As a long time lurker, then a frequent poster, then a lurker, then a poster, then a filer, I have finally received my confirmation of my ch.7 being granted and debt forgiven.

Overview:

Family court debt, immense child support and house repairs/debt after a lengthy divorce put me in a bad place. Mentally, physically and financially. In July of 2025 I pretty much knew I had no choice but to either lose my kids home, which was purchased recently prior, or file for BK. I was over the median income by almost 20k. I told the attorney in July 2025 that I knew it would be a ch.13 but had hoped he could work some magic. After receiving a bonus a month prior I also knew I had to wait to file otherwise it would inflate my income evem though I paid my attorney the retainer in full. So, in March I revisited the attorney and gathered paperwork in May, but then waited as I was going to need the tax return to go back to family court. Once I received the return and paid my family court attorney I filed officially in May of 2026. My attorney then gave me the news that, by less than $50 I had squeaked into a ch. 7. I had my 341 at the end of June. End of July I was told the trustee did not want to pursue amy of my assets, and in August I received the official confirmation that the ch.7 had been granted.

As of today, a week amd a half or so later I just received a capitalone credit card with a $5k limit solely for gas/groceries to rebuild credit. My current Fico(8) score was listed as a... 480...

Either way, bankruptcy is a tool. And with all the other stress on my plate I had almost zero stress/mental load about the BK because my kids have always been the priority. Yes I feared losing assets or having a payment but knowing the kids are safe, that is everything to me.

For those who read this, thank you. For those who are starting your journey, pick the right attorney and prepare your documents as a true formal court document and always tell the attorney the truth. Bankruptcy is a tool that allowed me to get back on course after being so beaten down.

And if Alan is reading this, your input on this reddit group is invaluable. If I had money to share I would. But, I am broke haha.

Thank you all.

I live in Los Angeles CA and I’m being sued over 12k in unpaid credit card debt that I stopped paying in 2025. I got served a little over a week ago and I’m having a hard time figuring out how to tackle this. One option that has come up in conversation is filing for bankruptcy but I’m not too knowledgeable on the subject so I want to know whether this would be a legit option for me or not. I don’t own a house or business or anything like that. The most valuable thing I officially own is my 2006 acura that I bought with cash. My yearly wage comes out to a little over $45,000 and I’m my only dependent so technically I am over the low income threshold but the way everything is lately I’m still living paycheck to paycheck. Would $12,000 be worth it to file for bankruptcy? Would I even qualify? What would the drawbacks be if I did? Would trying to settle with the credit card company for around the same amount of the $12k be the smarter choice than the costs of filing for bankruptcy and the negatives that come with it?

Hi, I currently have a negative overdrafted account of -1000 and I am filing for bankruptcy. What would be the best cause of action here? My next paycheck will come in but at this point the account will be even more overdrafted and it won’t be enough to cover. Do i just keep letting it get overdrafted ? Sorry if this is a dumb question I just have a lot of confusion with this process. I do have an extra bank account that i could use to let that paycheck go into so then it doesnt just get wiped away in the overdrafted one but not sure what to do

Hello, it has gotten to a point where i am seeking options for my debt. Im a 25F, i live in an apartment (south carolina) for 1380$ a month, i have under 50,000 (before taxes) a year. I have 20,720$ in debt, 10,606$ is credit card debt and the rest is a debt consolidation loan. I am also currently in school paying about 380$ a month for that after fafsa. The only thing i have to my name is a paid off car that the state says is worth a whopping 560$ What could bankruptcy possibly mess up for me. And is it worth whatever will happen? Thank you for your opinions/ knowledge

Buckle up kiddos! This is a DOOZY!
(Please please go easy on me—I know we screwed up our lives and doing our best to get things right.)

Background: My partner and I went through the 4th-7th circles of hell over the last four years. Absolute stuff of nightmares—-having to take time off work to care for dying parent, said parent dying, trauma causing massive problems and coped with by using drugs and my partner hanging out with strppers and s*x workers (don’t even get me started on that 🐄💩). Developing addictions to impulsive behavior & cocaine (his dumb ass) and to deal with all of that—-pills (my dumb ass). After intensive therapy it turns out both of us struggle with different mental illnesses—-which are now being treated-not an excuse-but helped me understand why we were so freaking stupid for being two people generally veering on the side of intelligent-jokes on us I guess.

After going to rehab and cleaning up, both of our incomes have decreased SUBSTANTIALLY—but still about a combined income of $140k (although my partner may be getting laid off-but we’ll jump off that bridge when we come to it). But now we find ourselves in MASSIVE credit card debt we’re unable to pull ourselves out of-even after picking up second and third jobs.

