what are my options if attorney does not file paperwork and ch 13 is dismissed

by Marilie Herzog 5 min read

As a result, appealing a Chapter 13 bankruptcy dismissal is not a very common occurrence. If you wish to appeal your dismissal, you must file a notice of appeal within 14 days after your case is dismissed (but you can also file a motion for an extension of time).

If the court does dismisses your Chapter 13 bankruptcy
Chapter 13 bankruptcy
Title 11 of the United States Code sets forth the statutes governing the various types of relief for bankruptcy in the United States. ... Under chapter 13, the Bankruptcy Court has the power to approve a chapter 13 plan without the approval of creditors as long as it meets the statutory requirements under chapter 13.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Chapter_13,_Title_11,_Unite...
for nonpayment, you may be able to appeal the dismissal to a higher court. However, in most cases you can work something out before the case is dismissed, or refile a new case after dismissal.

Full Answer

What happens if my Chapter 13 case is dismissed?

Mar 15, 2014 · My chapter 13 case was dismissed because my attorney didn't file paperwork. What are my legal options.

Can a bankruptcy case be dismissed for paperwork?

If you don't make your Chapter 13 bankruptcy monthly plan payments, the bankruptcy trustee will ask the court to dismiss your case. If the court does dismisses your Chapter 13 bankruptcy for nonpayment, you may be able to appeal the dismissal to a higher court. However, in most cases you can work something out before the case is dismissed, or refile a new case after dismissal.

Can I appeal a chapter 13 bankruptcy case dismissed for nonpayment?

Oct 28, 2018 · Because chapter 13 dismissed means lifting of Automatic stay granted against creditors action. Creditors can sue you for the whole debt and file appeal to take over your assets. Foreclosures, Wage garnishments, and car repossession may follow. In short, with the dismissal, the whole route for debt collection by legal action opens up.

What happens if a Chapter 7 case is dismissed without certificate?

Dec 15, 2014 · If your attorney has abandoned you completely of course you can file a complaint with the state bar, you can file an attorney substitution form, you could mention what is happening to the Trustee's office and maybe you could take care of these two things yourself because they are not terribly complicated, the hard part is done.

What Happens If You Don’T Make Your Chapter 13 Plan Payments?

If you want to continue with your Chapter 13 bankruptcy, you must make timely plan payments to the bankruptcy trustee every month. The trustee keep...

What If The Trustee Files A Motion to Dismiss Your Case

When the trustee files the motion to dismiss, you will have a chance to review and oppose it. If you don’t oppose the trustee’s motion, the court w...

Options If You Can’T Afford Your Chapter 13 Plan Payments

If you can’t afford to make your monthly Chapter 13 plan payments, you may have other options available to you including: 1. modifying your plan to...

Dismissal With and Without Prejudice

If the court dismisses your Chapter 13 bankruptcy, it can do so with or without prejudice. Most cases are dismissed without prejudice – meaning tha...

How to Appeal Dismissal of Your Chapter 13 Bankruptcy

As we discussed, the court or the trustee will typically work with you to resolve a motion to dismiss. Further, if your bankruptcy is dismissed wit...

What happens if you don't pay your Chapter 13?

If you don't make your Chapter 13 bankruptcy monthly plan payments, the bankruptcy trustee will ask the court to dismiss your case. If the court does dismisses your Chapter 13 bankruptcy for nonpayment, you may be able to appeal the dismissal to a higher court.

How often do you have to make a payment to the bankruptcy trustee?

If you want to continue with your Chapter 13 bankruptcy, you must make timely plan payments to the bankruptcy trustee every month. The trustee keeps a record of all payments you make during your bankruptcy. If you fail to make your plan payments, the trustee will file a motion with the court to dismiss your case.

What happens if you don't oppose the trustee's motion?

If you don't oppose the trustee's motion, the court will dismiss your bankruptcy without a discharge of your debts. But if you just had a temporary setback and want to continue with your bankruptcy, you can oppose the trustee's motion.

Can you file for bankruptcy if you acted in bad faith?

But if you acted in bad faith or otherwise abused the bankruptcy process, the court may dismiss your case with prejudice.

How long does it take to appeal a Chapter 13 bankruptcy?

If you wish to appeal your dismissal, you must file a notice of appeal within 14 days after your case is dismissed (but you can also file a motion for an extension of time). In addition, you will need to file other formal paperwork (such as a legal brief) ...

What to do when opposing a trustee's motion to dismiss?

But in general, when you oppose the trustee's motion to dismiss, you must show the court that you can afford your plan payments and explain why your case should not be dismissed.

Can you file for bankruptcy if you have prejudice?

