Last Updated September 19, 2026
People want a date. Courts do not run on a brochure. What we can do is show the order of events that most consumer cases follow in Alabama and Georgia: talk with a lawyer, gather papers, complete credit counseling, file, get the stay, attend the 341 meeting, then either a Chapter 7 discharge track or a Chapter 13 plan.
Choose where you are. The notes on the right of the result are the parts that surprise people — notice to payroll, a second filing limiting the stay, debtor education before discharge. Details live in the Knowledge Center: 341 meeting, automatic stay, discharge.
Interactive tool
Data last verified: 2026-09-19. Calculation version 2026.09.1.
How the calculation works
The tool is a guided outline. It does not estimate a trustee’s calendar or a foreclosure sale date.
What this result does not tell you
It does not say how many days until discharge. U.S. Courts describe many Chapter 7 cases as finishing in a few months; that is typical language, not your case. Chapter 13 plans usually run three to five years if they complete.
Relevant legal rules
Credit counseling is a filing requirement. The stay is § 362. The meeting of creditors is § 341. Discharge timing and objections have their own deadlines in the Rules.
Example
Someone who has already filed is usually staring at the 341 date on the notice. Someone who has not hired a lawyer yet needs documents and counseling before anyone should talk about a discharge date.
What you may want to do next
If a sale, repo, or garnishment is this month, call. If you are early, start a document pile and use the bankruptcy checklist.
How Brock & Stout can help
We walk Alabama and Columbus, Georgia clients through each of these steps. We cannot promise the trustee, a creditor, or the court will follow a particular timetable.
Related resources
- 341 meeting — 341 meeting
What the trustee actually asks.
- Automatic stay — Automatic stay
What filing generally stops.
- Chapter 7 vs 13 — Chapter 7 vs 13
Which path you are even on.
FAQs
Many consumer Chapter 7 cases reach discharge a few months after filing if no one objects. Missing papers, asset sales, and objections add time. Treat any range as typical, not guaranteed.
Not sure which option fits your situation?
We can review your debts, income, assets, and goals with you. A screening result is not a filing recommendation.