Tag Archives: trustee

Can I Get Sued in a Bankruptcy?

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Most people think of filing for bankruptcy to stop lawsuits, but it is possible to get sued in a bankruptcy – or to do the suing. I’ve written recently about people who have been sued in the GMX Resources bankruptcy for fraudulent transfers for receiving dividends on preferred stock and people who have been sued for the recovery of what are called preferential transfers; but there is a lot more litigation than just this going on at the bankruptcy court.

For most people who file for bankruptcy the process looks a lot more administrative than it does judicial. Most people who file never see their Judge, for instance. No, the person who presides over the First Meeting of Creditors is NOT a Judge. Some standard rules of thumb – if there is no court room, no black robe and no standing when the person enters and leaves the room – you are probably not dealing with a Federal Bankruptcy Judge.

Just because most debtors never see them, doesn’t mean that the Judges aren’t staying busy. Bankruptcy litigation comes in two flavors: Adversary Proceedings and Contested Matters. An Adversary Proceeding is essentially a full-scale lawsuit filed within the context of a Bankruptcy case. It begins with a Complaint and a Summons, followed by an Answer, discovery, motions, evidentiary hearings and finally concludes with a trial.

Adversary Proceedings are required to determine the nature or extent of a lien, revoke a discharge or plan confirmation, object to a discharge, recover property of the estate, provide injunctive relief, declaratory relief or subrogation; and certain sales of property must be approved by an Adversary. Essentially anything else in the Bankruptcy Court where two people are arguing or disagreeing qualifies as a Contested Matter, which is quite useful; because in a contested matter you have full access to discovery and other litigation tools that are generally considered part of a lawsuit rather than just a motion hearing.

Some things can be the subject of either an Adversary Proceeding or a Contested Matter. A violation of the automatic stay, for instance, may be brought by either procedure. A violation of the discharge, however, generally is brought by a Contempt Citation, which is a Contested Matter.

So, what is the difference? Adversary Proceedings have greater procedural and due process protections built into them. They must be served like a lawsuit. They have a longer answer time. They have more structure to them which helps to manage greater complexity, a larger number of parties, more witnesses, more complicated issues. Contested Matters are procedurally more flexible. A Contested Matter may be a simple motion – motion with brief filed, fourteen days later a response with brief is filed, hearing set and heard generally in an hour or less. Of course, a Contested Matter may also have a long period of discovery, with related motions filed and culminate in a day or multi-day trial with lots of witnesses and exhibits. So, Contested Matters are inherently more flexible. The Court is expected to adapt procedures to fit the matter at hand. Adversaries are expected to be complex issues and so are treated that way automatically.

For something like a violation of the automatic stay, which may be brought in either form, I consider the following in making my choice: has the defendant appeared in the case, otherwise, the formal service procedures of the Adversary Proceeding will afford greater due process protections. How many facts will be in dispute? What is the nature of my client’s damages? How much post petition discovery will I want? How much time will I want to prepare the case? Even after considering all of these things, I may still file a case and have the Judge adapt the procedures for it as if it were the other. Judges can do that, and they will if they think it is necessary either for due process considerations, to protect the rights of a party or to make the case easier to manage.

So, there you have it. Bankruptcy lawyers may not empanel a jury too often (or ever), but they are still litigators.

Elaine

More GMX Resources Lawsuits

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Last week I wrote about stockholders in GMX Resources who were being sued as part of its bankruptcy for the recovery of dividends that they received prior to the bankruptcy filings. There are a ton of those cases filed. I haven’t spent a lot of time with the consolidated docket, but it looks like there were just under 200 Adversary Proceedings filed to recover property or payments of some kind in this Bankruptcy. About half of those were filed against owners of Preferred Stock, and I wrote about those last week. It appears that the other half were filed against people, or more frequently companies, who had received what are called Preferential Transfers; and I thought I this would be a good excuse to explain preferential transfers.

Preferential transfers are the product of two policies: 1. To make sure that when someone files for bankruptcy all creditors who have similar legal rights wind up getting treated essentially the same way; and 2. To encourage creditors to give debtors a bit of room to get back on their feet when they start to show signs of financial trouble.

Here are two examples of that. There is a natural inclination when you know you are sinking fast to want to repay loans from people you care about rather than those you might not. So, when that tax refund comes in, and you know you need to file for bankruptcy, are you going to repay the loan from your Mom or a credit card account? Well, yea, of course you are; but in terms of good policy, it isn’t fair for Mom to get better treatment than any other creditor.

