Western District Of Oklahoma Bankruptcy

A Chapter 7 bankruptcy will generally discharge your unsecured debts, such as credit card debt, medical bills and unsecured personal loans. The court will discharge these debts at the end of the process, generally about four to six months after you start.

Even if you make too much money to automatically pass the Chapter 7 means test, you may still be able to qualify for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. This is because you can deduct certain expenses in full to help you reduce your disposable income on the means test.

The means test was designed to limit the use of Chapter 7 bankruptcy to those who can't pay their debts. It does this by deducting specific monthly expenses from your "current monthly income" (your average income over the six calendar months before you file for bankruptcy) to arrive at your monthly "disposable income."

If your annual income, as calculated on line 12b, is less than $84,952, you may qualify to file Chapter 7 bankruptcy. If it's greater than $84,952, you'll have to continue to Form 122A-2, which we'll review in the next section. It should be noted that every state has different median income calculations.

Alimony and child support. Certain unpaid taxes, such as tax liens. Debts for willful and malicious injury to another person or property. Debts for death or personal injury caused by the debtor's operation of a motor vehicle while intoxicated from alcohol or other substances.

To pass the means test, you must have little or no disposable income. The means test compares your average monthly income for the six months preceding your bankruptcy against the median income of a similar household in your state. If your income is below the median, you automatically qualify.

Even if you make too much money to automatically pass the Chapter 7 means test, you may still be able to qualify for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. This is because you can deduct certain expenses in full to help you reduce your disposable income on the means test.

Certain family and household expenses might help you pass the means test for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. If your income is higher than your state's median income for a similar size household, you must complete the entire bankruptcy means test form to determine whether you qualify for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.