Chapter 7
- Reach out to Steidl & Steinberg – Talk to one of our attorneys and schedule your free consultation.
- Attend your free consultation – Review your financial situation with an attorney, find out what type of bankruptcy is right for you, get quoted a fee and find out what paperwork you will need in order to file.
- Make your decision – Think it over, weigh your options and decide if bankruptcy is right for you.
- Gather paperwork and money – You will be given a list of everything that we need at the consultation. Gather all of the documents and let us know if you have any questions.
- Schedule a paperwork appointment – Contact our office to schedule a time to meet with one of our paralegals, who will begin the process of preparing your case for filing
- Review your draft – Your paralegal will send you a draft of the paperwork that will be filed with the Court. You must carefully review that draft and return the attached signature pages to our office.
- Your case is filed! – You are protected from any of your creditors taking collection actions against you. Creditors cannot call you, send you letters, start lawsuits, continue lawsuits, repossess vehicles or foreclose on your home.
- Get your hearing date – About 1-2 weeks after the case is filed, the Court will notify you, by mail, as to the date and time of the one hearing that you have to attend. Make sure you have a valid driver’s license or state identification card and social security card as you will need these things for your hearing. If you do not have them, now is the time to order them.
- Attend your hearing – Bring your driver’s license or state identification card and social security card and arrive 15 minutes before your hearing time. An attorney from our office will attend the hearing with you and will go over all of the questions you will be asked prior to the hearing.
- Take your financial management course – The latest that you can take the course is 60 days after your hearing. If you do not take it on time, your case will be dismissed and your debts will not be forgiven.
- Receive your discharge – The discharge is the order of Court that forgives your debts and ends the case. You will receive it 60-90 days after your hearing.
- Rebuild credit – Once you receive your discharge, you can start rebuilding your credit. The best way to do this is to get a small credit card, use it a bit each month for a necessity, like gas or groceries, and pay it off each month.
Chapter 13
- Reach out to Steidl & Steinberg – Talk to one of our attorneys and schedule your free, in-person consultation.
- Attend your free consultation – Review your financial situation with an attorney, find out what type of bankruptcy is right for you, get quoted a fee and find out what paperwork you will need to gather in order to file.
- Make your decision – Think it over, weigh your options and decide if bankruptcy is right for you.
- Gather paperwork and money – You will be given a list of everything that we need at the consultation. Gather all of the documents and let us know if you have any questions.
- Schedule a paperwork appointment – Contact our office to schedule a time to meet with one of our paralegals, who will begin the process of preparing your case for filing
- Review your draft – Your paralegal will send you a draft of the paperwork that will be filed with the Court. You must carefully review that draft and return the attached signature pages to our office.
- Your case is filed! – You are protected from any of your creditors taking collection actions against you. Creditors cannot call you, send you letters, start lawsuits, continue lawsuits, repossess vehicles or foreclose on your home.
- Get your hearing date – About 1-2 weeks after the case is filed, the Court will notify you, by mail, as to the date and time of the one hearing that you have to attend. Make sure you have a valid driver’s license or state identification card and social security card as you will need these things for your hearing. If you do not have them, now is the time to order them.
- Make your first payment – Your first Chapter 13 payment is due one month after your case is filed.
- Attend your hearing – Bring your driver’s license or state identification card and social security card and arrive 15 minutes before your hearing time. An attorney from our office will attend the hearing with you and will go over all of the questions you will be asked prior to the hearing.
- Continue making your payments and update us on any changes with your situation – You need to let us know of any address changes, phone number changes, employment changes, major increases or decreases in income or expenses, if you become entitled to sue someone, if you become entitled to inherit money, if you need to sell or transfer property or if you need to use or obtain financing.
- Take your financial management course – You must complete the course before your last Chapter 13 payment is due. Failure to do so will result in your debts not being forgiven.
- Finish your Chapter 13 payments – Congratulations! It’s been a long three to five years, but you did it.
- Take over payments on any debts that survive the bankruptcy – You may need to resume making payments on a mortgage, vehicle loan or student loan. Ask your attorney what you need to pay after your Chapter 13 payments are done.
- Receive your discharge – The discharge is the order of Court that forgives your debts and ends the case. You will receive it approximately four months after your last payment.
- Rebuild credit – Once you receive your discharge, you can start rebuilding your credit. The best way to do this is to get a small credit card, use it a bit each month for a necessity, like gas or groceries, and pay it off each month.