Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Issues
Find all issues related to chapter 7 bankruptcies here.
My Name is on Title to Real Property, But I Don’t Own the Home! Can I file for California Bankruptcy Holding Bare Legal Title?
Be careful if you are contemplating a bankruptcy and you hold title to real property. Even if you don’t believe you have any equitable interest in the home, a bankruptcy trustee may disagree with you. A common scenario is where you take title to a residence your relative owns. Imagine your parents want to leave their home to you as a probate avoidance device. Well, perhaps they should...
Read MoreCheap Affordable Southern California Chapter 7 Bankruptcies – Too Good to Be True?
I recently saw an online advertisement for chapter 7 bankruptcy services by an attorney offering to do the work for rock bottom pricing. The attorney’s website failed to clearly indicate specific office address locations and made no mention of any relevant bankruptcy experience or applicable bankruptcy credentials. Really the website failed to disclose much at all except the...
Read MoreBeneficiaries of Revocable Living Trusts Facing Bankruptcy
So you are a beneficiary of a recovable living trust. You need to file bankruptcy. Can you? Well, it depends. As long as you are not the settlor and the settlor lives through your bankruptcy, your beneficiary interest is contingent, meaning it doesn’t come into your bankruptcy as property of the estate. That’s because if the settlor is still alive, that person...
Read MoreCan I Keep my Car When I File Bankruptcy?
When you file a bankruptcy, you want to keep your basic assets including your car. When you file chapter 7 or 13, you can generally keep your car assuming you are able to utilize the federal or California based exemptions applicable to your case. The specifics of how exemptions work or are applied on a case to case basis can be complex. Thus it is important for you to consult an...
Read MoreHow to Find a Quality Consumer Bankruptcy Attorney
So what should you look for when choosing the right consumer bankruptcy attorney for your case? Everyone should want to retain a quality consumer bankruptcy attorney for peace of mind. You want to know your attorney has your best interest at hand and that you will be taken care of personally by the attorney representing you. You also want a competent attorney who knows bankuptcy law. In...
Read MoreSmall Business Bankruptcy & Personal Guarantees
Recently, I filed a small business bankruptcy/personal bankruptcy for business members of an LLC who had leased a space in one of the newer commercial developments in the San Gabriel Valley. In such small business bankruptcy cases where personal guarantees were given to secure loans, leases, or other necessary business expenditures, understand that a personal guarantee holds that...
Read MoreWant To Know If Your 401(K) Plan protected in Bankruptcy?
When one files bankruptcy, oftentimes the person has an interest in retirement accounts including 401(K) plans. Such plans are generally ERISA qualified (check your plan summary), and therefore such plans are generally excluded from Property of the Estate in bankuptcy cases under 541(b)(7) of the bankruptcy code. However, not all retirment plans are the same – 401(K)’s and...
Read MoreShopping For The Lowest California Bankruptcy Attorney Fees – You Get What You Pay For
Oftentimes, prosepctive bankruptcy filers are shopping for the lowest bankruptcy attorney fees. A good attorney should tell you that their fees depend on the complexity of the case. Sure, there are attorneys out there who will take your case for a bargain price but are you sure they know what they are doing? For those clients who are price shopping for an attorney, remember you get...
Read MoreThe Top Reason To File Bankruptcy
Want to know the top reason to file for bankruptcy: Well, it’s to Get a Fresh Start This fundamental concept of bankruptcy is ever so important to those who actually do file bankruptcy. People file bankruptcy to move forward with life, and that is really and truly when people should file for bankruptcy protection. Good people who cannot afford to pay their debts due to medical...
Read MoreExplaining a Bankruptcy Fraudulent Transfer by California Bankruptcy Attorney Jeffrey Hsu of JCH Law Firm
What’s a bankruptcy fraudulent transfer? Well, it happens when a debtor conceals or transfers away property to avoid claims of executing creditors for purposes of bankruptcy. In bankruptcy, there are 2 types of fraudulent transfer laws: state based under Section 544 and federally based under 548 of the Bankruptcy Code. The state law version has a longer statute of limitations...
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