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What to Expect from a Meeting of Creditors when Filing for Bankruptcy in Owatonna, MN

Filing a bankruptcy petition often seems intimidating to our clients because of the many steps and requirements involved in the process. While it’s true that bankruptcy proceedings in the U.S. have several requirements, forms, schedules, and a mishmash other legal formalities, filing for bankruptcy doesn’t have to be insurmountable. At Behm Law Group, Ltd., we offer legal advice and assistance for those considering filing for bankruptcy in Owatonna, MN.

Among the many requirements demanded of filers are the preemptive measures U.S. Bankruptcy Courts take to ensure a debtor has a valid petition and will not be rejected for debt discharge or debt reorganization. Some of these measures are also designed to educate debtors on their financial situations and are required in the hopes that a filer will be better equipped to survive financially after the bankruptcy process is complete.

Mandatory credit counseling is one such requirement, as well as the meeting of creditors—also known as a 341 hearing.

 

Meeting of Creditors for Chapter 7 Petitions

If you’ve chosen to file for Chapter 7 (liquidation) bankruptcy, you will attend a meeting of creditors between 21 and 40 days after filing your petition. While a Chapter 7 trustee will orchestrate this meeting of creditors, there will not be a judge present. The meeting essentially serves to verify the accuracy of the representations made in your bankruptcy petition.  It also serves to provide the bankruptcy trustee and, perhaps, some of your creditors to ask you questions about the representations made in your bankruptcy petition and about your assets.  In most cases your creditors will not be present, but there are instances where some or all of your creditors may attend and ask you questions.

 

Meeting of Creditors for Chapter 13 Petitions

In Chapter 13 cases, the meeting of creditors is more likely to be referred to as a 341 hearing (although it is not an official court hearing). The 341 hearing will take place between 21 and 50 days after your petition for Chapter 13 (reorganization) bankruptcy is filed. Just as with a Chapter 7 meeting of creditors, there will be a trustee and, perhaps, some of your creditors in attendance, but no judge will be present. This purpose of a 341 hearing is to determine your past and present financial and tax situations, including expenses, exemptions, income, and asset values.

Our attorneys at Behm Law Group, Ltd. are well equipped to help you get through the process of a meeting of creditors. If you have questions about what to bring to your meeting of creditors and how to organize your financial history, contact us at (507) 387-7200 for more information about filing for bankruptcy in Owatonna, MN.

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Major Bankruptcy Acts in the U.S. During the Twentieth Century and Their Significance for Bankruptcy in Marshall, MN, Today

Bankruptcy laws have changed significantly since the early twentieth century, and even since the mid to late 1900s, amendments and jurisdictions have altered how bankruptcy cases in the U.S. are processed. To an individual or small business unfamiliar with the bankruptcy system, the information involved in bankruptcy laws can seem complicated, tedious, and even confusing. To unravel the complexities of the bankruptcy code, Behm Law Group, Ltd. offers legal advice and assistance for those considering filing for bankruptcy in Marshall, MN.

In the past century, there have been several major changes to the U.S. bankruptcy system. Among these legislations, three main acts deserve recognition:

  • The Bankruptcy Act of 1938, or the Chandler Act, gives individuals and businesses the agency they have today for voluntarily filing bankruptcy petitions. This act opened filing to a wider range of debtors and made it easier and more appealing to file for bankruptcy. The basis of the act was to make it beneficial to file for debt reorganization overseen by a court-appointed trustee.
  • The Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1978, or the Bankruptcy Code, significantly changed the bankruptcy system. Not only did it replace the Bankruptcy Act of 1898, it also established much of today’s Title 11 standards, changed the structure of U.S. Bankruptcy Courts, forbid employment discrimination against those whom have filed for bankruptcy, and served to regulate the majority of bankruptcy cases filed under Chapter 7 and Chapter 13.
  • Bankruptcy Amendments and Federal Judgeship Act of 1984 was established to alter the 1978 Act and amend any flaws. This legislation is still considered the most permanent and major act affecting the U.S. bankruptcy system and allows for the direct application of all current amendments that relate to any bankruptcy case in question. The act of 1984 also affected how changes are made to the system in accordance with social, economic, and technological growth (credit cards, etc).

While these three acts are all major in U.S. bankruptcy history, there are still many other amendments involved in Title 11 bankruptcy cases, including numerous changes made between 1984 and today, particularly the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005. For more information about filing for bankruptcy in Marshall, MN, contact Behm Law Group, Ltd. at (507) 387-7200 today.

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Dallas’s Threat of Bankruptcy and How Municipal Cases of Bankruptcy Can Force Government Employees to File for Bankruptcy in Mankato, MN

In late November, reports covering the delicate financial situation of Dallas, TX, began to appear in several publications, including the New York Times. The possibility of Dallas filing for municipal bankruptcy has forced many individuals and small businesses tied into the city budget on the defense. Though Dallas is far from south-central Minnesota, its municipal bankruptcy case serves as a predictive tale for how the financial failure of a city’s government affects its employees. At Behm Law Group Ltd., we provide legal advice and assistance for government workers and other individuals filing for bankruptcy in Mankato, MN.