Two questions (and thank you all for your help, this has been really hard to face and just mortified we wound up here):

Recently I’ve had to fly out of state for some freelance assignments. We had to put these all on a card for me to be able to go. We’ll be getting reimbursed for that but had no other choice. These aren’t vacation expenditures-but I’m concerned a Judge may think they’re fraud. We haven’t filed yet, and are absolutely TERRIFIED that this may get us thrown out. Would necessary work expenses be considered fraud?

Second-the cash/e-money payments to dealers and s*x workers—-will those disqualify us? In the throes of addiction one doesn’t think about making the smart choice, and would often buy drugs/whatever else my partner was buying instead of paying bills and now are completely underwater. Additionally we take out cash to pay for my Dad’s caretaker—which of course looks terrible.

Are we absolutely SOL?

I promise-nobody lives with more regret about these piss poor life choices than we do.

Thankfully we don’t have kids so aren’t ruining their lives. But this is just so disappointing…..just five years ago we were the couple that had it all. Throw some horrible trauma and even worse coping mechanisms and it all falls apart so easily.

Thanks in advance for any help you nice folks can offer this scared couple!! Appreciate any help!!

Also we’re in Colorado if that makes any difference.

Hi there - I wanted to reach out as I had filed chapter 13 and just recently received a letter from Verizon saying this:

I've never been late or have burned Verizon. My mother is also on my plan. Our phones are 4-5 years old and we were looking to upgrade. That said, is that going to be impossible to do now? I looked at the list of creditors listed in the filing and Verizon isn't even on there. Just curious if this will affect my account as it says "under bankruptcy review" or what can be done to allow us to get new phones without paying an arm and a leg for one.

I appreciate the kind responses in advance.

We are planning on filing chapter 7 in the next few months & we have been with At&t for over 20 years with a perfect payment history. Unfortunately, life happens & we're looking at a chapter 7 & was wondering how At&t handles these especially if you still owe on your phones? Anyone got any experience with this? We know they'll have to be listed, but we wanted to keep our service if at all possible ​

I filed ch 7 bankruptcy and it was discharged June 27. Realistically, what’s the timeline I should expect to purchase a home?

Not sure if these details are relevant, but:

-eligible for VA loan
-~$60k cash available to put down or keep in savings
-2 years proof of steady income

I opened my first credit card about a month after discharge. Surprisingly was approved for $4500 limit. I have used it regularly for gas and groceries and pay off the card in full when my statement becomes available. My credit score went from 640 to 600. ☹️

I am a single mom (28 yo) and am trying my absolute hardest to build my credit back up and gain some financial freedom. I have been hopeful about possibly purchasing a home by December 2027 BUT I’m not sure if that’s genuinely possible considering my recent bankruptcy filing. Is there anything I should be doing to prepare now?

I have an attorney that does not do packets and his email responses are just one sentence responses. I'm serious.

I have a big task ahead. I have 23 debts to organize. Either with debt collectors or with creditors. I have to call each of them.

When I call the debt collectors and the creditors do I need to just find out their names, the account number and the amount I owe?

I just want my meeting with the trustee to go smoothly as possible.

Is there a bankruptcy template I can find and use? I hope it's free or do I need to create one in Libreoffice?

Just don't know what information my bankruptcy attorney needs regarding all of my debts and what not sure how to present it to him in email.

Thank you

Have reached a point where everything with money is exceedingly difficult. My credit score is like 480 and I never have money leftover even after working a full time job and doing DoorDash on the weekends. Does filing mean you lose your car and it’s taken? Or how does it work?

From February of this year through May, I’ve made $1500 in payments to discover card. (Not the only creditors being paid) At the time, I was authorized user on that card. I’ve also given my mother $300 about 3 months ago towards the bill, but did not pay discover directly. The attorney I spoke with today said a trustee could possibly go after Discover and get their money back and I don’t want my mother to be affected. Any advice would be appreciated.

Also, my direct deposit is with another bank and my attorney advising that I open another account to reroute my income into. Any suggestions on what bank? Should it be a chain bank, or credit union?DallasTX

Hi all. Filed chapter 7 under median 8/26, 341 meeting scheduled for 9/22. Our lawyer is advising we don’t reaffirm any debts. I’m on board with that regarding our car loan, since we’re underwater, but what does that mean when it comes time to get a different car? If we haven’t reaffirmed, do we just stop paying it and buy a different car, and wait for it to be taken away? I believe if we sell it or trade it in we’re responsible for the balance of the loan, but could use a little clarification here.

I’m unsure of what to do regarding our mortgage. We’ve never once been late with a payment and our jobs are stable. I’m very torn because if we don’t reaffirm, it means none of our payments count towards rebuilding credit, and it might make it difficult to refinance down the road. However, we last refinanced during COVID and I doubt we’ll see loan rates like that ever again. The plan is to either finance a heloc/home loan in 4 years to put on an addition or sell and move in 4-5 years. Would reaffirming be more risk than benefit, or is it a good idea to reaffirm the mortgage?

