| Case Commencement |
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| Under the Bankruptcy Code, a voluntary or involuntary case is commenced by filing a petition with the bankruptcy court. A Chapter 7 or 11 bankruptcy case may be initiated by a voluntary filing by the debtor or by an involuntary filing by the debtor's creditors. Cases under all other chapters may be initiated only by a voluntary petition. More... |
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| Tax Claims |
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| The treatment of tax debts in bankruptcy proceedings is an attempt to reconcile two conflicting policies. The first policy concerns the government's interest in collecting taxes. The second policy concerns the fresh start that bankruptcy is to give honest debtors. Under the Bankruptcy Code, a debtor's ability to discharge any tax debt is based upon the classification of that particular tax debt. More... |
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| Bankruptcy During Divorce |
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| Problems may result from the conflict of interests between domestic relations courts and bankruptcy courts when a couple files for bankruptcy during a divorce. The conflict arises because of the differing policies between the courts. Bankruptcy courts have a policy of providing a fresh start and distributing the debtors' assets equally among all of their creditors. Family courts have a policy of equitably dividing the property between the spouses. More... |
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| Chapter 13 Eligibility |
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| Only individuals may file for Chapter 13 bankruptcy. Corporations and partnerships may not file for Chapter 13 bankruptcy. Any individual, even if self-employed or operating an unincorporated business, is eligible for Chapter 13 relief as long as that individual has regular income greater than reasonable living expenses, has unsecured debts not exceeding a certain sum, and has secured debts not exceeding a certain sum. More... |
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| Bankruptcy Reform - Will It Affect Eligibility? |
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| The battle over bankruptcy reform seems to be an ongoing struggle between the would-be reformers and those who feel that debtors' rights would be adversely affected by reform of the bankruptcy laws. Despite the differences in opinion, many lawmakers agree with creditors that loopholes in the law need to be closed. More... |
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