The 385 square miles of Dallas has experienced the fastest economic growth in the past 50 years out any of the 13 largest cities in the US. Unfortunately, that rapid expansion has caught up with the city budget, and Dallas will likely be filing for municipal bankruptcy in the new year. This situation will affect almost all government employees, including pension-earning police officers and firefighters.

The Dallas budget is estimated around $3 billion, and the city government is currently in need of an emergency bailout of roughly one third of the total annual budget. The problem stems largely from a retirement plan put into place in 1993 for police officers and firefighters. The plan offered the city’s public safety officials the opportunity to delay the standard retirement at age 50 and work for a few more years in exchange for a substantial bonus to their pension.

However, the idea that there would be a 5% employment growth each year with a 9% annual return on the new employees fell through, leaving the promised pensions with no support system. Twenty-three years later and this lack of financial balance left the city at a loss. Hints that public safety retirees would no longer be allowed to withdraw their pensions in large amounts caused a scare that pushed the withdrawal of around $220 million from the pension accounts.

This imbalanced pension system, in combination with several over-budget public projects, landed Dallas in the precarious financial situation the city government now faces. Dallas Mayor Michael Rawlings is now forced to consider filing for municipal bankruptcy to request a federal bailout.

The Dallas situation has been reflected on a smaller scale in several cities across the US, largely due to the city promising government retirees more than they can afford. Not only does the municipal debt affect those retirees, it also affects every other government employee and all entities associated with the government budget. Read more about the Dallas case here, here, and here. Contact Behm Law Group Ltd. at (507) 387-7200 for more information about your own financial situation as a government employee and for guidance on how to take steps to file for bankruptcy in Mankato, MN.

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Why Cases Are Dismissed When Filing for Bankruptcy in Redwood Falls, MN

In the early half of the 20th century, the bankruptcy system in the United States was much less rigorous than it is today, and could be abused with relative ease. This abuse led to hundreds of cases with less than deserving bankruptcy petitions, and the system was finally altered with successive overhauls and additions to bankruptcy law in the 1970s, 1980s, and early 2000s. Today, it can be difficult to file for bankruptcy in Redwood Falls, MN, without legal help such as the assistance Behm Law Group can provide.

Filing for bankruptcy without the advice and assistance of an experienced attorney can damage the validity of your petition, and for several reasons, it may even lead to your case being dismissed.

A common reason why many petitions are dismissed is because the filer did not complete a mandatory credit counseling course before filing. US law requires that all filers go through state-approved credit counseling, and failing to do so is ground zero for your case being dismissed.

All filers must also pay a filing fee in order to enter into the bankruptcy process. Without paying the court fees, your case will certainly be dismissed. For low-income filers, it is possible to apply to waive the court fees.

The Minnesota Means Test is applied to all bankruptcy cases, and failing this test will immediately render your petition null. The test is designed to measure your income against the median income of Minnesota households. If your income is higher than the median you will not be able to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, but you may have options for a Chapter 13 petition.

Failing to submit all the required information will also get your bankruptcy case a quick boot out the door. The forms, documents, and schedules needed to submit a complete petition are extensive and tedious, but Behm attorneys can help you organize and gather all of the necessary information.

The silliest way to guarantee the dismissal of your bankruptcy case is by failing to attend your meeting of creditors. Mark down the date of this short, mandatory meeting, and don’t be late.

Behm attorneys help you throughout the bankruptcy process, including helping you determine whether you qualify for bankruptcy and how you can become a viable bankruptcy candidate.

For more information about filing for bankruptcy in Redwood Falls, MN, contact Behm Law Group at (507) 387-7200.

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Collaborative Possibilities for Debtors Filing for Bankruptcy in Redwood Falls, MN

Handling financial troubles alone is trying, but when you fall into a situation where filing for bankruptcy would be your best option, the process can often seem inescapably daunting. For an individual filer, Chapter 7 bankruptcy is the most common and generally the best option for relieving debt. Behm Law Group, Ltd. can help you use your options to the greatest outcome when filing for bankruptcy in Redwood Falls, MN.

The U.S. Bankruptcy Courts understand that individual filers may need options beyond the standard Chapter 7 process, and thus there are bankruptcy mechanisms that allow for collaboration between debtors in similar financial situations.

 

Joint Administration, for example, is a method of processing two or more bankruptcy cases in U.S. Bankruptcy Courts in unison. The separate cases are combined into one and administered as such, meaning the collaborating debtors can join their resources, assets, and debts into one case representing the debtors as one party in the court. Cooperating debtors can also join together in hiring attorneys and credit counselors.

 

Substantive Consolidation goes hand-in-hand with Joint Administrations and defines the act of repaying all involved creditors with the combined assets of all involved debtors. Pooling assets alleviates the burden of liquidation that would be placed on a single creditor, but it must also result in equal benefits to all creditors.

 

Joint Petition allows spouses to file for bankruptcy in the state of Minnesota under the same petition. This means that all debts and assets are consolidated to represent the spouses as a single entity. Joint petitions are similar to Joint Administration proceedings, but they’re more beneficial for spouses because all asset liquidation and debt discharges are contained within the single household.

 

The collaborative possibilities that individual filers have when considering Chapter 7 bankruptcy may help them in the long run after debts are discharged and assets are liquidated. If you feel any of these options are right for your financial situation, contact Behm Law Group, Ltd. at (507) 387-7200 for more information about filing for bankruptcy in Redwood Falls, MN.