February 23, 2008

• What Are The Credit Counseling Course Requirements in Bankruptcy

  At Clark and Washington, we get a lot of questions about the credit counseling and financial management course requirements set out in the bankruptcy laws.  When are these courses required?  How much do they cost?  Why are there two courses?  How long do the courses take? (…)

January 30, 2008

• What Information Do I Need to Start My Bankruptcy Case?

  Once you have decided to file for bankruptcy, you will need to gather the following information and bring it to our office:

  copy of your most recently filed federal income tax return - if you have filed for tax year 2007, bring that; otherwise, bring your 2006 returns
   
  copy of pay stubs (also called "pay advices") for this month and the previous six months.  We need these pay advices to analyze your income numbers for the bankruptcy median income and means test.  We will need pay stubs for you and your spouse - whether or not your spouse is filing with you.  The Bankruptcy Court needs information about household income.  If you are self employed or a commissioned sales person, we will need information about your gross income
   
  credit counseling certificate - the law requires that you obtain credit counseling prior to filing and you will need to bring us or fax us a copy of your certificate
   
  completed bankruptcy intake questionnaire that includes a list of all of your creditors
   
  evidence about the valuation of your vehicles and real estate - for cars and trucks, we recommend that you take your vehicle to CarMax, where you can get a written purchase offer at no cost.  For real estate, we recommend that you ask a local real estate agent for a "drive by" appraisal

  Our friendly staff is always here to help - please do not hesitate to call us:
  Nashville - (615) 254-3633
  Knoxville - (865) 689-1777
  Chattanooga - (423) 634-1910