How to Get a Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Discharge
Many bankruptcy debtors confuse the terms "discharge" and "dismissal" in bankruptcy. They have very different effects on your bankruptcy case outcome. A "discharge" means that your case has been successful -- it has completed and all debt included under the plan has been discharged. A bankruptcy case that has been "dismissed", on the other hand, has been thrown out of bankruptcy court. The debtor of a dismissed case owes the same debt they owed before they filed for bankruptcy, and sometimes even more if any interest payments were waived under their bankruptcy plan.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Read your Chapter 13 plan carefully. It will contain how much you need to be paying to your Chapter 13 trustee bi-weekly. Try to set up your payments so they come directly out of your paycheck via a Wage Order -- the trustee will usually set this up for you. Any excess money paid to the trustee is always refunded at the end of your bankruptcy plan.
-
2
Keep your bankruptcy attorney advised of any and all life-changing events. A Chapter 13 bankruptcy can last from three to five years, during that time you may change jobs, get married, get divorced or have a baby. Advise your attorney of any of these changes.
-
-
3
Monitor your payments to make sure they are getting paid regularly and in the correct amount. The trustee must report all payments to the court.
-
4
Complete your second debtor education session with an approved credit counseling agency after your final plan payment. File this and your Domestic Support Obligation affidavit with the bankruptcy court.
-
1
