Chapter 7 bankruptcy allows individuals to eliminate most unsecured debts while retaining essential assets. The process involves filing a petition, attending a creditors' meeting, and completing a financial management course. Debts such as student loans and certain taxes are not dischargeable, and bankruptcy will affect future credit access, but there are strategies to rebuild credit afterward.

1. Personal Bankruptcy FAQ’s
Overview of Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Law and What Happens
A personal, no asset bankruptcy is known as Chapter 7. For this type of bankruptcy, our clients keep all of the assets they want to
keep (home if it qualifies, motor vehicle, personal property, clothing, etc.) and discharge all their consumer debts. We will work
with you to determine that all of your assets are kept protected from the creditors.
We work with the client to determine if they qualify. Once the client hires us, and supply us with the documents we need, we
prepare all of the paperwork to complete the Chapter 7 Petition and Schedules. We forward them to the client for review and
signature. When finalized, we file with the Bankruptcy Court electronically. Thirty days later there is a hearing before a Chapter
7 Trustee. This is called the Creditor Meeting or 341 Hearing.
Creditor Hearings usually last only a few minutes. Our clients are prepared to testify to the questions the Trustee has. We
accompany all clients to the Creditor Hearing.
Sixty days after the Creditor Hearing the debts are discharged by federal law.
What debts can I discharge?
What can I keep?
What debts cannot be discharged?
How do I start the process?
What documents do I need to provide PRIOR to filing?
What is the Financial Management Course and when do I have to complete it?
What happens after I provide all my documents and finish the “class”?
Where is the meeting of creditors held, and how do I get there?
Will an attorney be present with me at the meeting of creditors?
Do I need to bring anything to the meeting of creditors?
What will happen at the meeting of creditors?
What happens after the 341 Meeting of Creditors?
Do I need to do a second class?
When will I receive my discharge notice from the Court?
How will bankruptcy affect my ability to get credit in the future?
Now that it’s over, how can I rebuild my credit?
Tips on responsibly and successfully reestablishing your credit

2. What Debts Can I Discharge?
Chapter 7 bankruptcy may eliminate most kinds of unsecured debt. Some examples of unsecured debts are credit cards, medical
bills, most personal loans, judgments resulting from car accidents, and deficiencies on repossessed vehicles. In addition, you can
discharge any outstanding balances after a home was foreclosed upon.
What can I keep?
In addition to getting rid of your debt, you typically can keep all of your property. As long as your car and mortgage payments
are current, and there is no significant equity in your property, we should have no problem making the arrangements for you to
reaffirm the debt. Keep your home, keep your car, keep your personal belongings, but eliminate your debt; that is our goal.
What debts cannot be Discharged?
While most consumer debts are dischargeable in bankruptcy, the following are the debts that are not:
Most federal and state income taxes. However, if the taxes are more than three years old, and other criteria are met, some taxes
can be discharged in bankruptcy.
Student loans and other educational debts (absent “undue hardship)
Debts incurred by fraud (i.e., debts incurred without the intent to repay or debts incurred by use of a false financial statement or
other written document).
Debts incurred by willful and malicious injury, fiduciary misconduct, or embezzlement.
Criminal fines, traffic tickets, and criminal restitution.
Child support, spousal support, and monies owed under divorce decrees.
Personal injury or death caused to others while driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
How do I start the process?
Make an appointment! During the initial consultation in our office we will ask you a series of questions from a checklist to
determine whether you qualify for a Chapter 7 bankruptcy. We will review your income, assets, and debts. We will need to
know about all of your assets to determine if you have any non-exempt assets. However, well over 95% of Chapter 7 cases are
called “no-asset” cases, meaning that there are no assets to distribute to creditors.
What documents do I need to provide PRIOR to filing?
1. copy of your driver’s license or legal identification;
2. copy of your social security card;
3. copy your last two (2) years federal and state income tax returns;
4. copy of all checking and savings accounts for one year;
5. three months of payroll or income verification;
6. up to date credit report
7. credit counseling certificate, see below.
What is the Credit Counseling Course and when do I have to complete it?
Every debtor must complete a Credit Counseling Course prior to filing the Petition and Schedules with the Court. You can do
this by using the web – go to www.mab.uscourts.gov for a current list of approved credit counselors. We can provide you with
an updated list, phone numbers and web sites.
You will need to take a second “course” after the Trustee Hearing, and I will need that certificate; they will charge another fee for

