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Priority Claim Treatment for Debts Resolved With Bankruptcy in Worthington, MN

If you’re an individual struggling financially in the United States, you have several options to resolve your debts effectively. These options include bankruptcy, which in many cases is a far more beneficial option than other remedies such as debt settlement or debt consolidation. Individual bankruptcy options commonly take the form of asset liquidation/debt discharge or debt reorganization, known respectively in bankruptcy terms as Chapter 7 and Chapter 13. If you choose to file for bankruptcy in Worthington, MN, Behm Law Group, Ltd. provides legal advice and assistance in navigating the process from start to finish.

With either bankruptcy chapter, any individuals, companies, or organizations to which you have debt obligations are categorized into types of creditors based on the kind of debt owed. These categorizations will determine how your debts are handled and how your creditors may be paid in your bankruptcy case.

One type of debt that is commonly encountered in bankruptcy cases is priority, unsecured debt. This kind of debt is generally treated more preferentially than general, unsecured debts.  Priority creditors will often file proofs of claim regarding the debts you owe.  In a chapter 7 bankruptcy case, priority, unsecured debts will not be discharged and a debtor will remain liable on those debts after a chapter 7 bankruptcy case is concluded.  In a chapter 13 bankruptcy case, priority, unsecured debts must be paid in full in order for a chapter 13 repayment plan to be approved by the bankruptcy court.

Creditors with priority claims will often have debts that are directly linked to the well-being of another person or organization. This includes debts owed to employees, child support and other spousal support obligations, contracted amounts owed in return for promised services, taxes, and settlements for injuries caused by intoxicated or substance-influenced motor vehicle accidents.

These claims are treated in accordance with the chapter regulations that delegate how all other debts are handled in a case.

Chapter 13: Priority claims in a Chapter 13 case determine in part how the filer’s repayment plan will be structured. In most cases, these debts will be handled in a process similar to secured debts. This means filers might be required to repay priority debts in full during their 3 to 5-year repayment plan period.  However, unlike secured debts, priority claims are not paid interest.

Chapter 7: In a Chapter 7 case, debts are processed in terms of discharge and exceptions to discharge.  As indicated above, the claims of priority, unsecured creditors will not be encompassed by the discharge issued by the bankruptcy court at the end of the case.

If you’re considering filing for bankruptcy in Worthington, MN, it’s important to understand how your creditors will be defined and what options they might have in the process. Behm Law Group, Ltd. provides counsel and support for both Chapter 13 and Chapter 7 cases. Contact us at (507) 387-7200 today for more information.

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Categorizing Creditors When You File for Bankruptcy in Owatonna, MN

Almost all U.S. citizens hold one or more forms of debt in their day-to-day financial obligations. This includes anything from mortgages to credit card debts, and most individuals find ways to work those debts into their budgets. If you’ve found yourself struggling to do this, however, you might consider bankruptcy. If you choose to file for bankruptcy, Behm Law Group, Ltd. offers legal support to help you navigate through the process when you file for bankruptcy in Owatonna, MN.

If you have debts, the individuals, companies, or organizations that loaned you those debts are your creditors. Even with personal loans from family members or employers or friends, the lenders are considered your creditors until those debts are fully repaid. When you file for bankruptcy, the status of your creditors is determined based on the type of debts you owe to them.

This categorization of creditors can impact how your debts are repaid in bankruptcy. For a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, this means one creditor may not collect a higher return over another creditor. In a Chapter 13 plan, this categorization of creditors determines the percentage of debt you will repay throughout your repayment period.

