Consumer Bankruptcy

Effective April 1, consumers filing bankruptcy will be able to exempt more of their equity in their homes, cars, household goods, and even retirement accounts. This article describes all the bankruptcy dollar amount changes going into effect April 1.

This article examines new bankruptcy rule amendments, effective December 1, that significantly alter chapter 13 practice. The new rules affect the form of the chapter 13 plan, procedures for valuing and voiding liens, filing deadlines for creditor proofs of claim, objections to proofs of claims, and objections to plan confirmation.

This article examines the FDCPA implications of the Supreme Court’s May 15 decision in Midland Funding LLC v. Johnson that a collector filing a bankruptcy proof of claim on a time-barred debt is not an FDCPA violation.

This article reviews four amendments to the bankruptcy rules, a number of changes to the bankruptcy forms, and filing fee and other fee increases that all take effect on December 1, 2020. One of the rule changes has the potential for cost savings for debtors and their attorneys in chapter 13 cases. Also of note, filing fees for chapter 7 and 13 cases are increasing modestly.

This article describes important new legislation providing added protections for veterans, servicemembers, and their dependents in bankruptcy cases. It also analyzes new bankruptcy rules, effective December 1, 2019, and a must-read Fifth Circuit decision on the ability to discharge private student loans.

On June 3, the Supreme Court set the standard for consumer recovery of damages, punitive damages, and attorney fees for collection of debts discharged in bankruptcy. This article also explains that judgments on discharged debts are void, describes the advantages of FDCPA remedies, and provides a comparison between remedies for automatic stay violations and discharge violations.

Key to drafting a successful chapter 13 plan under the new Bankruptcy Rules is adding “nonstandard provisions” not found on the standardized forms. As set out in this article, NCLC now provides sample language for over thirty-five nonstandard provisions that attorneys can copy/paste into their plans.