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Chapter 7 Eligibility

A petitioner must reside in or have a domicile, a place of business, or property in the United States in order to file a Chapter 7 bankruptcy. The petitioner must not have been granted a Chapter 7 discharge within the last six years or completed a Chapter 13 plan.

The Bankruptcy Appellate Panels and Review of Bankruptcy Decisions

Bankruptcy Appellate Panels or "BAPs"

Contested Matters

Whenever there is an actual dispute, other than an adversary proceeding, before the bankruptcy court, the litigation to resolve that dispute is a contested matter. For example, the filing of an objection to a proof of claim, to a claim of exemption, or to a disclosure statement creates a dispute that is a contested matter. Even when an objection is not formally required, there may be a dispute. If a party in interest opposes the amount of compensation sought by a professional, there is a dispute that is a contested matter.

Bankruptcy Discharge

Bankruptcy is a process created by federal law that provides relief for debtors, who can either eliminate their debts or repay their debts. Chapter 7 "liquidation" is the process by which debtors wipe out or "discharge" many of their debts.

Property Interests of Debtor and Other Family Members Affected by Bankruptcy Case

Analysis of the extent and nature of the bankruptcy estate is essential to determining what will happen to a debtor's property in bankruptcy, a subject that is often of enormous importance to the debtor's spouse or former spouse and to other members of the debtor's family.