Helping Debtors Pursue

Property exemptions are a complicated, but critically important, aspect of bankruptcy law that incorporate both federal and state law. California has two systems of exemptions that apply to bankruptcy cases, known as System 1 and System 2. System 1 allows for higher... Bankruptcy is often a very effective means for people in financial distress to obtain relief from their debt burden, but it can involve its own expenses. As ironic as it might seem, some debtors may feel that they must go further into debt in order to pay for their... A debtor in an involuntary Chapter 7 bankruptcy case has made several unsuccessful attempts to dismiss the case, with the most recent attempt drawing a mild rebuke from the court. In re Viola, No. 4:11-cv-00817, order (N.D. Cal., Mar. 19, 2014). The district court... A district court recently ruled on an appeal of several bankruptcy court orders, holding that it lacked jurisdiction over the matter. Sain v. Isles at Bayshore Master Assoc., Inc., et al, No. 1:14-mc-20338, opinion (S.D. Fla., Jan. 31, 2014). In its opinion and order,... An inventive use of federal bankruptcy law enables some debtors to eliminate liens from their homes through a process known as “Chapter 20.” The name refers to the sum of 7 and 13, since the process uses both Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 proceedings. Not all courts agree...