Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Attorneys
Chapter 7 discharge, eligibility, property, and secured debts
Chapter 7 Bankruptcy
Chapter 7 can wipe out qualifying unsecured debt without a repayment plan. Medical bills, credit-card balances, payday loans, and many signature loans with no collateral are usually unsecured. Leftover car-loan balances after a repossession and many money judgments can be unsecured too. Not every debt can be wiped out. Some claims survive, including many recent taxes, child support, and most student loans.
Discharging personal liability does not automatically remove a mortgage, vehicle lien, or other valid security interest. Keeping financed property depends on the loan, equity, exemption protection, payment status, creditor rights, and bankruptcy law. In Chapter 7, vehicle options may include reaffirmation, redemption in qualifying circumstances, or surrender. Mortgages and other real-estate liens require a separate analysis. Filing generally begins the automatic stay, subject to statutory exceptions and possible stay relief.
Timing varies. Many no-asset Chapter 7 cases reach a discharge in a few months after filing, but the calendar depends on the trustee, assets, objections, and whether you complete required courses. After you file, a trustee is assigned. In a typical Chapter 7 case, the meeting of creditors is scheduled between 21 and 40 days after filing, although the Bankruptcy Rules allow a longer period in certain circumstances. Meetings are often brief, but the trustee can continue a meeting or ask for more documents. We prepare you for the questions that are typically asked.
If you receive a discharge, collectors generally cannot chase you personally on debts that were wiped out. It does not erase every debt, and it does not by itself remove a valid lien. Eligibility also depends on the means test and prior filings. Screen household income against the current Census median with the Chapter 7 income screening tool. If you also need to compare catching up a house or car, see the Chapter 7 vs Chapter 13 comparison. We can review whether Chapter 7 fits your debts, income, and property. Call or request a free consultation.
What happens next?
- 1
Complete a credit-counseling briefing from an approved agency before filing.
- 2
File the petition and schedules. The automatic stay usually begins, with exceptions.
- 3
A trustee is assigned. Attend the meeting of creditors and provide any documents requested.
- 4
Complete a debtor-education course. Address any keep-the-car or asset issues.
- 5
If eligible, the court enters a discharge. Liens and some debts can remain.
How Brock & Stout can help
We can review your income for the means test, explain what Alabama or Georgia law may protect, flag debts that often survive, and file Chapter 7 when it fits. We appear with you at the meeting of creditors. Call or request a free consultation. We do not guarantee that a particular debt will be wiped out or that a garnishment, foreclosure, or repossession will stop.
Try these calculators
- Chapter 7 income screening — Chapter 7 income screening
Compare income to the current median. This is not a full eligibility decision.
- Chapter 7 vs Chapter 13 — Chapter 7 vs Chapter 13
An educational comparison — not a quiz that picks a chapter for you.
Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Could Be Right for You
Chapter 7 can be a way to restore financial breathing room when you do not need a repayment plan to catch up a house or car. The bankruptcy attorneys at Brock & Stout can help you determine whether you qualify. These situations often lead people to ask about Chapter 7:
- If you are having difficulty paying bills.
- If you are being sued.
- If your wages are being garnished.
- If you are behind on credit card debt or only making minimum payments.
- If you are unable to pay medical bills.
- If you are having trouble meeting your basic needs and necessities.
- If you are being harassed by creditors.
- If you are only able to make minimum payments on bills every month.
- If your monthly debt payments exceed your monthly income when combined with your living expenses.
- If you would like to wipe out qualifying unsecured debts and get a fresh start.
- If you do not need bankruptcy to catch up on car payments or mortgage payments, but you want to address unsecured debts.
Bankruptcy resources
Discharge and the automatic stay have statutory exceptions. Exemptions depend on the state whose law applies. See the Knowledge Center for sourced explanations.
- Bankruptcy Knowledge Center — Bankruptcy Knowledge Center
Browse debts, property, garnishment, foreclosure, and state law.
- Bankruptcy tools — Bankruptcy tools
Means-test screening, garnishment estimators, and Chapter 7 vs 13.
- Wage garnishment — Wage garnishment
How the stay may affect a paycheck deduction.
- Foreclosure — Foreclosure
Stopping a sale and catching up arrears in Chapter 13.
- Car repossession — Car repossession
Stay, turnover, reaffirmation, and deficiencies.
- Protecting property — Protecting property
Houses, cars, accounts, and exemptions.
- Means test — Means test
How income is screened for Chapter 7 and Chapter 13.
- Converting chapters — Converting chapters
When a Chapter 7 or 13 case can change chapters.
- Debts bankruptcy may eliminate — Debts bankruptcy may eliminate
Medical bills, cards, loans, and taxes.
- Buying a car after bankruptcy — Buying a car after bankruptcy
Financing after a Chapter 7 discharge.
Need help with garnishment, foreclosure, or a lawsuit?
Call now or request a free consultation. We can review your situation and explain options. We cannot promise a particular result.
This page is general educational information about bankruptcy as of the date shown. It is not legal advice, does not create an attorney-client relationship, and does not guarantee results. Outcomes depend on individual facts and current federal and state law. We are a debt relief agency. We help people file for bankruptcy relief under the Bankruptcy Code.
