How to File for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy

If you have more debt than you can possibly pay off, the bankruptcy system is there to help -- and with How to File for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, you'll find the clear and user-friendly information, advice, and step-by-step instructions you’ll need to get through the entire process.

First, the book will help you determine whether you qualify for Chapter 7 -- and whether it is the best way to deal with your debts. Then you'll find out how to:

stop wage garnishments and attachments

cancel as much debt as possible

deal with secured debts

keep the maximum amount of property

keep your home, if possible

ebuild credit after bankruptcy

The 19th edition is revised to include instructions on filling out the new means test forms, changes to state exemption laws (that determine what property bankruptcy filers may keep), and the latest court decisions. Plus, state and federal charts let you quickly find your state's exemption laws.

Please note: This book does not cover business bankruptcies, farm reorganizations, or individual repayment plans (Chapter 13). For Chapter 13 bankruptcy, see Nolo's Chapter 13 Bankruptcy.

Until his death in late 2011, Stephen R. Elias was a practicing attorney, active Nolo author, and president of the National Bankruptcy Law Project. He was an important part of Nolo for more than 30 years, and was the author or coauthor of many Nolo books, including Bankruptcy for Small Business Owners. Other titles include Special Needs Trusts: Protect Your Child's Financial Future, How to File for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, Chapter 13 Bankruptcy, and Legal Research: How to Find and Understand the Law. Steve held a law degree from Hastings College of Law and practiced law in California, New York, and Vermont before joining Nolo in 1980. He was featured in such major media as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Good Morning America, 20/20, Money Magazine, and more. The blog he began on bankruptcy and foreclosure law continues at Nolo's Bankruptcy & Foreclosure Blog.

After receiving his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School in 1985, Albin Renauer worked for various public-interest law firms in the bay area and as a staff attorney for Chief Justice Rose Bird of the California Supreme Court. He spent 17 years as an editor at Nolo, where he helped create numerous books and software programs, including the bestselling WillMaker. He also edited Law on the Net, the first online directory of legal resources and was the architect of Nolo’s Webby Award winning website during the dot-com boom. Currently, Albin is an independent web and database developer and Webby Award judge. His latest project is LegalConsumer.com, an online companion to his How to File for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy designed to help debtors file for bankruptcy.

Cara O'Neill has been a licensed attorney in California for over twenty years and currently maintains a legal practice concentrating in the areas of civil litigation, family law and bankruptcy. Before opening her law office, she served as an Administrative Law Judge mediating disputes between automotive manufacturers and franchisees; taught undergraduate and graduate courses in the areas of employment law, business law and criminal law for a well-known university; and served as house counsel for a large insurance company. She earned her law degree (J.D.) in 1994 from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law where she graduated a National member of the Order of the Barristers - an honor society recognizing excellence in courtroom advocacy.