The 2005 Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act (BAPCPA) changed New York bankruptcy in some dramatic ways, particularly chapter 7. It also changed New York bankruptcy lawyers’ practices: The recently revised bankruptcy forms they complete for clients are an echo of the BAPCPA. Most of the BAPCPA went into effect in October 2005, and …
10 Years After Bankruptcy Reform: Means-Testing Doesn’t Work Read More »
New York City might be known for its large number residents who live alone, but roommate and similar situations are still quite common—witness HBO’s Girls‘ satire of them. Thus, it’s not unheard of for debtors to file bankruptcy even if they don’t share a close relationship with the people they’re living with. This becomes a …
What Is a ‘Household’ in Bankruptcy? Does That Include Roommates? Read More »
I recently wrote about the means test deductions in chapter 7 and threw in specific numbers for New York bankruptcy. I haven’t written precisely on what happens next, so now’s a good opportunity. For review, the means test itself can be found in section 707(b)(2). Debtors take the means test if their “current monthly incomes” …
The bankruptcy means test, now ten years old, is too frequently seen as a hurdle to completing bankruptcy. Yes, it’s messy, creates paperwork, and probably increases the need to hire a New York bankruptcy lawyer when one might not have been necessary. However, most debtors in chapter 7 don’t need to take the means test …
Cases Can Still Be Dismissed Even If Debtors Pass the Means Test Read More »
If debtors in chapter 7 New York bankruptcy earn a “current monthly income” that if multiplied by 12 exceeds the state’s median family income (~$49,000 for single earners in New York), then they must take the means test to determine if their bankruptcy filings are not abusive. The test, which appears in section 707 of …
Tax returns are a common fixture in New York bankruptcy, so much so that debtors are well advised to file their taxes before they file bankruptcy. Because U.S. tax season has begun, it’s a message worth explaining sooner rather than later. In all bankruptcy chapters, the Bankruptcy Code requires debtors to provide the trustee with …
Usually debtors will ask whether retirement accounts are protected in New York bankruptcy, but they might also want to know if contributions to those accounts are protected. As far as the accounts are concerned, the answer is yes. As discussed here, the federal bankruptcy exemptions allow debtors to shield more than $1.2 million in retirement …
Are Retirement Contributions Allowed in Bankruptcy? Read More »
There are times when filing New York bankruptcy isn’t a good idea, like when debtors only owe a couple thousand dollars, but it’s a much more difficult proposition advising debtors who can’t file. The Bankruptcy Code doesn’t offer relief for everyone in all circumstances, so it can help to discuss alternatives. But first, here are …
Recall that debtors can use irregular incomes to their advantage to avoid taking the chapter 7 means test. (In New York bankruptcy, the median family income is $49,632 for a family of one and goes up from there for each additional family member.) The linked post gives as an example an individual who was about …
Tweaking Self-Employment Income to Beat the Means Test Can Be Risky Read More »
Lacking health insurance is almost always a bad idea. People who are injured can end up borrowing large amounts of money that they can’t manage, but there’s one situation in New York bankruptcy where lacking health insurance might not be an impediment: Debtors who don’t have health insurance might still be able to deduct it …
Stay in Chapter 7 by Deducting Your Health Insurance Read More »
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