"How To File Chapter 7 With No Money" Discussion

Upsolve Community Member
Welcome, Patricia - I'm so glad you found us. To answer your query on whether not having assets or money to pay a lawyer prevents you from filing - **absolutely not**. In fact, most people who file Chapter 7 bankruptcy find themselves in some version of that situation. 

Upsolve Community Member
https://upsolve.org/learn/how-to-file-chapter-7-with-no-money/ might be an interesting read for you. 

Upsolve Community Member
Hi Patricia, thank you for your detailed post! Let's separate your student loan debt issue from your consumer credit challenge. I cannot advise you on this subject but I can point you to a great article in the Learning Center: https://upsolve.org/learn/which-debt-should-you-pay-off-first/  As far as your student loans are concerned, I suggest checking out the new https://my.upsolve.org/rooms/18 section in this Community! :-)

Upsolve Community Member
Contact your Lender and tell them. They will send you a Reaffirmation  form. Put it as Exempt on Schedule C. include Form 108.

Upsolve Community Member
You can also learn more here! https://upsolve.org/learn/can-keep-car-file-bankruptcy/

Upsolve Community Member
This is an interesting option; so if I have a title loan that is almost exactly the cars worth, if I don’t reaffirm it will still be listed as included in bankruptcy but no future on time or missed payments would ever be reported? What’s to stop the lender from repossessing vehicle when there’s like $500 to $700 left? All that money paid only to find the car taken back because the lien survives the bankruptcy; or, would they be in violation if payments continued and they still took the car back?  This is where I get confused because reaffirming keeps me on the hook, but ensures car is mine if paid.  If no reaffirmation, what protections would I have to keep them from repossession at a whim? 

Upsolve Community Member
Hi Lena, Most people can keep their car and get debt relief by filing bankruptcy. Here is an Upsolve Article that covers this topic: https://upsolve.org/learn/can-keep-car-file-bankruptcy/

Upsolve Community Member
Fortunately, there are also exemptions that might help if you don't owe money on your car and don't have any liens on your car. I think you'll enjoy reading https://upsolve.org/learn/chapter-7-bankruptcy-exemptions/. 

Upsolve Community Member
Really hope those articles help! Of course, everything depends on your individual circumstances, but many people find relief knowing that it's common to keep a car and file bankruptcy 

Upsolve Community Member
Please let us know if you have any other questions! 

Upsolve Community Member
Hi Terri, thanks for your question! This article might help you learn more: https://upsolve.org/learn/keep-my-personal-jury-settlement-award/.

Upsolve Community Member
Cases with personal injury lawsuits can be complicated. You have the option of connecting with an attorney in your area for a free evaluation. You can start the process here: https://upsolve.org/find-a-lawyer/

Upsolve Community Member
Yes Cleo, the Upsolve software is free to use to generate the forms needed for you to represent yourself in Chapter 7 bankruptcy. https://upsolve.org/how-we-work/

Upsolve Community Member
Here is a helpful Upsolve article on the topic of filing online: https://upsolve.org/learn/can-i-file-bankruptcy-online/

Upsolve Community Member
Your court may (or may not) have online filing and filing by mail options. You can search their website to see if that option is available to you!

Upsolve Community Member
Hi Cleo, Upsolve really makes the process of filing bankruptcy easier. If you decide to file online directly with a court, I highly recommend you review the https://upsolve.org/learn/pacer-guide/. It will help you become familiar with the electronic filing system. Some courts only allowed online filing with the Covid pandemic. With the new surge, some courts might again offer the opportunity to file online. The article https://upsolve.org/learn/courts-covid/ has some useful information about the online bankruptcy filing process.