These are the types of creditors involved in a bankruptcy case: 

  1. Secured: Any debt that involves a tangible property (i.e. mortgages or car loans) is considered secured, and the lenders of those debts are secured by that property, even in the event of a bankruptcy filing. Chapter 7 secured creditors will take back any collateral that secures their claims. In a Chapter 13 repayment plan, the secured creditors are generally repaid the present value, plus reasonable interest, of the assets securing their claims.
  2. Unsecured: Virtually every other type of debt not involving a property is an unsecured debt, and the creditors of those debts are also unsecured in repayment if you file for bankruptcy. For example, credit card debts, personal loans not involving property, medical bills, and certain older tax debts are all unsecured. The creditors of these debts will often only receive small partial repayments in a Chapter 13 plan and, often, will not receive any payment in a chapter 7 bankruptcy case.
  3. Priority: Priority creditors are, in fact, unsecured creditors much like credit cards or medical debts. However, for certain public policy reasons, the drafters of the bankruptcy code wanted to make it much more difficult to discharge or get rid of these debts.  Some examples of priority creditors are unpaid employees of the debtor, spouses with unpaid child support or alimony, or children of the debtor with certain unpaid obligations, tax debts, and criminal court fines and restitution awards.

These creditors are involved in most bankruptcy cases. Behm Law Group, Ltd. offers protection and counsel throughout your case. Contact us at (507) 387-7200 today for more information about filing for bankruptcy in Owatonna, MN.

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Details on the Credit Counseling Requirement for bankruptcy in Marshall, MN

If you’re struggling to meet your financial obligations month-to-month, filing for bankruptcy is a real option. There’s often a vibe of foreboding around the idea of having to file for bankruptcy relief, but while it may not be what one wants to do (no one ever actually wants to file for bankruptcy relief), it can provide a way out of a bad place. The process of bankruptcy was designed to get debtors back on their feet – to give them a “fresh start” – and to provide fair treatment to creditors by means of debt reconstructing or asset liquidation. No matter what type of chapter of bankruptcy relief you file for, Behm Law Group, Ltd. provides legal advice and assistance with bankruptcy in Marshall, MN.

With every bankruptcy case comes a wide variety of requirements, including the requirement of each filer to undergo credit counseling within 180 days before one even files a bankruptcy petition. The credit counseling requirement has been in place in bankruptcy law since the passing of the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act (BAPCPA) of 2005 and all filers are required to take a credit counseling course in order to obtain bankruptcy relief.

Purpose

When the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act (BAPCPA) was passed in 2005, it was the sense of Congress that people had been filing for bankruptcy relief flippantly without seriously considering the possible complications in the process and without having any idea as to the possible effects on their credit rating profiles.  Congress basically thought that it was too easy for people to incur a bunch of debt and then file for bankruptcy relief to get out of paying it.  Congress intended the credit counseling requirement not only to provide people with insights as to the various options/alternatives to bankruptcy relief but also to provide guidance on proper budgeting techniques.   The requirement applies to all debtors, not just those who owe banks and credit card companies. Another purpose for the credit counseling requirement is to determine whether your financial situation warrants a bankruptcy filing and whether someone will actually benefit from the process.

Counseling Agencies

Court-approved credit counseling agencies are your safest option to fulfill the counseling requirement. These agencies provide all necessary information and course material at reasonable fees. The fee can be based on a sliding scale that is determined by your household income. This means that if you prove your income is 150% below the poverty line for a Minnesota household of similar size, court-approved agencies must waive the cost.

If you plan to file for bankruptcy, be prepared to undergo a credit counseling course with an approved agency. With our help, finding an agency that is right for you will be easy. Contact Behm Law Group, Ltd. today at (507) 387-7200 and find the help you need before you file for bankruptcy in Marshall, MN.

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Understanding the Predischarge Debtor Education Requirement for Bankruptcy in Luverne, MN

Whether you file for liquidation or debt reorganization bankruptcy, it’s likely that one or more of your debts will be discharged in the process. Discharging debts in Chapter 7 serves to simultaneously relieve debtors of unmanageable financial hardship and allow fair treatment of creditors despite a lack of full repayment. In a Chapter 13 case, certain debts can be discharged through a repayment plan. Foreseeing which debts will be discharged can be difficult, and organizing your case without the help of a professional may change that outcome. Behm Law Group, Ltd. offers legal advice and assistance if you choose to file for bankruptcy in Luverne, MN.

In addition to the many requirements involved in bankruptcy cases, filers who will have debts discharged must undergo predischarge debtor education before the bankruptcy process can be completed and before the bankruptcy court can issue a discharge order.

