Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Lawyer in Kansas City
What is chapter 7 bankruptcy?
Chapter 7 bankruptcy in Missouri is a type of bankruptcy that offers individuals and families a “fresh start”. You must list all of your assets, debts, income, and expenses when filing Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Chapter 7 bankruptcy is designed to discharge unsecured general non-priority debts such as credit cards, medical bills, signature loans, payday loans and many other debts, whether or not they are listed on your credit report. If you need help distinguishing secured loans from unsecured debts, our Kansas City bankruptcy lawyer offers free consultation for families living in Missouri.
What is a bankruptcy discharge?
A Chapter 7 Discharge will mean that you will no longer be personally responsible for those debts. Getting your discharge means enjoying the following benefits:
- Remove your payment obligation
- Prevent Chapter 7 creditors from garnishing your wages
- Stop collection activities on debts that have been discharged
There are certain requirements that you need to meet before you can become eligible for a bankruptcy discharge and the timing depends on the type of bankruptcy that you have filed. Before you receive a bankruptcy discharge, you have to ensure that you have completed the process of filing your bankruptcy chapter. A reliable Kansas City Chapter 7 bankruptcy attorney can help you throughout the bankruptcy process until you receive a Chapter 7 discharge.
However, if you fail to list any debt then you will not be protected from that creditor and will not be discharged from that debt. At a free bankruptcy consultation with the Roach Bankruptcy Center we will discuss all of the ways that we can protect you from your creditors and get you the fresh start that you need.
What is an Automatic Stay?
When you file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, the automatic stay immediately goes into effect. It is a provision in the United States bankruptcy law that stops most creditors from trying to collect what you owe them. An automatic stay does the following:
- Prevents creditors from collecting the debt in any way
- Prevent your creditors from calling and harassing you at home or at work
- Stop foreclosures
- Prevent car or vehicle repossessions
- Stop lawsuits and garnishments
If the creditors believe that you should not be entitled to an automatic stay or discharge then they must file the appropriate paperwork with the Court. The creditors may not continue to collect on any debt unless the Court authorizes them to after you have a hearing. Any willful violations of the automatic stay could result in sanctions for a creditor.
If you are needing a quick automatic stay then you will want to schedule a free consultation with the Roach Bankruptcy Center so we can discuss how quickly we can file your Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Our competent bankruptcy attorneys in Kansas City can help you understand how an automatic stay works in bankruptcy.
Facing Imminent Foreclosure?
We can help save your home! Even if time is running out, we’ll find a way. Find out how by speaking with our bankruptcy lawyer in Kansas City, Missouri today.
Call Us Today! (816) 454-5555
Non-dischargeable debts in bankruptcy
A bankruptcy discharge means you are no longer responsible for repaying the debt, and the creditor can no longer attempt to collect from you. While Chapter 7 bankruptcies can erase most, if not all, of your debts, keep in mind that certain debts cannot be discharged. You will still be responsible for paying non-dischargeable debts such as:
- Child support and alimony – these debts are never dischargeable even though you need to list them in your bankruptcy paperwork
- Student loans – the only way this can be discharged is if you have a proof for undue hardship which prevents you from paying any of the student loans
- Most taxes – In some cases, taxes can become dischargeable depending on the age and type of tax owed
- Debts are considered non-dischargeable under the Bankruptcy Code based on the nature and circumstances of the debt
- Court-ordered fines
- Criminal restitution
- Debts from a car accident where drugs or alcohol are involved
- Debts obtained by some level of fraud, misrepresentation, or deception
- Debts arising from willful or malicious injury to another person.
At a free bankruptcy consultation in Kansas City, we will go over all of your debts and determine what if any debts you would have that would be non-dischargeable. Call us now at 816-408-6708!
Secured debts such as Mortgages and Vehicle loans
You must list all of your secured debts such as mortgage loans or auto loans in your Statement of Intention. Secured debts are debts in which you have collateral for the loan such as a house or vehicle.
(1) You can surrender your collateral, such as a house or vehicle, in lieu of paying the secured debt. In this case, the debt will discharge with the unsecured general non-priority debts.
(2) You may redeem the collateral. What that means is that you can pay the value of the collateral and redeem the title to the house or vehicle. Or,
(3) You could choose to do a reaffirmation
A reaffirmation agreement between you and the secured creditor (mortgage company or car loan company) basically reinstates that loan. What that means is that you will be personally liable for that mortgage or car loan as if you have not filed for bankruptcy on that debt.
Generally, you must be current on your mortgage or vehicle payments in order to do the reaffirmation and keep a vehicle or a house in a Chapter 7 bankruptcy. If you need to go over your secured debts and determine which options work best for you, our Kansas City bankruptcy attorney can help!
Liquidation Bankruptcy
CHAPTER 7 IS A LIQUIDATION FORM OF BANKRUPTCY
Chapter 7 bankruptcy is a liquidation form of bankruptcy. You must list all your assets when you file this bankruptcy chapter. An individual called a bankruptcy trustee will be looking at your assets to see if there are any assets that he or she can take and sell to pay off any or all of your debts. The trustee’s primary duty is to see that your creditors are paid as much as possible of what you owe them. And the more assets the trustee recovers for creditors, the more the trustee is paid.
