Preparing For Bankruptcy - Income Makes a Difference When Filing For Chapter 7 Bankruptcy
People who are thinking about filing for bankruptcy are faced with an avalanche of documents they need to compile so their lawyer can draft their petition and scheduled for filing. Some of those documents are designed to provide full disclosure of your income and assets, but there is one thing that goes right to the heart of your ability to get relief under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.
That cornerstone of your case is known as current monthly income, and it's defined as the average monthly income from all sources that you have received during the 6-month period ending on the last day of the calendar month immediately preceding the date on which your bankruptcy case is filed.
In other words, if you file your bankruptcy case in July then your lawyer is going to need to know your exact income for the period of January through June in order to determine your current monthly income (we'll call that CMI from now on).
Why do you care about your current monthly income? If CMI is below the median income for a household of your size in your state then a Chapter 7 bankruptcy case cannot be dismissed (in other words, thrown out) of court for abuse of process. This means that in most cases, when your CMI is below the state median for a household of your size then you're home free and can be reasonable sure that your case will go through smoothly.
Median household income for all cases filed before March 15, 2010 in New York State are as follows:
- 1 Person: $46,485
- 2 People: $58,109
- 3 People: $69,421
- 4 People: $82,457
Median household income for all cases filed on or after March 15, 2010 in New York State are as follows:
- 1 Person: $46,320
- 2 People: $57,902
- 3 People: $69,174
- 4 People: $82,164
In case you're wondering if there's a typo - yes, the median household income figures actually go down after March 14, 2010 due to the economic situation in New York.
So if your household income (including your spouse if you're married and living together) is under the state median income then your case is undoubtedly a simpler one. Working with your lawyer, and providing all income information for the CMI period, will help you find out whether your Chapter 7 bankruptcy will be an easy or difficult case.
If you live in New York and are having problems with overdue bills, foreclosure or harassing bill collection tactics at home or at work then I invite you to visit http://www.NewYorkBankruptcyHelp.com to learn how the federal consumer protection laws may be able to help you.
When you visit my site you'll find a wealth of free information and resources to help you get the information you need to make the right decision for your situation. I've been a consumer protection lawyer for over 14 years. I am the New York State co-chairman for the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys, as well as the co-founder and past President of the Bankruptcy Law Network. From Jay S. Fleischman, Esq. - New York bankruptcy and consumer protection lawyer.
- Automatic Stay in Bankruptcy - How Long Does the Automatic Stay Last?
- Debt Settlement Versus Bankruptcy - Which is Better?
- Bankruptcy - Learn What Bankruptcy Really is and Help Your Debt Case With Debt Relief
- Liens in Bankruptcy Cases
- What to Expect During Your Bankruptcy Filing
- Bankruptcy and Buying a Home Tips
- Green Shoots in the Economy - Bankruptcy Increases by 100
- Reasons For a Corporation to Consider Filing For Bankruptcy
- How Long Does Bankruptcy Affect Your Life?
- San Bernardino Bankruptcy Lawyers - Helping You Through One of Life's Toughest Times
- Creditor Exposure in Retail Bankruptcies
- Introducing Birth Bonds to Help Overcome Bankruptcy at Birth
- Ohio Chapter 13 - Which One Should I File?
- Chapter 7 Bankruptcy - Am I a Bad Person For Filing Bankruptcy?
- Chapter 7 Bankruptcy - Common Questions About Filing Bankruptcy
Free printable federal income tax form 1040 for filing 2009 income tax returns ...
NewsOXY Free printable federal income tax form 1040 for filing 2009 income tax returns ... Healthy Financial Habits Almost one month from today, millions of Americans will be scrambling to file their 2009 federal income taxes. If you need free printable federal income tax ... Record number of tax filers paid no federal income taxes in 2008 Tax breaks can help when you lose your job IRS to challenge status of independent contractors - -Forbes: Crisis hits only low income earners
Hannover Re makes record '09 net income of $994M
Укрсоцбанк, согласно исследованию журнала «Эксперт», вошел в группу самых надежных банков Украины
Женщина и карьерный рост: что мешает?
В Петербурге соберутся будущие молодые предприниматели
Честолюбивые и высококвалифицированные женщины на нижеоплачиваемых работах
Интервью председателя правления Юниаструм Банка Павла Неумывакина агентству ПРАЙМ-ТАСС
Прайм-ТАСС Интервью председателя правления Юниаструм Банка Павла Неумывакина агентству ПРАЙМ-ТАСС Прайм-ТАСС Вопрос: Какое соотношение расходов к доходам cost income банк ожидает к концу 2010 года? Ответ: Сейчас этот показатель находится на уровне 74 процентов, по итогам 2010 г он должен улучшиться на 5 процентных пунктов - до 69 процентов. Вопрос: Какую прибыль банк ожидает по итогам этого года? ...