Predischarge Education

The predischarge debtor education requirement was established with the purpose of advising those who’ve fallen into debt and filed for bankruptcy on how to better manage their finances. This course is different from the credit counseling requirement which debtors must undergo prior to filing a bankruptcy petition. Instead, debtors must go through a predischarge education course after their petition is filed but before they’re granted a discharge on any debts.

The financial management education course must be provided by a court-approved agency within a forty-five day period after the meeting of the creditors. The course lasts around two hours and covers materials that teach debtors how to improve their financial situation after bankruptcy. Topics include effective budgeting practices, handling taxes sensibly, and other court-required material.

You’ll certify your fulfillment of the predischarge debtor education requirement with bankruptcy Form 423, and if you file a joint bankruptcy petition, you and your spouse must both take the course. Additionally, the agencies that provide the necessary predischarge debtor education course don’t have to follow the same non-profit regulations as credit counseling providers. This means you may have to pay a fee to take the required course.

If you’re contemplating filing for bankruptcy, it’s important to consider fees for requirements like predischarge debtor education and other milestones in your case before you begin. Behm Law Group, Ltd. offers assistance at every step whether you file for Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy in Luverne, MN. Contact us at (507) 387-7200 today for more information.

 

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Repayment Plan Periods and Their Role in Chapter 13 Bankruptcy in Pipestone, MN

As an individual consumer, you have two options if you choose to file for bankruptcy. You can—if your income fits the requirements of the Means Test—file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and have many of your debts discharged in the process. However, if you do not pass the Means Test, your second option is to file for Chapter 13 bankruptcy. In this case, your debts are restructured into a new payment plan that better suits your financial situation. Because the process of Chapter 7 liquidates most nonexempt property and because it can be difficult to pass the Means Test, many debtors opt to file for Chapter 13. If you plan to file for bankruptcy in Pipestone, MN, Behm Law Group, Ltd. can help you navigate the complexities of a Chapter 13 or Chapter 7 case.

Because the conditions of each filer are unique, each Chapter 13 case is different in its own way. These differences depend largely on the types of debts a filer owes. These debts determine how a repayment plan will be structured. Another aspect of the filer’s situation that determines the repayment plan is one’s income.

Income plays a key role in determining the length of time a repayment plan period will last. In Chapter 13 bankruptcy, repayment plans can last three to five years.

Three-Year Plan

Simply put, if your monthly income when you file your bankruptcy petition is lower than the median income of a Minnesota household the same size as yours, your Chapter 13 repayment plan can last either three years or up to five years. While one would most likely choose the three-year time period because one would complete one’s plan, get one’s discharge and exit bankruptcy sooner, one could voluntarily choose a time period longer than three years, but not longer than five years, if one needs a longer time period to pay off tax debts or mortgage delinquency debt.  Chapter 13 bankruptcy is designed to keep people with low incomes from continuing the same financial struggles they faced before filing for bankruptcy.

Five-Year Plan

If a three-year plan is based on income lower than the state median, the opposite determines a five-year plan. When your current monthly income is higher than the median income of a similar Minnesota household, your Chapter 13 repayment plan must be five years. The five year commitment period is mandatory.  This plan period was designed by the drafters of the bankruptcy code as a compromise regarding the debts of a higher-earning filer and the fair treatment of creditors.  The rationale is that higher-earning debtors should have the ability to pay proportionately more to their creditors than lower-earning debtors.  Additionally, the rationale is that higher-earning debtors probably incurred higher levels of debt prior to a bankruptcy filing and, therefore, they should be compelled to pay more back to their creditors.

Current Monthly Income

Your current monthly income includes all income from your wages or salary and it also includes all other sources like pensions, annuities, and tax returns. Additionally, it’s based on the income of the most current month, which may vary from your average income over the past 12 months. This means that if your income changes significantly while you are in bankruptcy, your three-year plan could be extended if you experience an income increase or your five-year plan period could possibly be shortened if you experience an income decrease.

For more information about repayment plans and filing for Chapter 13 bankruptcy in Pipestone, MN, contact Behm Law Group, Ltd. today at (507) 387-7200.