If the court dismisses your bankruptcy with prejudice, you may not be able to file another bankruptcy for a specified amount of time or discharge the debts included in your first filing (the exact terms of the dismissal will depend on the court's order).

Why is Chapter 13 dismissed?

It can be dismissed because the trustee board or bankruptcy court might not find the repayment plan feasible. Even after the bankruptcy plan has started, if you start defaulting in payments, either the trustee board or the lenders can file a motion to dismiss running chapter 13. Chapter 13 plan payments get approved and payment cycle begins.

What to do if you can't handle Chapter 13?

If you are not able to handle the chapter 13 payment but do not want to be dismissed as well, you can try “Hardship Dismissal”. For “Hardship discharge” you creditors should receive the full amount that they would receive under chapter 7.

How long does it take to repay a chapter 13 loan?

Chapter 13 gives the debtor a time frame of 3-5 years to repay the agreed amount of discounted loans in installments. In chapter 13, the installment payment each month is paid from your disposable income.

What happens if you fail to pay chapter 13?

If you fail to make regular repayments, you will find your chapter 13 dismissed for non-payment. If you sense trouble in repayment via chapter 13 – act quickly.

What is Chapter 13 installment payment?

In chapter 13, the installment payment each month is paid from your disposable income. Disposable income = Income – your normal expenses. The expenses here are calculated in a predefined, standard format. Because you are applying for bankruptcy discharge, you will be allowed expenses which will allow a frugal lifestyle only.

How long do you have to wait to file chapter 13?

In the case of chapter 13 discharge, you will have to wait for two years before you can file for fresh filing for chapter 13. However, if your chapter 13 is dismissed, you can refile immediately. You can file twice or thrice. However, when you refile the second time within one year, you will get an automatic stay of only one month.

What happens if you file for bankruptcy discharge?

Because you are applying for bankruptcy discharge, you will be allowed expenses which will allow a frugal lifestyle only. Income above that will be disposable income. It will be handed over to the trustee board for a monthly payment to lenders as per bankruptcy court approved restructuring plan.

What happens if my attorney fails to file a motion for discharge?

If your attorney fails to file the motion for discharge, then your case will be closed without a discharge. Which means that it's like the bankruptcy never happened, you'd still owe your creditors the full amount, etc.

What happens if you don't follow proper procedure?

See your attorney, anticipate having to pay or hire a new attorney. You are too far invested to risk losing your investment in the process.

How long does it take to get discharged from a debtor in California?

From the date when the last plan payment is made to the date when a case receives discharge and is officially closed can take about 3-4 months. In our jurisdiction, there are a few things that must happen before a discharge can be granted. The Trustee files an accounting report. After that is done, and not before, the debtor or debtor's attorney files a form called "Chapter 13 Individual Debtor's Certifications Regarding Domestic Support Obligations, Section 522 (q) & Eligibility for Discharge" the form can be obtained on the court's website (this is for southern district if you're in a different court - check their website). http://www.casb.uscourts.gov/html/individual_forms.htm it is form CSD 2120. By the way, the fees you paid to your attorney included compensation for taking care of this for you. This form must be filed ONLY AFTER the Trustee files their official accounting report with the court. It's not the notice/letter you receive, it's an actual form filed by the Trustee with the court. If you don't know if this was done yet, you can do a case lookup on www.pacer.gov and check the docket to see what has been filed and when. Also, importantly, you must file, if you haven't already your Certificate of Completing the Financial Management Course AND a signed B23 form. I have my clients actually take care of this at the start of the case so that it is completed and one less thing to worry about and besides some people find the course useful for budgeting purposes while they are in the plan payments mode. If your attorney has abandoned you completely of course you can file a complaint with the state bar, you can file an attorney substitution form, you could mention what is happening to the Trustee's office and maybe you could take care of these two things yourself because they are not terribly complicated, the hard part is done. You can pull the forms down from the court's website and deliver them filled out and signed to the court's clerk. If however your attorney has not abandoned you, let him/her do the work. Some clients get very excited after the last payment and they want the discharge and case closed immediately so they are somewhat disappointed to learn that it takes a bit of time. I have to ask them to be patient and assure them that I haven't forgotten about them. If this tasks are not completed, the case will close without discharge. Although all is not lost. You would incur some filing fee and stamp expenses in reopening the case so that you can take care of these items and get the discharge you deserve. Congratulations on completing the plan payments. I'm sure it's a big relief and hope better things are in store ahead. Take care.

What type of debt is dischargeable in bankruptcy?

Unsecured debt. This type of debt, which includes credit card bills and medical debt, is usually fully dischargeable in bankruptcy. This means that, regardless of whether your creditor files a proof of claim, these debts will be forgiven at the end of the bankruptcy process. Therefore, you typically do not have to do anything if an unsecured ...

