Through Twitter, I came across this article “How to File Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Without a Lawyer.” Since I wrote a book about chapter 13 – where I emphasize the need for competent representation – and, since I am also a lawyer, the title alone intrigued me. So I clicked and read the article. Then, I got steamed because not only was the article excruciatingly inaccurate, in some instances it was flat out wrong. So, I’ve copied and pasted each of the “9 Steps,” and offered my response and I grade each answer.
Posts Tagged ‘Debtor Education’
No Ticket? No Discharge: The Ticket Out of Bankruptcy
Monday, January 23rd, 2006
If one picks up the MBTA Red Line at Downtown Crossing, less than a block from my office, one must pay $1.25 to board. If the rider takes the T to Quincy Adams or Braintree, another $1.25 must be paid to exit the station. While it’s never happened to me personally, I can only imagine that if one does not have the $1.25 to exit, they are left to board the train again and head back into the direction they came in. Under the new bankruptcy law, debtors need a ticket to file, a topic that I discussed on December 30. There is also the new requirement to obtain a ticket out of bankruptcy: Debtor Education.
Section 727 of the Bankruptcy Code was amended to provide that a debtor cannot receive a discharge if the debtor has “failed to complete an instructional course concerning personal financial management.” Once completed, a certificate of completion is filed with the Bankruptcy Court. Thus, in addition to credit counseling, bankrupt debtors must complete a post-filing course in financial management.