"How To File For Bankruptcy In California" Discussion

Upsolve Community Member
Ah, glad you asked! Not quite... the course has to be taken within six months of filing

Upsolve Community Member
You can't take the course more than 180 days before filing.

Upsolve Community Member
Check this out, too, if it's helpful! https://upsolve.org/learn/bankruptcy-counseling-courses/ 

Upsolve Community Member
No need to wait to file- just make sure you don't wait longer than 6 months. That's when the certificate expires. 

Upsolve Community Member
I qualified for the wavier, I am lost as to what to do next. Take the course first or what?

Upsolve Community Member
Dana, you can follow the steps in your account! Ask away if you get stuck. 

Upsolve Community Member
...and Donald, don't sweat the credit counseling. It's like when you get a ticket and have to go to traffic school. Online these days and, IMO, a breeze. It's not like they are putting you through an accounting course! :-). I used Upsolve's partner (can't remember their name) and the process within the Upsolve "roadmap to breathing again" was seamless. That's one of the things I loved about using the platform. All-inclusive. In fact, I am very familiar with PACER but never used it during my Chapter 7 filing because my Upsolve file always seemed to keep me in tune with dates and reminders etc.  

Upsolve Community Member
This article is a good place to start: https://upsolve.org/learn/upsolve-help-file-adversary-proceeding/

Upsolve Community Member
We don't have software to help with APs, but we do have a lot of education! 

Upsolve Community Member
You may also find this Yahoo Finance article about an Upsolve user inspiring: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/student-loans-discharged-personal-bankruptcy-162421849.html

Upsolve Community Member
Check out https://upsolve.org/learn/slap-ap-timeline/

Upsolve Community Member
Hi Vicki! Check out this article from the Upsolve Learning Center: https://upsolve.org/learn/married-will-filing-chapter-7-bankruptcy-affect-spouse/ I hope this helps! :-)

Upsolve Community Member
Certain aspects of a bankruptcy filing do relate to a person's spouse, even if they don't file jointly 

Upsolve Community Member
The thing to learn more about- community debt, community property, and when a spouse's income and expenses have to be listed 

Upsolve Community Member
The article Mark shared is a great place to start! 

Upsolve Community Member
One of the things to consider is whether you could repay your current unsecured debt in 5 years if nothing at all changes about your income, the balances, or the interest rates. Of course, timing plays a role here too. It's not ok to run up more CC debt than one can handle and then turn around to file bankruptcy. But that's not the same thing as dealing with a mistake from your past by seeking protection in bankruptcy court now. 

Upsolve Community Member
https://upsolve.org/learn/pros-cons-filing-chapter-7-bankruptcy/ is a good place to start! 

Upsolve Community Member
Devyn, I commend you for being REAL! The first step is acknowledging that some poor choices were made along the way. Very few would admit that, yet we ALL have made some poor choices during our life journey. I am reading GREAT NEWS in your post because you KNOW who it is up to learn new habits, such as setting up a budget and STICKING TO IT.  Since I filed Chapter 7 in 2020, I have "raised" $30,000 by pivoting and working side gigs. Sure, I was the beneficiary of the Stimulus payments, but that same $25K (the debt you say you have) was "raised" in less than a couple of years' time. We are all different animals in how we live life, but I will give you a personal opinion based on your intelligent post that you can pay that off. That's just my opinion! Good luck in making your decisions ahead. :-).  P.S. There is a https://my.upsolve.org/rooms/19 forum section in this Community that just opened. I look forward to seeing you there!  

Upsolve Community Member
I'm sorry to hear you're not physically well. :( I hope bankruptcy will provide you with some relief, at least for your financial woes.  Upsolve can certainly help make the bankruptcy process a little easier! You might find the article https://upsolve.org/learn/how-to-file-bankruptcy/ will help you get a clearer view of the bankruptcy process so it doesn't look so daunting.  It helps to break the process down into steps and take one step at a time. The Upsolve team is here to answer questions each step of the way! I hope people who have been through the process will share their experiences here! 

Upsolve Community Member
I have had no issues whatsoever!! It walks you through every single step of the process!

Upsolve Community Member
Thanks so much for sharing your experience, Toby. Super helpful! 

Upsolve Community Member
Sonja, thank you for making it here! 

Upsolve Community Member
Hi Sonja, I am approaching 70 and am here to say: "You got this!". Of course, you need to take care of your health first and financial woes can be stressful. Imagine 6 months from now coming out of the dark tunnel of financial anxiety into the daylight of a Fresh Start! I am a testimony that this CAN happen! The late Johnny Nash wrote: "I can see clearly now the rain is gone. I can see obstacles in my way. Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind. It's gonna be a bright, bright, sunshiny day!"  You'll get there! Stay close! This Community is here for you! Good luck! :-)