The Bankruptcy Process

The Michigan Personal Bankruptcy Process 

A bankruptcy takes a matter of months to complete, from start to finish. Below is a guide of the bankruptcy process for your reference:

Meet Your Attorney: Your bankruptcy attorney at The Dorn Law Firm offers a free initial consultation. She will help you assess your case and determine if bankruptcy is right for you. She will review your debts, income and assets to determine if you qualify for Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy.

The Documents: You will be asked to assemble and submit documents (including your tax returns, pays stubs and bills) to your attorney for review and submission to the Bankruptcy Trustee. Heather Dorn will ensure that your information is accurately processed in the bankruptcy petition.

Debtor Education Counseling: You are required to complete two debtor education counseling courses. The first must be done within 180 days of filing your petition for bankruptcy and the second must be completed within 45 days of your meeting of the creditors. These classes can be conducted over the phone or through the Internet. Your attorney will direct you to the most cost-effective counseling service that will help you fulfill this requirement.

The Petition: Once your bankruptcy lawyer prepares the petition, you will be asked to review and sign it. Bankruptcy petitions are filed electronically with the court. You will then have a case number assigned to your case, and the court will set the timeline for your case.

Meeting of the Creditors: Within 20-30 days of filing your petition, the Bankruptcy Trustee will hold a meeting with you, your attorney and your creditors. Although creditors rarely show up, it is an opportunity for them and the Bankruptcy Trustee to question you about your debts and income. The meeting usually takes about 10 minutes. At this time, the Trustee will either approve or deny your bankruptcy.

Confirmation Hearing for Chapter 13 Cases: This hearing is a chance to resolve any issues raised by Chapter 13 creditors. If there are no problems, this hearing will not take place.

Discharge in Bankruptcy: A Chapter 7 bankruptcy your debts are generally discharged within 90 days from filing the petition, unless there are any objections raised. In a Chapter 13 case, your repayment agreement will go into effect around this time. You will have 36-60 months to repay your debts under the plan.

Call The Dorn Law Firm at 248.438.8716 or 866.684.5816 for a free consultation about Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy. We offer evening and weekend meetings by appointment.

We are a debt relief agency. We help people file for bankruptcy relief under the Bankruptcy Code.