What happens if a creditor disputes an objection?

Sometimes, one or more creditors fail to file a proof of claim within the time limit. Your bankruptcy trustee will send a report to you and/or your attorney ...

What happens if you don't file proof of claim in bankruptcy?

However, if your creditors do not file proofs of claim, you could still owe certain debts and be behind on payments at the end of the bankruptcy process. A Chapter 13 bankruptcy attorney can help make sure this does not happen.

What happens when you file Chapter 13?

When you file Chapter 13 bankruptcy, you must provide a list of your creditors and debts. You can use the Chapter 13 repayment plan to get current with your secured debts (like a house), and your unsecured debts (like credit card debt) will be discharged at the end of the bankruptcy process. However, each of your creditors must file a proof ...

What happens if you don't pay your debt?

If you choose not to pay these debts, you most often will have to surrender the collateral you pledged to secure those debts. Alternatively, you can agree to pay the debts and keep the collateral. However, the secured creditor still must file a proof of claim to be paid. If a secured creditor fails to file proof of claim, ...

What are the benefits of filing for bankruptcy?

The benefits of bankruptcy include the ability to get rid of some of your burdensome debt and more effectively manage what remains. However, if a creditor fails to file a proof of claim, you could still face financial difficulties after your discharge. Therefore, it is important to monitor all reports during the bankruptcy process and address any proof of claim issues promptly.

How long does it take to file a claim in Chapter 13?

When you file your petition for Chapter 13, all creditors you list will receive notice that you are filing bankruptcy. Then, they have 90 days to file a proof of claim after the meeting of creditors. The only exception is government bodies, which have 180 days.

Mark Markus

If your lawyer is not returning your calls or responsive to you, you picked the wrong attorney. You should continue to try to get hold of him, but I would send him a letter giving him a specific date by which to respond and tell you exactly what he intends to do to remedy the situation.

Thomas John Cesta

Improperly filed schedules or statements can cause a dismissal; but if the documents are filed properly and a motion to reinstate is filed soon, then this should be easy to fix.#N#You do not have a lot of time to get this fixed, so if the problem happened within...

Dorothy G Bunce

Talk to your lawyer to see what s/he is willing to do to resolve the problem. I find it hard to believe that the case was dismissed simply because the formatting on the creditor matrix didn't conform to the local rules.#N#Hope this perspcctive helps!

Why is my personal injury case dismissed?

Not every personal injury lawsuit results in a successful outcome for the plaintiff. If your lawsuit is dismissed, it could be for one of the following reasons: You fail to show for trial. If the plaintiff fails to appear on the day set for trial, any party can request that the case be dismissed. If the court decides to dismiss ...

What happens if you don't meet the deadline for a lawsuit?

If you fail to meet the deadline, your case will likely be dismissed and you will not be able to take further action in the future. In the event your lawsuit is dismissed, your lawyer will explain what your options are and how you can proceed in an attempt to continue seeking compensation. Filing a Motion to Alter or Amend the Judgement.

How long do you have to file a motion to amend a judgment?

It’s important to note that you have to file this motion within 28 days after the entry of the judgment.

What happens if you fail to file a motion for a new trial?

In the event you fail to do so, you won’t be able to take further legal action. Your lawyer will help you with this process. If the motion is granted, there would be grounds for a new trial. If the motion is not granted, you have another option, which involves appealing the court’s decision.

What happens if you don't have a valid claim?

If the defendant’s argument proves you do not have a valid claim, the lawsuit could be dismissed. This is called a directed verdict. You missed the statute of limitations or another deadline. You have a limited amount of time to file a personal injury claim.

Can a defendant refile a claim?

This can be done with or without prejudice. With prejudice means you cannot refile your claim, while without prejudice means you will have the opportunity to file at a later date.

What happens if a court dismisses a case?

If the court decides to dismiss the case, they will determine if you have the ability to file again in the future. The facts of the law are against you. Once your lawyer presents your evidence, the opposing party will have the opportunity to argue against you. If the defendant’s argument proves you do not have a valid claim, ...

What to do if a lawyer refuses to do so?

If the lawyer refuses to do so, consider filing for a nonbinding fee arbitration with a state or local bar association. Arbitration allows an outside party to become the neutral decision-maker when regarding bills and finances. It can be binding or nonbinding which allows you to reject the arbitrator’s assessment.

How to reach an attorney about malpractice?

Just as the last question suggested, you must seek to reach your attorney as quickly as possible through letters, emails, or fax to make sure that it is properly handled.

Why is it so hard to win a malpractice case?

It is very hard to win a malpractice case because of the amount of evidence you need to prove that the lawyer failed to use the ordinary skill and care that would be used by other lawyers in handling a similar problem or case under similar conditions.