This leads us directly into the next reason. If one creditor can get paid when no one else does and that creditor gets to keep the money, then at the first sign of trouble there will be a rush to squeeze money out of the Debtor – a virtual feeding frenzy if you will. Now, consider this in the context of a small business. Something bad happens. The business falls behind on paying its bills. At the first sign of trouble, all of its creditors take immediate steps to make sure that they get paid. The business collapses, because it lacks sufficient cash flow to keep the doors open.

Whereas, if the creditors had given the business 60 or 90 days to find its feet, the business might have stabilized, paid all its creditors, stayed in business, and continued providing an income for its employees and its owner. When you think about it, this kind of thing happens in the life of virtually all small businesses; and as it happens, creditors usually do give businesses time to get back on their feet – but they aren’t doing that at the risk that someone else will be less understanding and wind up with all the money and no one else will get anything. No. Creditors give debtors a chance to get back on their feet, because they know that if someone else doesn’t and the business files for bankruptcy, the money the greedy creditor got will be taken back and distributed out equally.

The tool for recovering those funds? Why an avoidance action to recover a preferential transfer, of course. This is a tool that bankruptcy trustees use frequently. If a Debtor’s wages are garnished in the 90 days before a bankruptcy? Well, that is one creditor getting paid and making sure no one else does. The trustee can take that money back. This is actually kind of nice when a debtor is being garnished and he owes recent taxes. When the trustee takes the garnished wages back, the first creditor he pays is the taxing authority.

There are defenses to preferential transfers, just like there are to fraudulent transfers. There are also times when it can be in a debtor’s best interests to have a Trustee recover preferential transfers. The nice thing about preferential transfers from the Debtor’s perspective is that the window for the transfer is generally quite short. Unless the transfer was made to (or benefited) an insider (like family), the transfer has to have been made within 90 days of the bankruptcy filing. That is a time period that can usually be waited out if necessary. Of course, if the transfer was to a family member, then the look back period is a year. That can be harder to wait out, although I have done it twice in the recent past.

The worst thing you can do about any type of transfer if you are getting ready to file for bankruptcy is to not tell your lawyer about it. I promise you, what he doesn’t know will hurt you.

Elaine

Your Bankruptcy Trustee Can Pay Your Taxes For You

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Occasionally, I run into a situation where a client needs to file for bankruptcy, maybe even needs to file NOW; but – they have non-exempt assets. Now, in Oklahoma we have pretty generous exemptions, and most people who file for Bankruptcy lose nothing but a bunch of debt. Occasionally, though, I run into someone with mineral interests, a significant amount of jewelry (our wearing apparel exemption is generous, but a $35,000 ring that isn’t your wedding or engagement ring is going to be a problem); and they still need to file. This is a problem.

Usually, given a little time we can find a solution that the client is happy with. This is what is called pre-bankruptcy planning, and it is tricky. There are plenty of things that you can do with an asset right before a bankruptcy filing that your Trustee can just undo. There are other things you can do that will get you into real trouble – losing your discharge, going to jail. This is not an area to mess around with if you don’t know what you are doing. Still, generally, given time, there are things that can be done to protect a non-exempt asset.

So, what happens when you don’t have time? Sometimes you need to file NOW. In those cases you file the case knowing that the Trustee is going to administer whatever the asset is. Several years ago, I filed a Chapter 7, and first thing the next morning was emailing the freshly appointed Trustee (who didn’t even know she was the trustee yet) wanting to know when would be convenient for my client to deliver approximately $50,000 in jewelry to her office. She was a little taken aback. In this particular case the client didn’t want the jewelry and had made some efforts to sell it but had not been successful.

Consequently, he was thrilled when I asked him if he would like to have the Trustee pay his taxes with the proceeds from the jewelry he didn’t want and hadn’t been able to sell.

Here is the scoop. We filed for what is called a short tax year. It is perfectly legitimate, although it is very rarely done. Basically, my client filed two tax returns for the year in which he filed for Bankruptcy. He filed one return for the calendar year up to the day he filed for bankruptcy, and he filed a second return for the remainder of the calendar year. We did this, because he had made no estimated quarterly payments prior to filing for bankruptcy; and his income for that period had been substantial.

By doing this we converted his tax liability for that first, short-year, return into a liability of his Bankruptcy estate that was entitled to priority – meaning it got paid first. He still had to pay the tax liability for the rest of the year, but that was only about a quarter of the year’s total tax liability. So, he got his Bankruptcy Trustee to liquidate stuff he didn’t want and use the proceeds to pay three quarters of his taxes for the year. Now, that is pretty sweet.

