Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy Lawyers

Hiring Bankruptcy Lawyers For Bankruptcy Petitions

The bankruptcy laws in the United States enable a person who is initially unable to settle all his debts, to avail of options that will help him do so. Usually, a resolution to this problem is the division of his assets among all creditors. Bankruptcy is commonly defined as the inability of a person or a company to be able to pay off all debts incurred. The process of filing bankruptcy can be quite tedious. Moreover, there are intricacies in the bankruptcy law that a person needs to fully comprehend. This is why hiring bankruptcy lawyers will surely benefit individuals and companies intending to file bankruptcy.

Bankruptcy can be initiated through one of two ways. It can be initiated by a creditor by a filing a bankruptcy petition against an individual or company that is unable to pay debts owed. It can likewise be initiated by a debtor. The former is also called involuntary bankruptcy while the latter is referred to as voluntary bankruptcy. Most bankruptcy petitions are voluntary or initiated by the debtor. However, before a company or individual files for bankruptcy, it is necessary to determine if the debtor is qualified to do so. It is also important to decide what kind of bankruptcy a debtor will petition for. There are many other concerns that need to be clarified before a bankruptcy petition may be commenced. Competent bankruptcy lawyers can help debtors at this stage.

The bankruptcy law is implemented to be able to assist a debtor in relieving all his debts and also for all creditors to be paid in an orderly manner. All bankruptcy petitions are heard and litigated in the United States bankruptcy courts. Bankruptcy lawyers can assist individuals during the bankruptcy proceedings. The authorized entities to supervise all these proceedings are the appointed members of the United States Trustees. A debtor can choose either of two bankruptcy forms. Reorganization bankruptcy allows a debtor to make adjustments on his assets or debts in order to continue operating while at the same time, partially paying off his debts. Liquidation bankruptcy, on the other hand, involves the complete distribution of all assets to all creditors.

The United States Code recognizes six types of bankruptcy as per the Bankruptcy Code and these are as follows:

Chapter 7 - basic liquidation for individuals and businesses

Chapter 9 - municipal bankruptcy

Chapter 11 - rehabilitation or reorganization by individual and business debtors

Chapter 12 - rehabilitation for family farmers and fishermen

Chapter 13 - rehabilitation with a payment plan for individuals with a regular source of income

Chapter 15 - ancillary and other international cases

Of the six, the most common are Chapter 7 and Chapter 13. Bankruptcy lawyers can help a debtor in deciding which these bankruptcy types to petition for. There are many of these lawyers all over the country. Finding one is even made more convenient through the popularity of the Internet. Usually, these bankruptcy lawyers offer free consultation to determine if all the technical requirements are met before commencing a bankruptcy petition.