Filing Bankruptcy Pittsfield, Massachusetts

Collect Your Pittsfield Bankruptcy Documents

Gathering all of your financial documents for your Pittsfield bankruptcy is important so that you have a good understanding of your financial situation. It's best to make a folder of all of your documents so that you stay organized during the process. You will need to gather your pay stubs, and tax returns, bank statements and retirement statement. Other documents you will need are valuations of any property you own, your car registration and title, and any Court judgments. It's important that you pull your credit report and go through the information carefully to make sure that the address for your creditor is correct and none of your creditors are missing. If you are unsure of an address you can always call the company directly. If you find a missing creditor, you can locate the address online and keep it with your documents. Medical bills may not appear on your credit report so if you think you have some you may want to contact the doctor or hospital you saw to get a copy or find out if you have an outstanding balance. To ensure all of your creditors are notified you will need to have all of these documents on hand to complete your forms for your Pittsfield bankruptcy.

Take Credit Counseling

Many people who hear they have to take a counseling course when they file for bankruptcy assume they will have to physically take classes. This is not true you can complete the course in the comfort of your own home. The counseling course takes about an hour and must be completed before you file your Chapter 7 bankruptcy in Pittsfield. There are many places you can take the course but it must be through a company approved by the U.S. Trustee's Office. The credit counseling course is a good way to see if bankruptcy can help you. The course will have you go through your income and expenses and see if there are any other options to help you get out of debt. If your income falls below 150% of the poverty line, you may qualify to have the course cost waived. The credit counseling course is available by telephone and online. After you complete the course, you will get a certificate that you will need to file with the Court. This certificate should be kept in a safe place with the rest of your Pittsfield bankruptcy documents. If you fail to file the credit counseling course certificate the Court can throw out your case. 

Complete the Bankruptcy Forms

Filling out your bankruptcy forms is the most important part of your bankruptcy since that is what you will be submitting to the court. You can obtain these forms from the U.S. Courts forms page. When filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in Pittsfield, you will have to make sure to answer all of the questions honestly. When you go to Court you will be questioned about the information you provided so make sure you understand what questions you are being asked when you fill it out. The forms will ask you to list your income, expenses and assets. These forms have very detailed questions so it's important to have your financial documents on hand while filling out the forms. Sometimes people forget to list all of their assets on their schedules. An asset is all of the property you own. An easy way to make sure you don’t forget to list any of your assets is to go through every room in your home and make a list. Failing to list an asset can make your Pittsfield bankruptcy case more complicated. 

Get Your Filing Fee

The filing fee for a Pittsfield bankruptcy is $338 to file a Chapter 7 and $313 to file a Chapter 13 bankruptcy. The fee can be paid to the Court by cash, cashier's check, or money order. This fee is used to pay the Trustee who will administer your case. If you are not able to pay the filing fee, you can ask the Court for permission to make installment payments. If the Court allows you to make installment payments, you will only be allowed to make 4 payments. If the cost is still too high and you can’t afford your filing fee you can request a fee waiver from the Court. A fee waiver is not always granted so it's best to try to come up with the funds before you file. The judge will decide if you qualify based on the bankruptcy forms you provided and your income. Failing to pay your filing fee when you file your Pittsfield bankruptcy documents can be grounds to having your case thrown out. 

Print Your Bankruptcy Forms

There will be many pages that you will need to print in order to file your Pittsfield bankruptcy with the court. The Court only allows your Pittsfield bankruptcy forms to be printed one-sided. If you don’t have a printer at home, there are many local places you can go to print your bankruptcy forms. One local place to go print your forms is at the Public Library. The Berkshire Athenaeum Pittsfield Public Library is located at 1 Wendall Avenue. You can also print your forms at a local Staples, Kinkos, or Fedex. You should make at least two copies when you print your forms so that you have one to file with the Court and another copy for yourself. 

