Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal fresh start, not a moral failure. Understand Chapter 7 vs. Chapter 13, what debts are wiped out, the exemptions that let you keep your home, car, and belongings, the means test, and how bankruptcy stops garnishment and collection cold.
All Bankruptcy guides
- Bankruptcy Exemptions: What Property Can You Keep?
Bankruptcy exemptions let you keep essentials like your home, car, and retirement. Learn how federal and state exemptions work and what they protect.
- Finding a Bankruptcy Lawyer Near You: Chapter 7 & 13 Attorneys
How to find a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy lawyer near you, what they cost, what to ask, and how the federal Bankruptcy Code shapes your case.
- Filing Bankruptcy in NJ & NY: Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 Guide
Plain-English guide to Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy in New Jersey and New York: courts, exemptions, the means test, and how filing works.
- California Bankruptcy Exemptions: System 703 vs 704 Explained
California offers two bankruptcy exemption systems-703 and 704. Learn how each protects your home, car, and cash, and how to choose the right one.
- How Much Does Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Cost? Calculator & Plan Payments
Chapter 13 bankruptcy costs include a $313 federal filing fee plus attorney fees, but the real cost is your 3-5 year plan payment. Here is how to estimate it.
- Chapter 13 Bankruptcy: Repayment Plans, Requirements & Eligibility
Chapter 13 bankruptcy lets you keep your home or car and repay debt over 3-5 years. Learn the requirements, eligibility limits, and how the plan works.
- Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Exemptions: Protecting Your Assets
Chapter 7 exemptions decide what you keep when debts are wiped. Learn federal vs. state rules, how exemptions work in Alabama and Georgia, and when to get help.
- Chapter 7 Bankruptcy: Eligibility, the Means Test & How It Works
Chapter 7 bankruptcy explained: what it is, who qualifies, how the means test works, what debts it wipes out, and the steps to file.
- Chapter 7 vs Chapter 11 Bankruptcy: Key Differences Explained
Chapter 7 liquidates debts fast; Chapter 11 reorganizes a business so it can keep operating. Learn which fits you and how to choose the right counsel.
- Chapter 7 vs Chapter 13 Bankruptcy: Which Should You File?
Chapter 7 vs Chapter 13 bankruptcy explained in plain English: how each works, who qualifies, what happens to your house and car, and how to choose.
- Debt Relief vs Bankruptcy: Comparing Your Options
Debt relief vs bankruptcy compared in plain English: how settlement, management plans, and Chapter 7 or 13 differ in cost, credit impact, and legal protection.
- Federal vs State Bankruptcy Exemptions: Which Can You Use?
Federal vs state bankruptcy exemptions explained: opt-out states, the federal scheme under the Bankruptcy Code, and how Virginia, Maryland, and Michigan differ.
- Florida Bankruptcy Exemptions: Homestead Protection Guide
How Florida bankruptcy exemptions work, including the famous homestead protection, residency rules, and when to talk to a bankruptcy lawyer.
- Illinois Bankruptcy Exemptions: What You Can Protect
Illinois bankruptcy exemptions explained in plain English: homestead, wildcard, car, wages and retirement, plus why Illinois makes you use state rules.
- Reaffirmation Agreement for a Car Loan: Form, Cover Sheet & Risks
What a car-loan reaffirmation agreement is, the federal form and cover sheet, the real risks of signing, and your alternatives in Chapter 7 bankruptcy.
- Reaffirming a Mortgage or Student Loans: Should You Sign?
Should you reaffirm a mortgage or student loans in bankruptcy? Why reaffirming secured or non-dischargeable debt is often unnecessary, plus the FAFSA myth.
- What Is a Reaffirmation Agreement in Bankruptcy?
A reaffirmation agreement lets you keep a debt after Chapter 7 bankruptcy by agreeing to stay legally liable. Learn the risks, rules, and when to get a lawyer.
- Texas Bankruptcy Exemptions: Unlimited Homestead & What You Keep
How Texas bankruptcy exemptions work, including the famous unlimited homestead, what property you keep, and when state vs. federal exemptions apply.
- Alabama Bankruptcy Exemptions: What You Get to Keep
What property you keep in an Alabama bankruptcy: the homestead and personal-property exemptions, why there is no separate car exemption, and why Alabama bars federal exemptions.
- Alaska Bankruptcy Exemptions: What You Get to Keep
Alaska bankruptcy exemptions explained: homestead, vehicle, personal-property and earnings protections under AS 09.38, plus whether Alaska lets you pick federal exemptions.
- Arizona Bankruptcy Exemptions: What You Get to Keep
Arizona bankruptcy exemptions explained: homestead, vehicle, household goods, and wildcard limits, and why Arizona forces you to use the state set, not federal.
- Arkansas Bankruptcy Exemptions: What You Get to Keep
How Arkansas bankruptcy exemptions work: the acreage-based homestead, low state personal-property limits, and your right to pick federal exemptions instead.
- California Bankruptcy Exemptions: What You Get to Keep
California bankruptcy exemptions explained: the homestead ($300,000-$600,000 range), vehicle, and wildcard amounts, plus why California bars the federal exemption set.
