Category Archives: Practical tips

Debtors who have been notified by a state unemployment agency that they have been overpaid — and also that the state would like to be re-paid, pronto — might be able to discharge such a debt with a bankruptcy case. Or they might not be able to. It really depends — on the particular facts […]

On the bankruptcy questionnaire I give to prospective clients, the very first thing I ask them to value is their jewelry. There’s a reason for that: it’s not that jewelry is subject to forfeiture in bankruptcy (in fact, there are generous allotments for debtors to keep jewels), but that it’s something that they are likely […]

If you hang around bankruptcy lawyers long enough, it won’t be long before you hear talk about “what’s on the I and J.” This sort of inside baseball talk refers to Schedule I and Schedule J, on which debtors are required to list all their sources of income (on I), and all their household expenses […]

If you have had wages garnished by a creditor, you certainly might be interested in ways to get some of all of that money back so you can spend it. Filing a bankruptcy case may do the trick, due to a technical portion of the Bankruptcy Code that deals with “preferences.” That, in turn, is […]

News flash: the new schedule J bankruptcy form doesn’t have any place for debtors to declare how much they spend on tobacco products per month. Full disclosure: the old Schedule J didn’t either. So smokers (and chewers, I suppose), where do you account for the financial damage for this habit? Under “Food and housekeeping supplies?” […]

When you are looking to file for bankruptcy, you are likely to get bombarded with advice, some well-meaning, and some self-serving. Like “It’s way too hard to do yourself. You definitely need to get a lawyer.” Or “It’s easy — if you hire me as your lawyer.” That last one is a little problematic, because […]

Schedule J of the official bankruptcy forms is critical for consumer debtors, because it is where they report all their household expenses, from mortgage payments to mousetraps. This, in turn, determines if there is anything left over after the end of the month (don’t laugh), when then decides if you qualify for Chapter 7 or […]