Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Your Pet and Your Personal Bankruptcy Filing
Are you considering a personal bankruptcy filing in South Florida, including either a Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing or a Chapter 13 bankruptcy filing? If so, you may not realize it, but you will need to disclose your pet or pets along with all of your other property in the bankruptcy schedules you submit to… Read More »
What is Included in a Personal “Bankruptcy Estate”?
Have you been considering a bankruptcy filing and come across the terminology of the “bankruptcy estate”? If you have never filed for bankruptcy or discussed the details with a friend or family member who has, much of the specific language used in the United States Bankruptcy Code and bankruptcy cases can feel quite foreign…. Read More »
What is the Difference Between Discharge and Dismissal in a Bankruptcy Case?
When most individual debtors begin the process of planning for a bankruptcy filing, the goal is to eliminate debt. Debtors who file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy aim to have most or all of their debts discharged in order to get a fresh financial start at the conclusion of the bankruptcy case, which is often… Read More »
What is an Administrative Debt in Bankruptcy?
Bankruptcy cases involve many different forms of debts, which are classified in particular ways. Those classifications impact how such debts are repaid, and in reorganization bankruptcy cases, whether those debts must be repaid in full or may be eligible for discharge. In general, whether you are filing for personal bankruptcy or your business is… Read More »
Discharging Household Debt in a Personal Bankruptcy Filing
Household debt is rising — in Florida and across the United States. In fact, it has reached such highs, and so quickly, that a recent report from Business Insider describes it as an “explosion of household debt” that may leave the American economy metaphorically “running off the cliff.” Household debt here has now reached… Read More »
Rise in Subchapter V Filings for Small Businesses
For small businesses in South Florida that are behind on payments to creditors and struggling to remain afloat, a reorganization bankruptcy can allow your business to restructure debt, remain open, continue operating, and, ideally, emerge from the reorganization bankruptcy on stronger financial footing. A reorganization bankruptcy can give a small business an opportunity to… Read More »
Discharging Dental Debt in Bankruptcy
Many Floridians know how expensive health care can be, especially surgical procedures, treatments for chronic or life-threatening diseases, and hospital stays. Yet when most of us think about unexpected and costly medical bills, we are not thinking about dental care. However, dental procedures can be extremely expensive, and many Americans do not properly budget… Read More »
Which Debts Survive Bankruptcy?
Did your bankruptcy case recently come to a close, and have you been under the impression that your debts were discharged such that you now have a fresh start? Whether you filed for a type of reorganization bankruptcy and spent years making payments to catch up with many of your creditors while having some… Read More »
Bankruptcy and Your HELOC: What to Consider
Have you taken a home equity line of credit (HELOC) from which you have drawn funding to pay for various costs? A HELOC is a type of revolving credit line that is secured by a person’s home. In order to obtain a HELOC, a bank determines the total equity in the home, and then… Read More »
Why Are Exemptions Relevant to My Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Case?
Exemptions are extremely important in personal bankruptcy cases, and especially in Chapter 7 cases where a debtor’s non-exempt assets will be liquidated as part of the bankruptcy process. If you are in the early stages of considering a Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing or planning for one, you may have come across references to exemptions,… Read More »