- Colorado Bankruptcy Exemptions: What You Get to Keep
How Colorado bankruptcy exemptions protect your home, car, and property, the homestead and vehicle amounts, and why Colorado bars the federal exemption set.
- Connecticut Bankruptcy Exemptions: What You Get to Keep
Connecticut bankruptcy exemptions explained: a $250,000 homestead, $3,500 vehicle, $1,000 wildcard, and the right to choose state or federal exemptions.
- Delaware Bankruptcy Exemptions: What You Get to Keep
Delaware requires its own bankruptcy exemptions (no federal set), with a $125,000 homestead and a $25,000 personal-property exemption. What you keep.
- Florida Bankruptcy Exemptions: What You Get to Keep
Florida bankruptcy exemptions explained: the unlimited homestead exemption, $1,000 vehicle exemption, personal-property and $4,000 wildcard rules, and why Florida bars federal exemptions.
- Georgia Bankruptcy Exemptions: What You Get to Keep
Georgia bankruptcy exemptions explained: the $21,500 homestead, $5,000 vehicle, wildcard, and personal-property limits. Georgia requires state exemptions, not federal.
- Hawaii Bankruptcy Exemptions: What You Get to Keep
Hawaii bankruptcy exemptions explained: homestead up to $30,000, the motor vehicle exemption, personal property, and your right to choose the federal set instead.
- Idaho Bankruptcy Exemptions: What You Get to Keep
Idaho bankruptcy exemptions explained: the $175,000 homestead, vehicle, personal-property and wildcard limits, and why Idaho bars federal exemptions.
- Illinois Bankruptcy Exemptions: What You Get to Keep
Illinois bankruptcy exemptions explained: the $15,000 homestead, $2,400 vehicle and $4,000 wildcard, and why Illinois requires the state exemption set.
- Indiana Bankruptcy Exemptions: What You Get to Keep
Indiana bankruptcy exemptions explained: the homestead and personal-property amounts, why Indiana has no separate car exemption, and the federal opt-out rule.
- Iowa Bankruptcy Exemptions: What You Get to Keep
How Iowa bankruptcy exemptions work: the unlimited-value homestead, the $7,500 vehicle exemption, wildcard and personal property, plus why Iowa bars federal exemptions.
- Kansas Bankruptcy Exemptions: What You Get to Keep
Kansas bankruptcy exemptions explained: an unlimited homestead, a $20,000 vehicle exemption, no federal-exemption option, and how to verify what you keep.
- Kentucky Bankruptcy Exemptions: What You Get to Keep
Kentucky bankruptcy exemptions explained: the $5,000 homestead, $2,500 vehicle, personal-property limits, and whether you can pick the federal set in Kentucky.
- Louisiana Bankruptcy Exemptions: What You Get to Keep
How Louisiana bankruptcy exemptions work: the $35,000 homestead, tools-of-trade vehicle, household goods, and why Louisiana bars the federal exemption set.
- Maine Bankruptcy Exemptions: What You Get to Keep
Maine bankruptcy exemptions explained: the state homestead, vehicle, and wildcard amounts, why Maine opted out of the federal set, and how to verify the figures.
- Maryland Bankruptcy Exemptions: What You Get to Keep
Maryland bankruptcy exemptions explained: the state opts out of federal exemptions, sets a homestead and $6,000 wildcard, and protects retirement and tenancy-by-entirety property.
- Massachusetts Bankruptcy Exemptions: What You Get to Keep
Massachusetts bankruptcy exemptions explained: homestead, car, and wildcard limits, plus why Massachusetts still lets you choose the federal exemption set instead.
- Michigan Bankruptcy Exemptions: What You Get to Keep
How Michigan bankruptcy exemptions work: homestead, vehicle, personal property and wildcard amounts, and whether Michigan lets you choose the federal exemption set.
- Minnesota Bankruptcy Exemptions: What You Get to Keep
Minnesota bankruptcy exemptions explained: the state's $510,000-plus homestead exemption, vehicle and personal-property limits, and your choice of state or federal exemptions.
- Mississippi Bankruptcy Exemptions: What You Get to Keep
Mississippi bankruptcy exemptions explained: the $75,000 homestead, the $10,000 personal-property exemption, vehicles, wages, and why Mississippi requires state exemptions.
- Missouri Bankruptcy Exemptions: What You Get to Keep
Missouri bankruptcy exemptions explained: the $15,000 homestead, $3,000 vehicle, household goods, and wildcard amounts, plus why Missouri requires the state exemption set.
- Montana Bankruptcy Exemptions: What You Get to Keep
Montana bankruptcy exemptions explained: homestead, $2,500 vehicle, personal-property limits, and why Montana requires state exemptions, not the federal set.
- Nebraska Bankruptcy Exemptions: What You Get to Keep
Nebraska bankruptcy exemptions explained: the $60,000 homestead, the $5,000 wildcard, tools of trade, and why Nebraska forces you to use state (not federal) exemptions.
