Filing for Chapter 13 Bankruptcy is very different from Chapter 7 Bankruptcy. Here, the indebted wage-earner uses the eventual accumulation of his income in order to pay some or all of his debts, instead of completely wiping out most of it. Another difference between the two is that it’s much easier obtaining a mortgage after bankruptcy after filing chapter 13.
Under the Chapter13 Bankruptcy case, the individual (debtor) files a reorganization plan of payment to be able to recompense his creditors over an agreed period of time, usually lasting to a limited 3 to 5 years span depending on the extent of his debts and the amount of his income. So the main difference between the two is the amount of time given. Yet not all bankrupt debtors are given the time-opportunity to reorganize his assets to be able to pay. Under the new bankruptcy law, the individual may still have to prove that he can afford to meet all of the payment obligations as arranged. While the Chapter7 bankruptcy filers aim to prove that they can’t pay any of their debts, Chapter13 bankruptcy filers aim to prove that they can pay their debts given the time.
The individual filing for Chapter 13 must prove that they have a decent amount of income, and that they aren’t too much into debt. With that being said, the amount of unsecured debt to be paid should be below $307,000, and the amount of the debtor’s creditor secured debts should not exceed $923,000.
Those that are filing for Chapter 13 would need to obtain a certificate of credit counseling completion form from the US Trustee’s Office. Other documents must be included with these forms such as federal tax returns from previous year, debtor’s property, earnings and spending for the year, and the repayment plan showing the bankrupt’s means to pay debt.
Upon filing, when the bankruptcy court verifies that the debtor has a regular job with regular income, it may order that some monthly payments be automatically deducted from the wages and then sent directly to the bankruptcy court which the appointed case trustee instantly distributes to the creditors. The approval of the debtor’s reorganization plan also prompts the debtor to immediately start making payments within 30-days of filing (again via trustee). Under the Chapter 13 plan, the payments included are child support and alimony, owed employee wages, government taxes, secured debt, unsecured debts, credit cards, medical bills, and re-arranged debt payments.
