There is a great deal of confusion about the filing of bankruptcy in Canada vs. the United States. This article will focus on the filing of a bankruptcy in Canada. The bankruptcy process starts with initially consulting with a licensed Trustee. You need to meet with a trustee who is licensed by the federal government and practices in your local area. So the first step is to contact a local trustee and set up a time for them to evaluate where you are at financially. To be able to adequately explain all your options and give any quality advice this trustee will begin by reviewing the details of your financial situation. To do this they will sit down with you in person and talk about the fundamental areas of our personal finances (i.e. assets, income, living expenses and debts).
This view could not be more false or erroneous, however. In fact, nothing - absolutely NOTHING - could be farther from the truth in the entire current administration of the bankruptcy system! Actually, what is really TRUE, is that objective experts and knowledgeable persons from all spectra in the bankruptcy industry, including lawyers, court trustees and judges, who specialize in bankruptcy, have it quite amply on the record that most personal bankruptcies are really simple. So much so, in fact, they say, that such work really don't need the services of a lawyer to handle since they are generally very elementary and largely clerical in nature, and so generally easy and simple to undertake. Most of such experts say that at least, with respect to Chapter 7, if not Chapter 13, debtors can easily file Chapter 7 bankruptcy without lawyer.
They generally cite two basic reasons upon which they rest their basis for saying this: (1) that an overwhelming majority of personal bankruptcy cases are so-called "no asset" or "minimum asset" cases - meaning, cases in which the owing debtors literally have or own absolutely NOTHING that the creditors can claim or attach, let alone any money for paying the lawyer's hefty fees, and so have no basis to hire lawyers since they lack any worthy property or asset for a lawyer to protect from the creditors if they filed for bankruptcy; and (2) the FACT that bankruptcy, they say (contrary to the layman's common belief that bankruptcy is a complicated procedure), is really a relatively simple matter which often involves the mere completion of simple routine forms and submitting them to the local bankruptcy court.
If your bankruptcy case is a bit complicated and you know that you are not capable enough to defend your bankruptcy claims yourself successfully, it is always recommended to avail the valuable services of an expert bankruptcy attorney. They will never let you down. These days, even the bankruptcy lawyers choose to go for filing bankruptcy online, as it makes the process much easier and most importantly, it saves a lot of time both for the debtor and the bankruptcy attorney, but of course, it costs a little more.
But, in all of this, there's probably one piece of evidence which remains as the strongest proof, the clearest demonstration, and most incontrovertible, of the utter fallacy of the claim that bankruptcy is "complex" and beyond the capability of the average debtor to comprehend or to undertake. And that is this. Independent survey studies by this writer and others, as well as bankruptcy court statistics, show that in several parts of the United States, but more particularly in urban jurisdictions like New York, Arizona and Los Angeles, both before as well as AFTER the draconian 2005 "reform" law, a significant number of the debtors who file bankruptcy, particularly Chapter 7, still file Chapter 7 bankruptcy without lawyer. Such debtors are referred to as pro se filers, meaning, without the use of a lawyer! And, while their numbers may have been larger in the years before the BAPCPA law was implemented, that number remains significantly high even today and is now growing incrementally in the current condition of national economic recession.
The second responsibility you will have relates to the cost of bankruptcy. There is a cost to file a bankruptcy, it is a monthly cost that is largely governed by the Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy (a division of the Federal government). They have set a threshold level of income that is allowable given your family size. If your income falls below the threshold you qualify for a minimum cost that is set by the local trustee and if your income exceeds the threshold your cost of bankruptcy will be based on a calculation that is mandated across the country. Again, this is something that your trustee will review with you in detail well in advance of you filing for bankruptcy.
This view could not be more false or erroneous, however. In fact, nothing - absolutely NOTHING - could be farther from the truth in the entire current administration of the bankruptcy system! Actually, what is really TRUE, is that objective experts and knowledgeable persons from all spectra in the bankruptcy industry, including lawyers, court trustees and judges, who specialize in bankruptcy, have it quite amply on the record that most personal bankruptcies are really simple. So much so, in fact, they say, that such work really don't need the services of a lawyer to handle since they are generally very elementary and largely clerical in nature, and so generally easy and simple to undertake. Most of such experts say that at least, with respect to Chapter 7, if not Chapter 13, debtors can easily file Chapter 7 bankruptcy without lawyer.
They generally cite two basic reasons upon which they rest their basis for saying this: (1) that an overwhelming majority of personal bankruptcy cases are so-called "no asset" or "minimum asset" cases - meaning, cases in which the owing debtors literally have or own absolutely NOTHING that the creditors can claim or attach, let alone any money for paying the lawyer's hefty fees, and so have no basis to hire lawyers since they lack any worthy property or asset for a lawyer to protect from the creditors if they filed for bankruptcy; and (2) the FACT that bankruptcy, they say (contrary to the layman's common belief that bankruptcy is a complicated procedure), is really a relatively simple matter which often involves the mere completion of simple routine forms and submitting them to the local bankruptcy court.
If your bankruptcy case is a bit complicated and you know that you are not capable enough to defend your bankruptcy claims yourself successfully, it is always recommended to avail the valuable services of an expert bankruptcy attorney. They will never let you down. These days, even the bankruptcy lawyers choose to go for filing bankruptcy online, as it makes the process much easier and most importantly, it saves a lot of time both for the debtor and the bankruptcy attorney, but of course, it costs a little more.
But, in all of this, there's probably one piece of evidence which remains as the strongest proof, the clearest demonstration, and most incontrovertible, of the utter fallacy of the claim that bankruptcy is "complex" and beyond the capability of the average debtor to comprehend or to undertake. And that is this. Independent survey studies by this writer and others, as well as bankruptcy court statistics, show that in several parts of the United States, but more particularly in urban jurisdictions like New York, Arizona and Los Angeles, both before as well as AFTER the draconian 2005 "reform" law, a significant number of the debtors who file bankruptcy, particularly Chapter 7, still file Chapter 7 bankruptcy without lawyer. Such debtors are referred to as pro se filers, meaning, without the use of a lawyer! And, while their numbers may have been larger in the years before the BAPCPA law was implemented, that number remains significantly high even today and is now growing incrementally in the current condition of national economic recession.
The second responsibility you will have relates to the cost of bankruptcy. There is a cost to file a bankruptcy, it is a monthly cost that is largely governed by the Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy (a division of the Federal government). They have set a threshold level of income that is allowable given your family size. If your income falls below the threshold you qualify for a minimum cost that is set by the local trustee and if your income exceeds the threshold your cost of bankruptcy will be based on a calculation that is mandated across the country. Again, this is something that your trustee will review with you in detail well in advance of you filing for bankruptcy.
About the Author:
Frank Miller has a Debt Consolidation Blog & Finance, these are some of the articles: Get Through Your Bankruptcy With These Tips You have full permission to reprint this article provided this box is kept unchanged.
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