Elaine

What if the Trustee Wants My STUFF?

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I explain to my clients that a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy is a deal. If you (the debtor) have any non-exempt property of any value that the Trustee wants, the Trustee is entitled to it; and my clients are expected to put it on the front porch, with a red bow on it and invite the Trustee in for a celebratory drink when he comes by to pick it up. Why? Because, in exchange for whatever non-exempt property the Trustee chooses to administer, you get out of that pile of debt that drove you to my office in the first place. That’s the deal, and if that deal isn’t worth doing – then, don’t file. Bankruptcy is the old Pearl of Great Price story told in a different setting.

Sound harsh? It really isn’t. I practice exclusively in Oklahoma, and Oklahoma has very generous exemptions. Remember, the deal is only for non-exempt property and most of what we own is exempt in Oklahoma. The vast majority of all people who file for Bankruptcy in Oklahoma have no non-exempt property of any real value; and when they do there are generally enough legitimate pre-bankruptcy planning techniques to protect those assets.

Sure, occasionally, a client loses something. They always know the risks. We go over that extensively and in great detail. Sometimes, though, when going over the possibilities, I can’t quite get past the, “BUT THAT’S MINE” response.

So, here is the story I tell. I had a client who had a $2,000 red toolbox. It held specialized tools that really didn’t qualify as household goods (which are exempt), and they were from a former career, so they didn’t qualify as tools of the trade (which are also exempt), but the toolbox was red, and it was really spiffy. Client loved this toolbox, and he really didn’t want to think about any mean, old Trustee taking it. Now, this client also had over $70,000 in unsecured debt that he needed to get out of.

So, I asked him. “If someone offered you $70,000 for that tool box, would you take it?” He looked at me like I was crazy. Seventy grand for a $2,000 tool box? Well, of course, he would take it. That is a fabulous deal! Then his brain made the connection, and the previous look of worried panic turned into a grin.

Turns out his Trustee wasn’t nearly as impressed by that toolbox as the debtor was, and the debtor wound up getting out of the $70,000 in debt and keeping the toolbox; but I have used this story (details have been changed, of course) for years.

So, first of all, remember that most people who file for bankruptcy in Oklahoma lose no assets. Just about everything that any of us owns of any real value is exempt if you are using Oklahoma exemptions, but even if you do own something that isn’t exempt – is it worth a discharge of all of your debt? If yes, then congratulations on driving such a great bargain – $70,000 in debt in exchange for a shiny, red toolbox. If, on the other hand, it isn’t the best deal you’ve had in a long time; then, talk to your lawyer about other options. Remember, you always have choices; and it is your lawyer’s job to help you find them.

Elaine

What if the Trustee Wants My STUFF?!?

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I explain to my clients that a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy is a deal. If you (the debtor) have any non-exempt property of any value that the Trustee wants, the Trustee is entitled to it; and my clients are expected to put it on the front porch, with a red bow on it and invite the Trustee in for a celebratory drink when he comes by to pick it up. Why? Because, in exchange for whatever non-exempt property the Trustee chooses to administer, you get out of that pile of debt that drove you to my office in the first place. That’s the deal, and if that deal isn’t worth doing – then, don’t file. Bankruptcy is the old Pearl of Great Price story told in a different setting.

Sound harsh? It really isn’t. I practice exclusively in Oklahoma, and Oklahoma has very generous exemptions. Remember, the deal is only for non-exempt property and most of what we own is exempt in Oklahoma. The vast majority of all people who file for Bankruptcy in Oklahoma have no non-exempt property of any real value; and when they do there are generally enough legitimate pre-bankruptcy planning techniques to protect those assets.

Sure, occasionally, a client loses something. They always know the risks. We go over that extensively and in great detail. Sometimes, though, when going over the possibilities, I can’t quite get past the, “BUT THAT’S MINE” response.

So, here is the story I tell. I had a client who had a $2,000 red toolbox. It held specialized tools that really didn’t qualify as household goods (which are exempt), and they were from a former career, so they didn’t qualify as tools of the trade (which are also exempt), but the toolbox was red, and it was really spiffy. Client loved this toolbox, and he really didn’t want to think about any mean, old Trustee taking it. Now, this client also had over $70,000 in unsecured debt that he needed to get out of.

