This is part 5 of a 10 part series on Chapter 7 bankruptcy and will provide general information regarding bankruptcy under Chapter 7. 

The individual debtor is required to obtain a certificate of completion of a course of credit counseling prior to filing. This requirement, by consensus a waste of time and money, is completed by contacting one of a number of companies authorized to provide such services. A list of approved providers may be found on the bankruptcy court’s web site. If the debtor has not obtained a certificate prior to filing, the case will be dismissed. For this reason, it is critical to advise clients who may present with very limited time (such as an imminent foreclosure) to drop everything and get the certificate.

Contact the bankruptcy attorneys at Wenokur Riordan PLLC today at (206) 724-0846 to discuss your situation.

This article is intended to provide you with enough detail to give you a good basic understanding of the process, without snowing you under with too much information. Obviously, there are exceptions and nuances to just about everything described in this outline. The Bankruptcy Code, Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure, and reported case law are the primary sources of information. All section references here are to the United States Bankruptcy Code, 11 U.S.C. § 101 et seq. All Rule references are to the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure.