The U.S. Bankruptcy Code also allows individual debtors who meet certain financial criteria to adopt extended time payment plans for the payment of debts. An individual debtor on a regular income may submit a plan for installment payment of outstanding debts. This is called a Chapter 13 Plan. This plan must be confirmed by the court. Once it is confirmed, debts are paid in the manner specified in the plan. After all payments called for by the plan are made, the debtor is given a discharge. The plan is, in effect, a budget of the debtor's future income with respect to outstanding debts. The plan must provide for the eventual payment in full of all claims entitled to priority under the Bankruptcy Code. The plan will be confirmed if it is submitted in good faith and is in the best interest of the creditors.
A Chapter 13 plan must provide for the submission of all or such portion of future earnings or other future income of the debtor to the supervision and control of the trustee as is necessary for the execution of the plan. After the confirmation of a Chapter 13 plan, the court may exercise its discretion and order any entity from whom the debtor receives income to pay all or part of such income to the trustee.
