Bankruptcy Basics Attorney in , Missouri
What type of information will you need from me to file for bankruptcy?
What type of information will you need from me to file for bankruptcy?
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luckily that’s something we go over in
our consultation and
it can seem like a lot when we tell you
what we need however most of it are
things that everyone already has one of
the things that we need are going to be
information on who your creditors are
because we have to notify those parties
and what we need from you are your bills
and statements from any creditor or any
collection agency we’ll need a copy of
your credit reports if you have a
mortgage we’ll need a copy of your
mortgage statement if you have a car
loan we’ll need a copy of that car loan
statement we’re gonna need to see any
lawsuit paperwork that you’ve been
served with a lot of times we can get
those online which is really helpful but
if you have copies that you have of
those documents that you can provide
that’s perfect uh we’re going to need to
see your tax returns your federal estate
sometimes local tax returns for
typically the last two years sometimes
going back further we’re going to need
to see
your driver’s license your social
security card or some other proof of
social security documentation your card
titles the deeds to your home we have a
client questionnaire that we help you
fill out um we need to see a pre-filing
credit counseling certificate which is
something that uh congress passed in
2005 stating that every person who files
a bankruptcy case needs to take
pre-filing credit counseling which is
really a course on budgeting
it’s not too difficult but it is
something that everyone needs to do to
file a bankruptcy case we’ll also need
you to bring in your pay information uh
typically those are paycheck stubs or if
you’re retired benefit statements or in
other instances if you’re self-employed
or own your own business we’ll need to
see profit and loss statements which can
sound
like a scary thing to provide but really
just shows what you’ve made and what
you’ve spent because when you file a
bankruptcy case one of the things that
you have to provide to the court is
information on your income because
really what we’re doing is we’re telling
the story of what your income is and
what your expenses are and why you need
this relief from the law
Kansas City, KS bankruptcy attorney Hunter Gould talks about the type of information will you need to file for bankruptcy. He explains that the requirements may sound overwhelming at first, but most of the items needed for a bankruptcy case are things people already have. During the consultation, he goes over everything in detail. One of the first pieces of information required is a list of creditors, since those parties must be notified. That means bills or statements from creditors or collection agencies, along with a copy of the client’s credit reports. If there is a mortgage, the most recent mortgage statement is needed; if there is a car loan, then the car loan statement as well. Lawsuit paperwork is also important—though much of it can be obtained online, having copies on hand makes the process smoother.
Tax returns are another necessity, usually federal and state, and sometimes local returns for the past two years or more. Proof of identification, such as a driver’s license, Social Security card, or other valid documentation, is also required. He notes that titles to vehicles and deeds to real estate must be provided as well. Clients also complete a questionnaire with help from the staff, and they must provide a pre-filing credit counseling certificate. He explains that Congress made this mandatory in 2005; it is essentially a budgeting course that isn’t difficult but is required for every bankruptcy filing.
Finally, he emphasizes the importance of providing income information. This may be paycheck stubs, benefit statements for retirees, or profit-and-loss statements for those who are self-employed or own businesses. While that last requirement may sound intimidating, he reassures clients that it is simply a way of showing what is earned and what is spent. At the end of the day, the court needs a clear picture of the client’s income and expenses to understand why bankruptcy relief is necessary.