- Nevada Bankruptcy Exemptions: What You Get to Keep
Nevada bankruptcy exemptions explained: the $605,000 homestead, $15,000 vehicle, $10,000 wildcard, and why Nevada makes you use state (not federal) exemptions.
- New Hampshire Bankruptcy Exemptions: What You Get to Keep
New Hampshire bankruptcy exemptions: a $120,000 homestead, vehicle and wildcard protections, and the choice between state and federal exemption sets.
- New Jersey Bankruptcy Exemptions: What You Get to Keep
How New Jersey bankruptcy exemptions work: NJ lets you choose the federal set, has no state homestead exemption, and what property you keep when you file.
- New Mexico Bankruptcy Exemptions: What You Get to Keep
New Mexico bankruptcy exemptions explained: the $60,000 homestead, $4,000 vehicle, wildcard and personal-property exemptions, and your choice of state or federal exemptions.
- New York Bankruptcy Exemptions: What You Get to Keep
New York bankruptcy exemptions explained: the tiered homestead (about $102,400-$204,825), vehicle, cash and wildcard amounts, plus when you can pick the federal set.
- North Carolina Bankruptcy Exemptions: What You Get to Keep
North Carolina bankruptcy exemptions explained: the $35,000 homestead, $3,500 vehicle, wildcard, and why North Carolina requires its own state exemption set.
- North Dakota Bankruptcy Exemptions: What You Get to Keep
How North Dakota bankruptcy exemptions protect your home, car, and personal property, plus why North Dakota requires the state exemption set, not the federal one.
- Ohio Bankruptcy Exemptions: What You Get to Keep
Ohio bankruptcy exemptions explained: homestead, vehicle, wildcard amounts under ORC 2329.66, and why Ohio requires state exemptions and bars the federal set.
- Oklahoma Bankruptcy Exemptions: What You Get to Keep
How Oklahoma bankruptcy exemptions protect your home, car, and personal property - including Oklahoma's unlimited homestead and its opt-out from federal exemptions.
- Oregon Bankruptcy Exemptions: What You Get to Keep
Oregon bankruptcy exemptions explained: the $40,000 homestead, $3,000 vehicle, personal-property and wildcard amounts, plus Oregon's option to pick federal exemptions.
- Pennsylvania Bankruptcy Exemptions: What You Get to Keep
Pennsylvania has no state homestead exemption, so most filers choose the federal bankruptcy exemptions. Here is what you keep in a Pennsylvania bankruptcy.
- Rhode Island Bankruptcy Exemptions: What You Get to Keep
Rhode Island bankruptcy exemptions explained: the $500,000 homestead, $12,000 vehicle exemption, personal property, and your right to choose federal exemptions.
- South Carolina Bankruptcy Exemptions: What You Get to Keep
South Carolina makes bankruptcy filers use state exemptions, not the federal set. See the homestead, vehicle, and wildcard amounts you keep in a South Carolina bankruptcy.
- South Dakota Bankruptcy Exemptions: What You Get to Keep
South Dakota requires state bankruptcy exemptions (no federal opt-in), with an unlimited-value homestead limited by acreage. What you keep, explained.
- Tennessee Bankruptcy Exemptions: What You Get to Keep
Tennessee bankruptcy exemptions explained: the $5,000 homestead, $10,000 personal-property wildcard, wages, and why Tennessee bars federal exemptions.
- Texas Bankruptcy Exemptions: What You Get to Keep
Texas bankruptcy exemptions explained: the unlimited homestead (capped by acreage), the $50,000/$100,000 personal-property limit, vehicles, and federal vs. state choice.
- Utah Bankruptcy Exemptions: What You Get to Keep
Utah opts out of the federal bankruptcy exemptions, so you must use Utah's state set. Learn Utah's homestead, vehicle, and personal-property exemptions.
- Vermont Bankruptcy Exemptions: What You Get to Keep
Vermont bankruptcy exemptions: a $125,000 homestead, $2,500 vehicle, wildcard rules, and Vermont's choice between state and federal exemptions.
- Virginia Bankruptcy Exemptions: What You Get to Keep
Virginia is an opt-out state: bankruptcy filers must use Virginia exemptions, not the federal set. See the homestead, vehicle, and wildcard amounts.
- Washington Bankruptcy Exemptions: What You Get to Keep
Washington bankruptcy exemptions explained: the homestead amount tied to county home prices, vehicle and wildcard limits, and whether Washington lets you pick federal exemptions.
- West Virginia Bankruptcy Exemptions: What You Get to Keep
West Virginia bankruptcy exemptions explained: the $35,000 homestead, $7,500 vehicle, wildcard and personal-property limits, plus WV's option to choose federal exemptions.
- Wisconsin Bankruptcy Exemptions: What You Get to Keep
Wisconsin lets bankruptcy filers choose state or federal exemptions. See Wisconsin's $75,000 homestead, $4,000 vehicle, and personal-property exemptions explained.
- Wyoming Bankruptcy Exemptions: What You Get to Keep
Wyoming bankruptcy exemptions explained: the $20,000 homestead, vehicle and personal-property limits, and why Wyoming makes you use state (not federal) exemptions.