Lakeland Chapter 7 Bankruptcy

If you have come upon tough times and believe that bankruptcy is your only option, you need to consult with an experienced and knowledgeable Lakeland bankruptcy attorney. The attorneys at Pilka & Associates, P.A., are able to help you decide whether bankruptcy is an option and what bankruptcy chapters are available to you.

Eligibility requirements

To be eligible for a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy in Lakeland, you must:

• Have not been dismissed within the past 180 days from a bankruptcy proceeding for failing to comply with a court order or failing to appear before the court
• Not have voluntarily dismissed a bankruptcy proceeding after creditors attempted to seek relief from the bankruptcy court for property on which they hold liens
• Have received credit counseling from an approved credit counseling agency within the 180 days prior to filing your bankruptcy petition
• Pass the means test to determine that the Chapter 7 filing is not presumptively abusive

If a debtor is found to have a 5 year aggregated monthly net income of more than $11,725 after certain statutory exemptions, or your 5 year aggregated monthly net income is more than 25 percent of your non-priority, non-secured debt (provided this debt is at least $7,025) then you will not pass the mean test and your filing will be presumptively abusive. This presumption can be overcome in emergency cases and in cases where for some reason your current income is drastically different from the aggregated monthly income. In many cases, a debtor who does not pass the means test will have his petition converted to a Chapter 13 proceeding.

Converting from a Chapter 7 to a Lakeland Chapter 13 proceeding can add additional costs will extend the time of bankruptcy. A bankruptcy attorney in Lakeland can help to determine in advance, which Chapter to file under and can save you both time and money during the proceedings.

Preparing for a Lakeland Chapter 7 filing

When preparing a Chapter 7 filing, a debtor needs to collect a significant amount of information and file it with the court.

• A list of all creditors and the amount and nature of their claims
• The source, amount, and frequency of the debtor's income
• A list of all of the debtor's property
• A detailed list of the debtor's monthly living expenses

The collection and proper filing of this information can often be a time consuming task that requires an attention to detail and an eye for the unexpected. A Chapter 7 bankruptcy in Lakeland can be moved along and properly filed with the help of knowledgeable bankruptcy and experienced attorneys.

Reach out to our Florida law firm for help with Chapter 7 in Lakeland

Our attorneys are dedicated to providing effective and efficient representation. Call Pilka & Associates, PA in our Brandon, Lakeland or Bradenton, Florida law offices at 813-653-3800 or contact us through this website.

We serve clients throughout the Tampa Bay region and Central Florida including the following counties: