Home - Illinois Bankruptcy Law, Courts & Lawyers

Illinois Bankruptcy Law Logo

Avoid Mistakes When Planning and Filing Illinois Bankruptcy Cases

The best-planned bankruptcy cases go unnoticed. A few debtors glide through the system without attracting attention and receive full discharges in record time. Luck is not involved, but rather each successful debtor begins planning strategically a few weeks or months in advance. These debtors know something that you don’t.

Free - 2010 Bankruptcy Strategies Explained

"Illinois Convert Chapter 13"

In the past, many debtors in Illinois bankruptcy filed Chapter 13 when past due on home their mortgages. In a chapter 7 case, payments must be brought current to retain possession. In a Chapter 13 case, once mortgage payments are brought current through trustee payments (based upon priority assigned to particular debts), many debtors sought conversion to discharge all remaining debts through Chapter 7.

11 U.S.C. §348(f)(2): "If the debtor converts a case under chapter 13 of this title to a case under another chapter under this title in bad faith, the property in the converted case shall consist of the property of the estate as of the date of conversion"

New privacy rules went into effect December 1, 2003 for all Illinois bankruptcy courts. Previously, the social security number for each debtor was made publicly available through the clerk's office in all cases. The new rule now requires only the last four digits to be made publicly available because of the rise in identity theft. Concerns regarding inclusion of the names and ages of minor children within schedules remain hotly debated. The Illinois Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District issued a standing order on February 17, 2004 because of the dischargeability of attorney fees. In a case under Chapter 7 of the Code, where the debtor's attorney agreed to represent the debtor upon the condition of a later written agreement to pay attorney fees after filing, the Court will now allow an attorney to withdraw if the debtor refuses to sign the agreement.

Back to Illinois Bankruptcy words & phrases.

Information for consumer debtors filing Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 in Aurora, Chicago, Cicero, Elgin, Joliet, Naperville, Peoria, Rockford, Springfield, and Waukegan. State and county bar referral information included, plus legal summaries of state and federal law requirements, lawyer directory, law firm and attorney fee guidelines, and court contact information. Illinois Bankruptcy Laws, Courts & Lawyers | ©Copyright 1997 through 2010 - All Rights Reserved.