Go to Court to File Your Forms

By looking at the Massachusetts Bankruptcy Court's website you will need to file your case in the Springfield Bankruptcy Court. The Pittsfield Bankruptcy Court is located, at 300 State Street in Springfield, MA 01105. There may be limited parking and when you go to Court, so make sure you bring cash with you in case you have to pay for parking. The courts website says the Clerk’s office accepts filings between 8:30am to 4:30pm on business days. If you can’t get to the courthouse you can mail your paperwork in. If you are able to go to the Court and drop your paperwork off in person, it's probably better in case you forget something. In that instance, the clerk will be able to review your paperwork with you and tell you what forms you are missing. When you go to Court to file your Pittsfield bankruptcy, you will have to go through security so make sure you have identification with you. Once your paperwork is filed you are on your way to a new beginning! 

Mail Documents to Your Trustee

Once you have filed your Chapter 7 Pittsfield bankruptcy, a Trustee, will be assigned to your case. The Trustee will review all of your forms and ask you questions pertaining to your answers on the forms when you go to your hearing. Before the hearing the Trustee will want you to send supplemental documents showing the information you filled out on your forms. The Trustee’s office can be contacted if you have questions regarding what paperwork they need prior to the hearing and you didn’t receive any directions from their office after filing bankruptcy in Pittsfield. Each Trustee has their own way they like to receive their documents. Some prefer documents to be sent to them by regular mail and others electronically. Make sure to find out the mode of transportation your Trustee prefers. Since the Trustee will ask you questions regarding the paperwork that you submitted to their office, it's important to make copies of the documents and bring them with you to Court. 

Take Bankruptcy Course 2

After filing your Pittsfield bankruptcy, you will need to take a second two-hour course. This course will provide you with different ways to rebuild your credit and start your life over after the bankruptcy is completed. Similar to the first course, this course can be taken online or over the phone. Once completed you will get a certificate that you will have to file with the Court. Your case will be closed without a discharge if you fail to file your certificate. This means you will be responsible for your debts. If you find a course that will file your certificate for you online this can save you an extra step. 

Attend Your 341 Meeting

If your nerves are high and you hate the thought of going to Court, you don’t have to worry. Attending your 341 meeting is not like Court you see on T.V. There is no judge and you don't have to wear a suit. Most people dress casually and don’t wear anything flashy. After you file your Pittsfield bankruptcy you will receive a notice in the mail detailing the date, time and location of your 341 hearing. When you go to your hearing you will be required to have your photo ID and social security card. If you fail to bring proper identification the Trustee can refuse to hear your case. Some questions you should be prepared to answer are:

• Have you ever filed bankruptcy before?

• Do you own any property? 

• Did you review your petition?

• Do you want to make any changes to your petition?

• When was the last time you used your credit cards?

• Are you expecting an inheritance?

• Are you suing anyone for breach of contract or personal injury?

The 341 meeting typically only last five to ten minutes but you could be there longer depending on how many cases your Trustee has on that day. If you don’t understand a question, you can ask to have the question repeated. Remember to answer honestly as the Trustee will verify the information you submitted prior to the hearing. 

Dealing with Your Car

After filing your Pittsfield bankruptcy, you will need to make decisions about what to do with your vehicle. If you own your car you may be able to keep it if it falls under an exemption. An exemption allows you to keep property that is under a certain value during your Chapter 7 bankruptcy in Pittsfield. If your vehicle is financed and you want to keep your vehicle, then you can choose to enter into a reaffirmation agreement. A reaffirmation agreement is an agreement which requires you to repay the debt even after filing bankruptcy in Pittsfield. Before signing the agreement make sure you can afford to keep paying your car. If you enter into the agreement and fail to make the required payments, the car company can sue you to collect the balance. If you can’t afford the payments and want to get rid of the vehicle then you have the option to surrender the car. This means that you will give the car up and not be liable for the remaining balance. If you choose to let the vehicle go the debt will be discharged and you won’t have to worry about paying back the car company.