So, I asked him. “If someone offered you $70,000 for that tool box, would you take it?” He looked at me like I was crazy. Seventy grand for a $2,000 tool box? Well, of course, he would take it. That is a fabulous deal! Then his brain made the connection, and the previous look of worried panic turned into a grin.

Turns out his Trustee wasn’t nearly as impressed by that toolbox as the client was, and the client wound up getting out of the $70,000 in debt and keeping the toolbox; but I have used this story (details have been changed, of course) for years.

So, first of all, remember that most people who file for bankruptcy in Oklahoma lose no assets. Just about everything that any of us owns of any real value is exempt, but even if you do own something that isn’t exempt – is it worth a discharge of all of your debt? If yes, then congratulations on driving such a great bargain – $70,000 in debt in exchange for a shiny, red toolbox. If, on the other hand, it isn’t the best deal you’ve had in a long time; then, talk to your lawyer about other options. Remember, you always have options; and it is your lawyer’s job to help you find them.

Elaine

US Trustee Audits — They’re BACK!

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One of the things lobbyists convinced Congress absolutely had to be added to the Bankruptcy system in 2005 were Debtor audits.  Well, this concept has come and gone a few times since then, generally due to budget fluctuations.  However, it is being reported that the US Trustee has found more money; and random audits are once again a fact of life.

Now, before you get too excited, I have not seen figures for the frequency of audits at this point.  One in every 250 cases being selected is pretty much the historical standard, but I have no idea how much funding the US Trustee has available at this point in time.

The purpose of the audits is to find “material” misstatements in the Debtors’ petition and schedules.  Now, you would think that material would mean material for purposes of the Bankruptcy process and to people who understand how the system works.  No, material at this point seems to mean material to the independent CPA’s from large CPA firms that the U.S. Trustee’s office contracts with to do these audits.  These guys aren’t accustomed to preferential transfers and median income calculations.  These are the same people who audit corporate financial statements.  (If you aren’t rolling your eyes by now, you haven’t been reading my blog long enough.)

Anyway, if your case is selected for an audit, you will have to begin by producing certain documents to the auditors.  The last list of documents I have seen for an audit is from 2008, but I don’t think it has changed much.  Here it is:

  • Payment advices or other evidence of payment from an employer for the six full calendar months preceding the date of the bankruptcy petition, plus those received in the calendar month in which the bankruptcy was filed, from the debtor(s), or from an individual debtor and the individual debtor’s non-filing spouse unless the debtor has checked Box 2.b on Form B22A (Chapter 7 cases only).
  • Federal income tax returns, including all schedules and all W-2, 1099, and K-1 forms, for the two most recent taxable periods prior to the date of the bankruptcy petition.  If either of the returns has not been filed, provide copies of the two most recently filed federal income tax returns.  (If joint case and debtors filed separate returns, provide both returns.)
  • Account statements for the six months preceding the date of the bankruptcy petition for all depository and investment accounts in which the debtor(s) had an interest in any of the six months, including statements (even if received post petition) that reflect activity in the month in which the petition was filed; along with sufficient documentation to explain the source of every deposit or credit over $500.  (Include information for checking, savings, money market, mutual fund, and brokerage accounts.  Examples of documentation for deposit transactions include check registers and annotations on or attached to the account statements.)  Audit firms may request that you provide additional documentation to sufficiently explain the source or purpose of an account statement entry or entries.
  • If the debtor(s) is divorced, (a) the divorce decree, (b) any orders regarding property settlements entered within the last three years, and (c) any alimony or child support orders currently in effect and amendments thereto.
  • If the debtor(s) is self-employed, then for each business owned by debtor or from which debtor derives self-employment income, (a) business tax returns for the two most recent taxable periods prior to the date of the bankruptcy petition, (b) most recent accounts receivable ledger and aging schedule/report, (c) most recent balance sheet prior to the date of bankruptcy petition, (d) income statement for the most recent period ended prior to the date of the bankruptcy petition, (e) quarterly sales tax return for the most recent period ended prior to the date of the bankruptcy  petition, if any, (f) account statements for business depository account(s) for the six months preceding the date of the bankruptcy petition, and the month in which the petition was filed, along with sufficient documentation to explain the source of every deposit or credit, and the purpose of every check, withdrawal, or debit, and (g) most recent business asset listing and depreciation schedule, if any.

