To obtain good results for a bankruptcy client, sometimes you have to serve up unpleasant news and force the client to swallow that bitter pill. Of course, you can’t really force them to do anything, but you should consider taking on a client who shrugs off your advice. Case in point A new bankruptcy lawyer […]
Charting The Course of A Case
By Leave a Comment Filed Under: Bankruptcy Practice, Counseling clients, Start Here
Black Decision Sheds Light On Vesting Questions
By Filed Under: Bankruptcy Practice
Clouds of uncertainty have hovered over Chapter 13 debtors who find that they need to sell appreciated property before the case is over. Does appreciation occurring after filing go to creditors on the theory that the appreciation is property of the estate? Or does the vesting of property at confirmation entitle the debtor to any […]
Taxes & Timing: Calculating Outcomes for Bankruptcy Debtors
By Filed Under: Tax
Bankruptcy lawyers regularly evaluate the dischargeability of taxes when deciding when to file a client’s bankruptcy case. At base, the 3 year rule, the 2 year rule, and the 240 day rule routinely drive timing of a bankruptcy. But as we approach the end of the tax year, a client’s current year tax situation becomes […]
First Principles For First Meetings
By Filed Under: Bankruptcy Practice
Once again, I sat in a 341 meeting where the trustee purported to deliver vital information to the assembled debtors. She had a captive audience of anxious listeners. She had ostensible power of life and death over their financial future. They needed to know what she had to say. But as communication, it failed. Badly. […]
PACE Loans- New Subprime Debts
By Filed Under: Bankruptcy Practice
Presentation November 2017 NCLC Consumer Litigation Conference 1 NCLC PACE Presentation final
When Worlds of Bankruptcy & Family Law Collide
By Filed Under: Family Law in Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy, actual or threatened, can cause a genuine disruption in the force when divorce is on the table. That collision can be liberating or disruptive, depending on the timing of a bankruptcy filing and the goals of your client. Because the fallout from a bankruptcy case can be overwhelming, family lawyers need a working knowledge […]
When The Means Test Is Meaningless
By Filed Under: Means test
A local bankruptcy attorney stumbled over the most basic part of the means test. Just this week… nearly 15 years after the bankruptcy “reform” act of 2005. I thought we were several years past bankruptcy attorneys clueless about the means test. But apparently not. This fine fellow told a couple that they couldn’t file Chapter […]
