Chapter 13 Bankruptcy – Repayment of All or Part of the Debts of an Individual with Regular Income
Chapter 13 Bankruptcy is designed for individuals with a stable source of income who are temporarily unable to pay their debts, but desire to use their best efforts and good faith to pay them in installments over a period of time subject to the protections afforded by the Chapter 13 Bankruptcy rules. You are only eligible for Chapter 13 if your debts do not exceed certain dollar amounts set forth in the Bankruptcy Code.
Under Chapter 13 Bankruptcy you must file a plan with the court to repay your creditors all or part of the money you owed using your earnings, or by the disposition and/or abandonment of certain collateral, such as land and motor vehicles. You are protected from your creditors in most cases upon the filing of your case but your plan must be approved by the court before it can take effect.
Under Chapter 13 Bankruptcy, unlike Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, you may keep all of your property, both exempt and non-exempt, as long as you continue to make payments under the plan.
After completion of payments under the plan, your debts are discharged except for any domestic support obligations, student loans and certain taxes.