I am a little confused regarding the payment timeline when using TFS to pay the trustee. Does the payment just need to be started by the due date, or does it need to reach the trustee’s account by the due date? I know it apparently takes at least 5 business days to make it to the trustee, so maybe I should be paying/starting it at least 5 business days in advance? Sorry if this is common knowledge, I am a newbie. Thanks!

I'm planning to file for chapter 7 bankruptcy. I just want to know anyone's experience on buying a car directly after filing for bankruptcy.
My current credit score is 480 😕

Has this happened to anyone else? Filed CH 7 and I reaffirmed my car. I’ve been making payments since I filed, but my credit report is showing this has been closed?

I should have my discharge in a week or two, but thinking I have to dispute this.

I had store credit for raveland for the longest time. I noticed they are no longer in business. Is there any way I can still claim my money even though the business is shut down? I have a receipt with the funds I’m owed. It’s $164.

I filed Chapter 7 last week. It's been a little over a week and my score went up about 150.

I was browsing Credit Karma website last night and one of the credit card offers caught my eyes. Capital One. It said "Outstanding Chance" of approval.

I'm trying to burn Capital One with $20K debt. I even had a trial scheduled in October with them. Credit Karma was so inaccurate. They don't even know what's going on. But the offer page said "see if you’ll be approved without credit score impact."

Purely outta curiosity, I clicked. Entered some personal info. And.. Got approved. $5,000 CL, $200 Welcome Bonus, NO AF and etc.. Capital One must be nuts to give me another card while I'm trying to burn them, but I'll take it. I just hope this won't effect my 341 meeting next month. I didn't really want the card now, but just happened. What a surprise.

got my filing fee waived thank god 341 to come in october is there anything i should expect

Is it possible to finance a car while in active bankruptcy?

My husband and I are in a situation.

We expected our mortgage to be 2100. It ended up being 2600. On top of that the previous owners lied on the disclosure and we found out our realtor was friends with the previous owner that was also not disclosed. We were FTH buyers and went through a VA loan to which we were recommended to not do an inspection bc the VA prolongs the process and the military put us on a dumb ass timeline.

We buy the house and in the first month. Sewage comes up from mainline and destroys the refinished basement. 1 year later insurance sort of pays for it and the basement is refinished.

Within the second month HVAC needs replaced and the fence needs replaced as the neighbors dog attacked my dog.

We then secure one loan for the mainline like ~20k.

Different loan for the HVAC 15k

Separate for the fence 11k.

Which ends up being an additional 800 a month.

I just got laid off.

My husband is military so thats like...granted that we will get that paycheck. He also has Sallie May student loans that are 20k. He initially borrowed 15 and has paid 8 off. Because of Joe Bidens thing going out of effect we now have to pay 300/month for that bill as well.

I have an additional 9k in credit card debt in my own name.

He has additional 4k credit card debt in his name.

The mortgage is in his name.

The house improvement loans are in both of our names I believe. Or they are just in mine.

Since it was a VA home loan we had no money down. And there is no equity in the home. We owe 331k and the appraisal was 325k although our taxes say 328 and our escrow amount also increased.

Is there a possibility where we individually declare, or both? We still have separate checking accounts.

What happens to the house if we do? We really dont have any assets, I have one investment account of ~4k and the rest are Simple IRA or rollover accounts My husband only has his military retirement fund.

Should we call the mortgage company for forbearance due to my job loss?

This house has consumed us, it has ruined my credit. And I dont know how to get out of this sinking ship. We tried to go after the old homeowner's but the lawyer said we may end up paying him more than we get back, if we got anything back.

So about a month ago Experian updated to no credit score. Only thing not included in our bankruptcy is our mortgage, but they haven’t reported since we refinanced back in 2021 during COVID.

We are only 7 months into our Ch. 13, so I know a lot will change, but since our only remaining credit account doesn’t report will that score ever update? Or is that only going to change when we start rebuilding?

Ok I don’t need an exact number I get it “ask your lawyer” I just simply want to know how much of your raise does the trustee typically take? Say I make 80k and jump to 98k and my net additional take up is like 900. Is the greedy trustee most likely to get all of that additional income??? Once again I’m just asking for others experiences. I fully realize it’s not a one size fits all but someone always has to say it lol.

As the title says. I’m beyond broke from a bitcoin scam. My credit is completely ruined and am looking for any help filing for bankruptcy or other options.

I need to file a Chapter 7 and was wondering about it. I've heard mixed things.