Author Archives: David M. Siegel

Don’t Let Your Bankruptcy Case Close Without A Discharge

Your bankruptcy case should never close without a discharge. To prevent this from happening, you must complete a two hour financial management course at some time after your case is filed and prior to discharge. This gives you a window of approximately three months to complete the financial management course. If you fail to do […]

Your Tax Refund May Not Be Safe In A Chapter 7 Nor In A Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Case

Tax Refunds Time It’s that time of year again. This is the time when many debtors look forward to receiving their federal and state income tax refunds. Debtors rely on these refunds all year long to get them through this period of time. Throw in the bankruptcy wrinkle. A debtor who is struggling financially seeks […]

The Importance Of The Non-Filing Spouse In Chapter 13 Bankruptcy

Not every married couple files a joint chapter 13 bankruptcy case. However, the income and expenses of the non-filing party is critical in determining how much the filer has to pay per month to a Chapter 13 trustee and for how long. This relatively new concept stems back to the bankruptcy reform of October 17, […]

Is My Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Case On The Verge Of Dismissal?

Chance For Dismissal This is a question that comes up on nearly every chapter 13 bankruptcy case that is filed. It is almost impossible to make it through the chapter 13 filing process without some sort of difficulty. The difficulty might stem from the trustee, a creditor, the regulations, or the debtor himself. There are […]

When Bankruptcy Is Not Enough: Be Careful When Investing In Suspect Real Estate

Invest Wisely I have to share with you a cautionary tale of a prior client who had an investment in a real estate property on the South side of Chicago. The neighborhood in which he invested was not great.  In fact, it’s one of the two or three neighborhoods in Chicago that has not seen […]

How Soon Will I Get Credit After Filing Bankruptcy?

It’s amazing to me that people are worried about getting credit before they even completed a bankruptcy case. This is due in fact based upon Americans desire and obsession for credit. After all, credit is what more than likely got the person into financial problems to begin with. Now there are other causes of bankruptcy […]