Columbus, Georgia Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Attorney

Chapter 7 is a common form of bankruptcy case that most debtors have been filing. A filing under chapter 7 is called liquidation. It is a kind of liquidation proceeding in which the debtor is allowed to keep aside exempt property whereas a trustee appointed by the court collects his non-exempt assets, sells them and pays off the creditors through the sale proceeds. To qualify for relief under Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code, the debtor must be an individual or a partnership, or a corporation.

The types of debts that are not discharged in a Chapter 7 case include:

-Alimony and child maintenance and support obligations,

-Certain taxes,

-Debts for certain educational loans made or guaranteed by a governmental unit,

-Debts for willful and malicious injury inflicted by the debtor,

-Debts for death or personal injury caused by the debtor's operation of a motor vehicle while the debtor was intoxicated from alcohol or other substances, and

-Debts for criminal restitution orders.

How do I file for Chapter 7 protection in Columbus/Fort Benning GA (Georgia)?

A Chapter 7 case begins with the debtor filing a petition with the bankruptcy court. In addition to the petition, the debtor is also required to file with the court several schedules of assets and liabilities, details of current income and expenditures, a statement of financial affairs, and details of executory contracts and unexpired leases. The schedules and statements include the following information:

-A list of all creditors and the amount and nature of their claims;

-The source, amount, and frequency of the debtor's income;

-A list of all of the debtor's property; and

-A detailed list of the debtor's monthly living expenses (food, clothing, shelter, utilities, taxes, transportation, medicine, etc.).

Bankruptcy forms are available online at www.uscourts.gov/bkforms/index.html

A fee of $299 must be paid at the time of filing of the petition. The bankruptcy court may permit the debtor to pay the fees in four installments. The fee may be waived by the court if the debtor’s income is less than 150 percent of the poverty level.

A husband and wife filing jointly need to pay the fees only once. But if only one spouse files for bankruptcy, that spouse must provide financial information about both spouses so that the court can evaluate the couple’s financial situation.

Our Chapter 7 bankruptcy law firm is based in Columbus, GA. Our Columbus GA bankruptcy lawyers handle debt relief cases in Columbus, Fort Benning, Chattahoochee County, Harris County, Marion County, Muscogee County, Lagrange, Albany, Newnan, Peachtree City, Carrollton, Troup County. We can help you file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Call (phone) now.