households have benefited on average from the fiscal stimulus and housing moratoria mandated by the CARES Act and other initiatives. Non-homeowners and small companies, on the other hand, may face financial, physical, and technical obstacles to filing for bankruptcy, especially in areas where unemployment is high.

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 Posted on February 26, 2021 in Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy is a legal proceeding where debtors have the opportunity to reorganize or eradicate their debt. Filing for bankruptcy can be a very financially rewarding situation for those overwhelmed with debt. A bankruptcy lawyer should be consulted as filing for bankruptcy is not an easy decision.

While the main purpose of bankruptcy can help to ease your debt burdens, it provides the added benefit of typically boosting credit score. Although the bankruptcy could appear on the credit report for up to 10 years, it does not have the detrimental effect some people might think it does.

Obtaining credit after a bankruptcy case is typically very easy. Credit cards, which are important for emergencies, typically can be obtained right after discharge (albeit with low limits in the range of $250 -$500). Your credit will usually improve if you follow some simple steps to boosting it after bankruptcy.

How long is bankruptcy listed on your credit report?

How long a bankruptcy is listed depends on which chapter you file. Chapter 7 and 11 bankruptcies will appear on your report for up to 10 years after filing. In Chapter 13 cases, it remains on the credit report for up to 7 years

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 Posted on February 26, 2021 in Chapter 7 Bankruptcy

The majority of Chapter 7 bankruptcy filers do not lose any assets through the bankruptcy process. These cases are often referred to as no-asset bankruptcy cases. In such a case, the Trustee informs creditors not to expect payment out of the bankruptcy proceeds.

In a no-asset Chapter 7 scenario, you do not have any assets that the bankruptcy trustee is allowed to take and sell for the benefit of creditors. Of course, most debtors have personal property and a home, but the debtor still normally retains all of their property because it is protected under federal or state law exemptions.

Understanding What No Asset Means

"No Asset" is a term used to describe debtors who declare bankruptcy without owning property that the Trustee or Creditors can take. It’s worth noting that this doesn’t mean the debtor is homeless or living in poverty. It implies that the debtor’s assets are all secured or shielded by exemptions or that the debtor’s assets that are not exempt are not valuable enough to warrant being sold.

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