My favorite requirement is that last one.  Accounts receivable ledgers, balance sheets, income statements, depreciation schedules — from a self-employed debtor?  Who are they kidding?  Anyone who has that sophisticated an accounting system isn’t self-employed.  They may operate a wholly owned professional corporation, but they aren’t self-employed.  Your self-employed debtors are lawncare people, electricians, oil field contractors, remodeling contractors, plumbers, oh and the next-door neighbor’s cousin who cleans your house. All of whom are, of course, famous for their detailed, double-entry accounting systems.

Yet another example of the 2005 Bankruptcy reform act and its ongoing quest for an abuse in need of a remedy.

Elaine

Who Comes to the First Meeting of Creditors?

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Section 341 of the United States Bankruptcy Code requires that the United States Trustee shall hold a meeting of the creditors within a reasonable time (usually within 20 and 40 days) after a Bankruptcy Petition is filed.  It doesn’t restrict that to cases with assets or ongoing business activities or anything else.  It requires a meeting of creditors (generally referred to as the first meeting, because there can be more in complicated cases) in all cases filed.

It is called the First Meeting of Creditors (or 341 hearing), which confuses many of my clients who then seem to think that their creditors will actually show up.  In most consumer cases it is really a meeting between the Trustee assigned to the case, the debtor and debtor’s counsel.  I doubt anyone actually knows why the same provision for the same meeting is included in the Code for all chapters.  In reality consumer cases, whether they are filed under Chapter 7 or Chapter 13, are very different from business cases — regardless of chapter.

The first thing to say about 341 meetings is that they vary wildly from one part of the Country to another.  Since there is so little statutory direction, they have evolved according to local custom.  The one constant is that very few creditors show up.  Think about it.  Why would a credit card company pay someone to come to your First Meeting of Creditors?  What is he going to ask?  Why don’t you make more money so you could afford to pay this?   They have better things to do.

Now, a local car lender might show up.  First of all, they are already here, second, there are some things they need to know.  Are you going to keep the car?  Oh, and is it insured?  Actually, though, even that has gotten rare.  A call to debtor’s counsel is just more cost effective.  So, for most consumer debtors the only person interested in their case is the Trustee; and he just wants to make sure that the schedules are complete and accurate, make sure he understands what is going on and if there are any non-exempt assets that he gets his hands on them to he can sell them (pay himself a nice chunk) and distribute the rest to your creditors.

Well, that is most consumer cases.  It isn’t all of them.

A First Meeting of Creditors is held under oath, and it is intended for creditors to ask relevant questions if they want to.  So, it is a great chance for someone who thinks that they might have grounds to object to your discharge to ask some basic questions to help them build their case.  So, if someone thinks that the debtor has defrauded them, then that creditor (or his lawyer) might show up to ask some questions about that.

Then, there are the other creditors.  Probably my favorite to watch is the ticked off former spouse.  They are generally just mad, but they frequently know about assets that the debtor kind of, sort of, forgot to list on the Schedules.   Occasionally, a mad ex-spouse makes me regret that I don’t have the buildings’ popcorn concession; but those are rare.

Next, there are the creditors who got the notice of the hearing in the mail and just thought they were supposed to be there for some reason.  That is probably the largest group.

Finally, you have creditors who are just mad.  By golly, they didn’t get paid and they want to tell somebody about it.  I had one of those today, and the Trustee listened politely and then explained that he isn’t the Judge and he doesn’t make decisions about what debts should or shouldn’t be included in the discharge.  Usually, these people just want to feel like they have had their say and someone has listened.

Still, in most cases, the First Meeting of Creditors is the biggest non-event the debtors have ever lost sleep over.

Elaine

The Government is Shut Down, Can I Still File for Bankruptcy?

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Yes, for now.  Probably.

Believe it or not, the question of how the government shutdown would impact the practice of Bankruptcy consumed most of my morning last Tuesday; and I was not alone.

The simple answer is that the Federal Courts, of which the Bankruptcy Courts are a part,  announced on Monday that they had enough money to continue operating normally for two weeks.  Most of that money comes from filing fees, and I suspect a large percentage of it comes from Bankruptcy filing fees – but I regress.  So, the simple answer is – no problem for two weeks, then the Courts reassess.

Not so fast.  The bankruptcy system is overseen by the U.S. Trustee’s office, which is a division of the Department of Justice; and almost all of them are furloughed.  Many bankruptcy cases have the IRS, the SBA or some other Federal agency as an active party.  They are all furloughed, and if they aren’t, odds are that their bankruptcy lawyers are from the Department of Justice; and they are furloughed.  So, now what.

