Bankruptcy & Debt Relief
Drowning in debt? Plain-English guides to the legal fresh start — how Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy work, the automatic stay that stops collection, which debts get wiped out and which survive, the exemptions that let you keep your home, car, and retirement, and the alternatives to filing. Bankruptcy is federal law, but exemptions and dollar limits change and vary by state, so confirm the current rules at uscourts.gov or with a qualified bankruptcy attorney.
Browse by situation
98 guides on Chapter 7 and Chapter 13, the automatic stay, which debts get discharged, exemptions, and alternatives to filing across 7 topics.
Bankruptcy Basics
What bankruptcy is and how it works: the different chapters, the automatic stay that stops collection, what it does to your credit, what it costs, the required counseling courses, and the myths that scare people away from real relief.
15 guides →Chapter 7 Bankruptcy
The 'fresh start' liquidation bankruptcy: who qualifies under the means test, what property you keep, the step-by-step process and the 341 meeting, the trustee’s role, your house and car, and which debts survive.
16 guides →Chapter 13 Bankruptcy
The repayment-plan bankruptcy: who it is for, how the 3-to-5-year plan works, how it can save a home from foreclosure or cram down a car loan, the hardship discharge, and what happens if you cannot keep up with payments.
14 guides →Debts & Discharge
Which debts bankruptcy actually wipes out and which survive: student loans, taxes, child support and alimony, medical bills, reaffirmed debts, liens, cosigned debts, and when a discharge can be denied.
16 guides →Property & Exemptions
What you get to keep: how exemptions protect your home, car, retirement, and personal property, the choice between federal and state exemption systems, the wildcard exemption, and what happens to property you cannot protect.
14 guides →Alternatives & Life After Bankruptcy
Options short of filing and what comes next: debt settlement and debt-management plans, negotiating with creditors yourself, rebuilding credit after a discharge, life after bankruptcy, how often you can file, and your job protections.
15 guides →Business & Special Bankruptcies
Beyond consumer Chapter 7 and 13: how Chapter 11 reorganization and the small-business subchapter V work, Chapter 12 for family farmers and fishermen, filing as a sole proprietor or self-employed person, what happens to an LLC or corporation and its personal guarantees, and when creditors force an involuntary bankruptcy.
8 guides →Latest bankruptcy & debt guides
- Filing Bankruptcy Jointly as a Married Couple
Should married couples file bankruptcy jointly or separately? How joint filing works, when one spouse should file alone, and community-property rules.
- Life After Bankruptcy: What to Expect
What life looks like after a bankruptcy discharge: your permanent protection from collection, rebuilding credit, and getting a mortgage again.
- Exemption Planning Before You File: What's Allowed
Converting cash into exempt property before filing can be lawful planning or a fraudulent transfer that costs your discharge. Here's the legal line.
- Alternatives to Bankruptcy Explained
Before you file, weigh doing nothing, negotiating debts, a nonprofit debt plan, consolidation, or budgeting - and know the scams to avoid.
- Debt-Management Plans and Credit Counseling
How a nonprofit credit-counseling agency sets up a debt-management plan: one payment, lower interest, and how to find a legitimate agency.
- Secured vs. Unsecured Debt in Bankruptcy
Secured debts have collateral a creditor can take; unsecured debts don't. How bankruptcy treats each in Chapter 7 and Chapter 13, explained plainly.