Bankruptcy Newsletters

Bankruptcy Discharge

Bankruptcy is a process created by federal law that provides relief for debtors, who can either eliminate their debts or repay their debts. Chapter 7 "liquidation" is the process by which debtors wipe out or "discharge" many of their debts.

Chapter 11 Debtors in Possession

Upon the filing of a voluntary petition for relief under chapter 11 or, in an involuntary case, the entry of an order for such relief, the debtor automatically assumes an additional identity as the "debtor in possession." The term refers to a debtor that keeps possession and control of its assets while undergoing a reorganization under chapter 11, without the appointment of a case trustee.

Disposable Income in Chapter 12

If a trustee or a holder of an unsecured claim objects to the plan, the court cannot approve the plan unless the plan provides that all of the debtor's projected disposable income to be received during the plan will be applied to make payments under the plan. It is significant to understand that an objection by the mentioned parties must be made for the court to consider this requirement.

Employment Termination Based on Debtor Status

The law provides express prohibitions against discriminatory treatment of debtors by both governmental units and private employers. A governmental unit or private employer may not discriminate against a person solely because the person was a debtor, was insolvent before or during the case, or has not paid a debt that was discharged in the case.

The Bankruptcy Appellate Panels and Review of Bankruptcy Decisions

Bankruptcy Appellate Panels or "BAPs"