FILING BANKRUPTCY IS A COMPLICATED LEGAL PROCEEDING WITH SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES

YOU SHOULD CONSULT AN EXPERIENCED BANKRUPTCY ATTORNEY BEFORE PROCEEDING. THERE MAY BE WAYS TO MAKE IT AFFORDABLE.

IF YOU NEED AN ATTORNEY AND DON'T KNOW HOW TO FIND ONE, CONTACT:

HAVE YOU OBTAINED YOUR CREDIT COUNSELING CERTIFICATE?  IF NOT, YOUR BANKRUPTCY CASE WILL BE DISMISSED.

Credit Counseling & Debtor Education Information

IF YOU OWN REAL ESTATE, HAVE YOU CONSIDERED RECORDING A HOMESTEAD DECLARATION AND CONSULTING WITH AN ATTORNEY REGARDING EXEMPTIONS?

IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING FILING CHAPTER 7 OR 13, BEFORE PROCEEDING, YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT:

• FILING BANKRUPTCY IS A COMPLICATED LEGAL PROCEEDING WITH SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES AFFECTING YOUR RIGHTS. YOU SHOULD CONSULT AN EXPERIENCED BANKRUPTCY ATTORNEY ABOUT THE MANY ISSUES THAT WILL IMPACT YOUR CASE.
• HERE ARE JUST A FEW ISSUES TO DISCUSS WITH AN ATTORNEY BEFORE FILING BANKRUPTCY:
  1. HAVE YOU OBTAINED A CERTIFICATE OF CREDIT COUNSELING FROM AN APPROVED AGENCY? IF NOT, YOUR CASE WILL BE DISMISSED.
  2. A LIST OF APPROVED CREDIT COUNSELING AGENCIES IS AVAILABLE AT THE CLERK’S OFFICE AND ON THE BANKRUPTCY COURT'S WEBSITE (Approved Credit Counseling Agencies)
  3. DO YOU OWN REAL ESTATE? HAVE YOU RECORDED A DECLARATION OF HOMESTEAD? DO YOU NEED ONE?
  4. DO YOU KNOW WHICH OF YOUR ASSETS ARE EXEMPT?
  5. DO YOU HAVE DISPOSABLE INCOME? IF NOT, YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO FUND A CHAPTER 13 PLAN.
  6. HAVE YOU FILED ALL OF YOUR TAX RETURNS? IF NOT, YOUR CASE MAY BE DISMISSED.
• IF YOU THINK YOU CAN’T AFFORD A LAWYER? YOU MAY BE ABLE TO PAY OVER TIME THROUGH YOUR BANKRUPTCY. CHECK OUT THESE REFERRAL SERVICES:
  1. Boston Bar Lawyer Referral(617) 742-0625. Trained staff are available Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m. to discuss your situation and make an appropriate referral to a pre-screened attorney to meet your needs.
  2. Massachusetts Bar Association (866) MASS-LRS, or (866) 627-7577
  3. American Bar Association

HERE ARE SOME ADDITIONAL CONSUMER RESOURCES

• Pro se Debtors Bankruptcy Clinic
• Pro se Law Clerk's Office
• National Consumer Law Center
• United States Bankruptcy Court
• American Bankruptcy Institute
• Legal Advocacy Resource Center
• Volunteer Lawyers Project
• Greater Boston Legal Services
• National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys
• Massachusetts Justice Project (Worcester)
• Massachusetts Justice Project(Holyoke)

• Hampden County Bar Association Hotline: 413-322-7404

IF YOU FILE CHAPTER 7 OR 13, YOUR CASE MAY BE DISMISSED WITHOUT THE FOLLOWING:

1. Filing fee of $281 (Chapter 13) or $306 (Chapter 7). You may ask the Bankruptcy Court for permission to pay the fee in installments by filing a signed application for Court approval. Fed.R.Bankr.P.1006(b).
2. Voluntary Petition (Official Form 1).
3. Certificate of Credit Counseling. (Or § 109(h)(3) certification or § 109(h)(4) request). Must be filed WITH the petition. Fed.R.Bankr.P. 1007(b) & (c).
4. Statement of Social Security Number (Official Form 21). Must be filed WITH the petition. Fed.R.Bankr.P. 1007(f).
5. Names and addresses of all creditors of the debtor (“Creditor Matrix”). Fed.R.Bankr.P.1007(a)
6. Notice to Individual Debtor with Primarily Consumer Debts under 11 U.S.C. § 342(b), if applicable. Must be filed with the petition or within 14 days. 11 U.S.C. §§ 342(b); 521(a)(1)(B)(iii);707(a)(3).
7. Statement of current monthly income (Official Form 22C). Must be filed with the petition or within 14 days. Rule 1007, Fed.R.Bankr.P. (In order to prepare Part I of this form, each person filing will need to have copies of their pay stubs or other evidence of income for the six (6) month period preceding the bankruptcy filing)
8. Schedules of assets and liabilities (Official Form 6). Must be filed with the petition or within 14 days. Fed.R.Bankr.P. 1007(b) & (c).
9. Schedule of executory contracts and unexpired leases (Schedule G of Official Form 6). Must be filed with the petition or within 14 days. Fed.R.Bankr.P. 1007(b) & (c).
10. Schedules of current income and expenditures (Schedules I and J of Official Form 6). Must be filed with the petition or within 14 days. 11 U.S.C. § 521(1) and Fed.R.Bankr.P. 1007(b) & (c).
11. Statement of financial affairs (Official Form 7). Must be filed with the petition or within 14 days. Fed.R.Bankr.P. 1007(b) & (c).
12. Copies of all pay stubs or other evidence of income received by the debtor within 60 days before the filing of the petition. To be provided to the Chapter 7 or 13 Trustee no later than 7 days before the first meeting of creditors.
13. Copies of the most recently filed tax returns. To be provided to the Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 Trustee no later than 7 days before the first meeting of creditors.
14. You must appear at the first meeting of creditors or your case may be dismissed.
    For Chapter 13 the following are also required:
15. Independent evidence of valuation, copies of deeds, Declaration of Homestead, and insurance binders for all real estate. To be provided to the Chapter 13 Trustee on or before the first meeting of creditors.
16. Chapter 13 Plan. Must be filed with the petition or within 14 days thereafter. Fed.R.Bankr.P. 3015.