Top Myths About Bankruptcy

1. Bankruptcy relief is no longer available and/or practical.

This is absolutely false. The new bankruptcy laws have made the process more burdensome in some cases, and altered eligibility for certain people, but for most people, if they were eligible before, then they are likely eligible now for bankruptcy relief.

2. If I file bankruptcy I will have to repay all my debts.

This is false in most cases. For individuals, Chapter 7 is still available for most people, as set forth above. Sometimes if the analysis shows too much income on either the means test or current budget, you may have to do a repayment plan in a Chapter 13, but usually not.

3. I will lose all my property if I file bankruptcy.

False. Whether you get to keep your property depends on the value (or amount of equity) in any particular item of property and what exemptions you have available to protect the value in that asset. In the vast majority of cases, you will be able to keep your property. Of course, analysis by a bankruptcy lawyer is necessary to accurately make that determination.

4. Bankruptcy will destroy my credit.

False. It is true that bankruptcy can be reported on your credit report for up to 10 years after your case is filed, but the actual effect on your credit score varies depending on what your score was before you filed bankruptcy, and it is temporary because you can start rebuilding your credit immediately after filing your case. In many cases, especially for people who have very low credit scores before filing bankruptcy, their credit scores go up shortly after filing bankruptcy, as long as they maintain payments on obligations thereafter.