Declaring bankruptcy does not mean that you will lose everything that you own; however, not all your assets can be fully protected from liquidation. In Kansas City, there are bankruptcy exemption rules that determine the properties and assets that you can protect when you decide to file bankruptcy.
Most Chapter 7 Bankruptcies do not have assets that are liquidated. That is because of a series of State and Federal laws called exemptions. Bankruptcy exemptions allow you to:
- Protect some equity in your home
- Protect some equity in vehicles, retirements,
- Save your household goods, furnishings, jewelry, or clothing
- Keep various assets
There are also general exemptions that will allow you to pick what property you protect. However, the general exemptions are limited. Assets that may not be fully protected by exemptions are significant amounts of money in your bank account or “cash on hand” on the date of filing.
Additionally, tax refunds may be an asset that is not fully exempted in Chapter 7. If you fail to list any of your assets or property on your bankruptcy then it is likely you will be prohibited from using any exemptions on that property.
Any assets or property that is not exempted may be taken by the trustee and sold to pay some or all of your unsecured creditors. When you consult with our qualified Kansas City Chapter 7 bankruptcy lawyer, you will go over all of your assets, determine what exemptions you are entitled to, and find the best way to protect your property.
What property or assets do I need to list in Chapter 7?
The short answer is all of your property. By law, you must list all of the assets that you own on the date you file for bankruptcy. All of this property is put into a bankruptcy estate.
- Real estate such as the residence that you live in, other buildings, vacant lots, or timeshares that you own all or part of.
- Vehicles, boats, or motorcycles. If your name is on a home or vehicle then you do own that asset and you will need to list it even if it is not in your possession.
- Household goods and furnishings will include things such as furniture, appliances, linens, dishes, televisions, stereos, computers, cell phones, cameras, antiques, collectibles, books, pictures, decorations.
- Sports equipment, camping equipment, fishing equipment, tools, firearms
- Clothing, jewelry, and any other household item.
- Any financial assets that you own such as money in a bank account, stocks, bonds, retirements, Pensions, 401(k)’s, interests in any businesses, corporations, partnerships, security deposits, annuities, education savings accounts, trusts, equitable or future interests
- Intellectual properties such as patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, licenses, franchises
- Tax refunds, child support or alimony owed to you
- Other money or accounts receivable owed to you, interests in insurance or insurance policies, inheritances, or any claims you may have against any party
- Business assets
When listing assets in bankruptcy, you must file a full record of all asset types that you own. If there is an asset that you are not sure about, then ask our Chapter 7 bankruptcy lawyer in Kansas City, Missouri during your free consultation.
Facing Imminent Foreclosure?
We can help save your home! Even if time is running out, we’ll find a way. Find out how by speaking with our bankruptcy lawyer in Kansas City, Missouri today.
Call Us Today! (816) 454-5555
Exempted Assets Acquired After Filing Bankruptcy
Normally, when the Bankruptcy Court or Bankruptcy Trustee looks at your assets, they look at assets that you own on the date of filing. This is called the bankruptcy estate. However, there are two exceptions to this rule.
- The first exception is if you receive an inheritance within 180 days from the filing of the bankruptcy. An inheritance could be any money, life insurance, real estate, vehicles, or any other property. This rule applies if the person leaving you the inheritance passes away during the 180 day period after you filed the bankruptcy. It is not possible to avoid the rule by actually receiving the inheritance after the 180 day period has concluded.
- The second exception is if you are awarded property from a divorce decree within the 180 day period following the filing of a bankruptcy. If either exception applies then that property will be the property of the bankruptcy estate. This means that property could be taken by the Trustee subject to any exemptions that may apply.
If you are expecting that you will be inheriting property soon or looking to get a divorce then you will want to discuss that situation with your Kansas City bankruptcy attorney during your initial consultation.
Will My Credit Be Affected?
Your Credit Report After Bankruptcy
Chapter 7 Bankruptcy is designed to discharge debt so that you do not owe it anymore. It is not designed to be a credit repair tool. What Chapter 7 Bankruptcy does to a credit score is different for each individual. Bankruptcy allows you to repay your debts, restructure your finances, and aim for debt settlement. However, it has a huge impact on your credit score. This number indicates the level of your creditworthiness. Bankruptcy generally stays on your credit report for a maximum of ten years depending on the type of bankruptcy that you have filed.
Although, in many instances, your credit score will improve when you no longer owe the debts that were causing your credit score to be so low. Chapter 7 bankruptcy will stay on your credit reports for up to 10 years. During that time you may still qualify for home loans, vehicle loans, and credit cards. There are ways that you can improve your credit after the conclusion of Chapter 7.
Rebuilding credit doesn’t happen overnight. It requires a lot of hard work and patience to improve your credit score. The process can be complex and time-consuming, but it will surely be worth it in the end. If one of your goals is to be able to get a new home or car, ask our Kansas City Chapter 7 bankruptcy attorneys at Roach Bankruptcy Center, LLC. Our bankruptcy law firm will help you wipe out your debts through a successful bankruptcy filing.
Call us now at 816-408-6708 and schedule a FREE consultation today!