One thing that my court did quickly, and that appears to be unique to my jurisdiction is that my Judges entered a General Order staying all matters in Chapter 7’s and 13’s to which the IRS is a party.  Well, we are taking that to mean in which the IRS is an active party.  Technically, the IRS is a party in almost all Chapter 7’s and 13’s.  So, the two objections to claim that I filed last week in the same case now have different response dates, and one hearing date has been indefinitely postponed.

Also, the case trustees are not Federal employees, they are private attorneys; but they are appointed by the U.S. Trustee’s office.  They remain on the job, but I am unsure how long they will continue to be appointed to new filings.  First Meetings of Creditors continue to be held as scheduled, except, of course, neither the IRS nor the U.S. Trustee’s office will be there asking questions I would generally rather my clients weren’t being asked.  In fact, this may be a uniquely good time to file a case with means test issues.  Actually, a month ago probably would have been better. . . . I am teasing – sort of.  It would be interesting to see how that would play out.  If the US Trustee can’t object to a bankruptcy filing because the staff is furloughed, does that toll the time in which the objection must be made?  I wouldn’t think so, and it will be really interesting to see how the Courts deal with that issue, and they almost certainly will.

In the meantime, cases are filing like normal.  The automatic stay (i.e., bankruptcy protection) is going into effect just like always.  Most cases are proceeding normally at this point.  How thing will change if this continues for long, I don’t know.  I am reasonably sure of one thing, though.  The Bankruptcy courts are not going to stop accepting new filings anytime soon.  Bankruptcy cases all include a filing fee – $281 for a Chapter 13 and $306 for a Chapter 7 filing; and the Federal Courts are far too broke to turn that down.

Elaine

Short Answers to Complicated Questions

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Frequently when I get a call from someone considering a bankruptcy filing, the first question I’m asked is — complicated.  Here are a few examples.

Are taxes dischargeable in Bankruptcy?

That depends.  Some taxes, like sales taxes and some withholding taxes are never dischargeable.  More commonly I am asked about income taxes, and not surprisingly the rules are complicated.   The most important thing I can tell you in brief is that when you see tax problems developing (and they usually snowball on you), file your returns on time.  Extensions are fine, as long as you file before theyexpire.  If you can’t pay, well, you can’t pay; but file the return.  There are three time frames that must be met before income taxes can become dischargeable, and one of them runs from the time that the tax return was filed.  There is also some troubling case law developing in other parts of the Country limiting dischargeability for late-filed returns.  Of course, if the IRS has filed a substitute for return, that is a whole different ball game.  Yes, I know, this doesn’t make a lot of sense.  It is a short answer to a very complicated question.  Just remember to file your returns timely, and if you wind up way over your head with tax debt, contact a qualified Bankruptcy attorney in your jurisdiction for a consultation.

If I file for Bankruptcy, can I keep my car?

Well, that depends on a lot of things — is it paid for, are you current on it, how much equity do you have in it, have you maintained insurance, can you afford to make the payments?

Think about this one for a minute.  There were over 6300 people who filed for Bankruptcy in the Western half of Oklahoma last year.  If they were all hitchhiking to work, don’t you think you would have noticed? Generally, the impetus for this question is a deep seated sense of shame and a fear that you have been bad and are going to be punished.  I don’t mean to belittle this, it is very real; and most of us have a voice in the back of our heads that says things like this to us, but bankruptcy isn’t about punishment; and most people who file for Bankruptcy keep their cars.   Are there exceptions?   Yes, but that is a whole different blog post.

I’m married, does my spouse have to file with me?

Probably not.  Now, are there reasons why you may want to file jointly?  Yes.  Are there times when you both need to file in order to get a particular result that you want?  Yes.  If your spouse doesn’t file with you, will your filing affect your spouse?  That really depends, and that is one of many reasons why I require that non-filing spouses attend the initial appointment with the filing spouse.

Is the Trustee going to come to my house?

Well, I don’t know.  Are you inviting him for dinner?  Seriously, now, the Chapter 7 panel trustees are highly compensated professionals who get paid a very small amount of money to administer cases.  They make their money administering non-exempt assets.  No one is paying them to go through your sock drawer.  Now, if a Trustee has reason to believe that you are concealing valuable assets, can a Trustee get a search warrant for your home or office?  Well, yes; and in 22-years of practice, I have seen that happen once.  The Debtor went to prison for a number of years for all kinds of fraudulent behavior.  So, don’t hide uncashed royalty checks; and the Trustee will not be paying you a visit.

Elaine