3. this. This is called the Financial Management Course.
What happens after I provide all my documents and finish the “class”?
In Chapter 7, a trustee is appointed by the Court to oversee your case. The Chapter 7 Trustee has the responsibility to determine
if you have any assets that are not considered exempt under the law, sell such assets, and use the proceeds to distribute among
creditors.
We will send the Trustee payroll verification and a copy of your recent tax return. The Trustee may request additional
documents, such as bank statements, credit card statements and your credit report.
Approximately 30 days after the filing of a Chapter 7 case, the debtor is required to attend a brief hearing with the Chapter 7
Trustee called the “meeting of creditors” or the “341(a) hearing.” At that hearing, which usually does not exceed 5 minutes, the
Chapter 7 Trustee will ask a series of questions to find out if any non-exempt assets exist, or if there are any legal issues or
problems with the case. Approximately 60-75 days after the hearing, the Court issues a notice through the mail indicating that
debts have been discharged.
Where is the meeting of creditors held, and how do I get there?
The creditors’ meetings are held in federal buildings in the downtown areas of Boston, Brockton, or Worcester, depending on
where you live. We will provide you with the address.
Will an attorney be present with me at the meeting of creditors?
Yes, an attorney from our office will always be with you at the meeting, although it may not be the attorney you met with for the
initial consultation. The attorney will have reviewed your file thoroughly prior to the hearing, and will meet with you shortly
before the hearing to answer any last-minute questions.
Do I need to bring anything to the meeting of creditors?
Proof of identity, such as driver’s license or DMV identification card, and your Social Security Card.
What will happen at the meeting of creditors?
At the meeting of creditors, the trustee will ask a series of questions almost identical to the checklist used in our office during the
first consultation with the attorney. The trustee is looking for non-exempt assets or to identify other legal issues in your case. In
virtually every case, any of those issues will have been previously discussed with you by one of the attorneys. Creditors are
permitted to attend the meeting and ask questions if they wish. Few, if any, of the creditors actually attend.
What happens after the 341 Meeting of Creditors?
The Trustee finishes evaluating your Petition and sometimes asks for additional information.
Do I need to do a second class?
Yes. You need to take the “Financial Management” class. You can go back to the same folks where you took the first
“class.” This second class needs to be completed so we can send the certificate to the Court.
When will I receive my discharge notice from the Court?
A notice of discharge is issued by the Court 60 days after the conclusion of the meeting of creditors. If you do not receive it after
75 days, please contact our office.

4. How will bankruptcy affect my ability to get credit in the future?
There is no magic formula to reestablishing credit after a bankruptcy filing. A bankruptcy filing remains on the credit report for
ten years, and, despite what some unreputable “credit repair” agencies may claim, cannot be removed until the ten years have
elapsed. However, once a discharge is entered, the person generally can obtain an auto or even a home loan immediately. The
creditor may charge a higher interest rate.
Now that it’s over, how can I rebuild my credit?
Your ability to reestablish credit after filing bankruptcy is better than it has ever been. After you get your discharge, you will
receive many solicitations from lenders offering to finance homes, vehicles and credit cards.
Here are some tips on responsibly and successfully reestablishing your credit:
1. Live within your means. Do not unnecessarily increase your debt to income ratio by taking on credit to purchase luxury items
that you DO NOT NEED. Your payments on consumer debt should equal no more than 20% of your expendable income after
costs for housing and a vehicle.
2. Pay your reaffirmed, pre-bankruptcy debts on time.
3. Pay your utility bills and rent on time.
4. Open a checking or savings account. Lenders may look at this to determine if you can responsibly handle money.
5. Apply for store and gas credit cards where you would normally pay cash. Use but pay timely.
6. Apply for a secured card where you deposit cash and charge against it. Pay advances back over two months so that they will
be reflected as positive marks on your credit report.
7. Find a friend or relative to cosign for you on a loan and pay it on time.
8. Look for car dealers and mortgage brokers that attest to be “bankruptcy friendly.” Buy a used car so you do not get hit with
the depreciation that occurs during the first two years of a new car purchase.
9. Stay away from payday loans that are at high interest rates and are a “bad credit” trap.
10. Write a letter to each credit reporting agency explaining any unusual circumstances that lead to you filing.