| < Questions & Answers :: Husband & Wife | Questions & Answers | General Questions Continued > |
If your specific question is not answered in these papers, be sure to call Mr. Gordon or one of the staff members to discuss your specific question .
| 33. What is the filing fee? Are there any other court charges? | The filing fee is $209.00 for chapter 7. The engagement fee is $800 for most individual consumer petitions and $1500 or $2500 for corporate or business related petitions. If we have to amend your schedules to add creditors, the court charges an additional $26 filing fee. See the Debtor’s Acknowledgment for other optional/extras. | |
| 34. If I forget to list a creditor, what happens? | That debt may not be wiped out. Generally, however, until your case is closed, the court will allow you to amend your schedules to add that creditor and the filing fee is $26. If the debt is more than $26, it is probably a good idea. After your case is closed, the court will sometimes allow you to reopen the case to schedule the overlooked debt. There is a court filing fee and our fee. | |
| 35. My wages are being garnished. Will that stop? | Yes, once the court gets the notice (injunction) out in the mail, all collection activities must stop. If there is urgency, we will contact your employer when the case is filed to stop the garnishment immediately. Bankruptcy stops all collection activities, tax sales, law suits, and foreclosures. It does not stop most elements of a divorce case nor a criminal prosecution. | |
NOTE: AS OF 2002, IF HOUSEHOLD INCOME EXCEEDS $50,000.00, BE PREPARED FOR AN AUDIT BY THE U.S. TRUSTEE OF ACTUAL EXPENSES AS DOCUMENTED BY RECEIPTS, CHECKS, AND CREDIT CARDS. |
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| 36. I owe the hospital a great deal of money because of an uninsured illness. Should I list them? What if I have a medical emergency? | Generally, all of your creditors are required to be listed. Under federal law, a hospital must accept you or your children if you arrive in a truly emergency situation. For other matters, they may refuse to do business with you as long as they are unpaid (i.e., for cosmetic surgery). Consider the size of the bill, how long you will be in the area, etc. | |
| 37. How long will all this take? | We do not expect you to be able to retain us during your initial consultation. After your initial consultation we will mail you a form retainer letter. If we do not hear from you in 30 days we routinely send a "file closing letter." In any event, when you are ready and financially able to retain us, give the office a call and stop by. It is not necessary to see Mr. Gordon at that time. The secretary will give you a receipt for your payment and some papers to complete and return. It takes most people two days to fill out their paperwork. After you return your paperwork to us, it takes us about 7 business days to prepare all your papers. When your papers are ready, we will call you to come in to sign them. That will take about half an hour. Your papers will be electronically filed in Baltimore City. Your meeting of creditors will be about 2 months later in Salisbury and your discharge will be granted about 4 months after you initially file. | |
