Your bankruptcy case is filed.
What happens next?
After you’ve assembled all the paper, after you’ve answered endless lawyer questions, and after you’ve filed all the bankruptcy schedules in your case with the court, what do you need to do now?
Actually, relatively little happens after you’ve filed your bankruptcy. The heavy lifting is done.
But for a successful outcome to your case, you need to stay engaged. Bankruptcy is not the kind of law you just hand to your lawyer and bow out.
Here’s what you need to do to as a member of your bankruptcy team.
1. Open your mail
Read what the court and I send you. I sent you a copy so you can see what is going on and what I have done on your behalf.
Much of a bankruptcy case plays out in paper generated by my office and the court. Stay up on the latest.
Make arrangements to appear at the first meeting of creditors.
2. Review what you have signed
It takes a lot of paper to file a bankruptcy case and you undoubtedly signed lots of schedules.
Go back and review what you signed. Read the question and your answer. Is your answer true and complete?
Point out any errors or omissions. Innocent mistakes that the debtor identifies and corrects are seldom a problem in a case.
Mistakes are common and harmless if fixed.
3. Keep me posted
I need to know about major events in your life: have you moved, changed jobs, become entitled to an inheritance, gotten too sick to work for a while.
Each of these things bears on bankruptcy issues.
4. Ask me questions
Let me know about things you don’t understand. I can’t tell that you are confused unless you tell me.
There is no reason you should understand bankruptcy the first time through. I’m still seeing subltities in the law after three decades of doing this.
So let me know when you are lost.
At bottom, there are decisions in a bankruptcy case that only the client can make, so you have to have some understanding of the issue to make a good decision.
5. Respond promptly
When I ask for documents or information, please move quickly.
A bankruptcy case moves on a short timeline and delay can be harmful.
6. Don’t fret unnecessarily.
Bankruptcy may be new and strange to you, but my staff and I are experienced. Most bankruptcies are routine.
There is no reason to lay awake nights terrified of some horror you’ve dreamed up. If it worries you, ask me about it.
There is more on the statutory duties of a debtor on Bankruptcy in Brief.
More
Going to court in your bankruptcy
Creditors you must pay after bankruptcy
Are discharged debts gone forever?
Bankruptcy terms you need to know
Image courtesy of Pixabay and Geralt.