What are the rights of a lawyer?

Some basic rights that you are entitled to include proper and effective communication/correspondence between a client and his or her attorney, the competency of the attorney to know the core knowledge and expertise of a client’s legal issue, the work was completed ethically and the agreement of fees is followed. As a summary, you can and should expect your lawyer to do the following: 1 Give you guidance regarding your legal circumstance 2 Keep you up to date about your case 3 Tell you what he or she thinks will transpire in your case 4 Allow you to make vital judgments concerning your case 5 Give you an assessment about what your case ought to cost 6 Help you in any cost-benefit evaluation that you may need 7 Keep in communication with you 8 Inform you of any changes, delays, or setbacks 9 Give you the information you need to make educated decisions, and 10 Prepare you for your case, including disposition and trial preparation.

What to do if you don't pay a bill?

If you believe the bill that you’ve received is outside of the context of your agreement, don’t pay it. Ask your lawyer about why the bill is the amount it is and—if you disagree, ask for a reduction. If the lawyer refuses to do so, consider filing for a nonbinding fee arbitration with a state or local bar association. Arbitration allows an outside party to become the neutral decision-maker when regarding bills and finances. It can be binding or nonbinding which allows you to reject the arbitrator’s assessment. Find out more from our local association.

What are the causes of malpractice?

These basic pieces of malpractice are all due to problems associated with troubled attorney-client relationships. They are normally set off by a lack of communication, dishonestly and incompetence, inadequate legal work, arbitration, and billings.

What are your rights if you lose confidence in your attorney?

The first thing is that not all attorneys are the same. Just like doctors, chefs, or any other profession, everyone is different.

What happens if you don't file paperwork?

Failure to file the proper paperwork leads to many early dismissals. There are many pages of schedules and statements that lay out the debtor’s financial picture, including income, expenses, debts, assets, and previous financial transactions.

Who is required to make payments under Chapter 13?

In a Chapter 13 case, the debtor is required to make payments under the payment plan to a trustee, who will then distribute those payments to creditors holding proper claims.

What are the requirements for bankruptcy discharge?

For instance, in Chapter 7, the debtor has to file complete and accurate schedules, attend a Section 341 meeting of creditors, attend a financial management course, turnover nonexempt property, and a litany of other items.

What happens when you file bankruptcy in 2021?

When you choose to file a bankruptcy case, regardless of what type of bankruptcy you file under, there will be one of two outcomes— discharge or dismissal. Most people who file a bankruptcy case have one goal in mind, and that is to relieve financial stress by discharging their debts. When your debts are discharged, the ...

What is Chapter 7 bankruptcy?

A Chapter 7 case consists of two distinct tracks. The first one concerns whether the debtor will get a discharge of debt. On the other track, the trustee administers property that can be sold to satisfy creditors. Whether there is property that can be sold depends on if the debtor has any non-exempt property.

What happens if a debtor fails to meet the requirements for a discharge?

In contrast, if the debtor fails to meet those requirements, the court will not enter the discharge. Instead, the case is dismissed and closed.

How long does it take to file for bankruptcy?

Bankruptcy paperwork can be filed at the time the case is filed, or it can be filed within 14 days after the case is filed.

Why Are Lawsuits Dismissed?

  • Not every personal injury lawsuit results in a successful outcome for the plaintiff. If your lawsuit is dismissed, it could be for one of the following reasons: 1. You fail to show for trial. If the plaintiff fails to appear on the day set for trial, any party can request that the case be dismissed. If the court decides to dismiss the case, they will determine if you have the ability to file again in the fu…
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Filing A Motion to Alter Or Amend The Judgement

  • Your first option after your lawsuit has been dismissed is to file a Motion to Later or Amend the Judgement. This can be done under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 59(e). It’s important to note that you have to file this motion within 28 days after the entry of the judgment. In the event you fail to do so, you won’t be able to take further legal action. Your lawyer will help you with thi…
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Appealing The Decision of The Court

  • If you lose your motion to alter the judgment, or you decide not to make one, you have the option of filing an appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for your district. You’ll file paperwork indicating whose decision you wanted to be appealed. It’s important to note that if you filed a Motion to Alter, your Notice of Appeal needs to file 30 days after the Motion was denied. If you didn’t file a …
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Seek Reliable Legal Representation

  • If you’ve been involved in an accident and believe you have a personal injury claim, Golden Law Office is prepared to help. While it’s likely filing a claim will result in negotiations and a settlement, there is a chance your claim could go to trial—especially if negotiations do not result in full and fair compensation. If we pursue a lawsuit on your behalf, we’ll prepare for the process and explai…
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