Now that we've filed bankruptcy, how can I recover from it separately from my husband?
349646
establish your own bank account and credit cards.  Start creating your own credit score.
463121
Try your local District Court.  Ask where you can get papers for emancipation.
910334
Yes, you can.  Anyone can file individually, and Chapter 13 bankruptcy only remains on the credit file for 7 years IF discharged (completed): it is referred to as a Wage Earner Plan, because the creditors receive a portion of the payments due to them.\nIf you prefer not to file bankruptcy, debt consolidation may be an option as well.
173795
You are actually asking two questions, one related to your credit report and it's effect on your husband, and your liability on your old debts.\n\nThey will still be able to come after you and garnish your wages (NOT your husbands).  So if you have a job you are still in hot water.\n\nIf there is any property in your name only they can go after that.  Property jointly owned or pruchased after you marry can't be touched.  So if you have a car currently in your name, or a home, it can have a lien placed on it.\n\nWhen the collectors find out your new address, they will continue to hound you.  That's easy to solve....read the links I've supplied below and send them a "Cease and Desist" order not to contact you again.\n\nNow the good news.\n\nYour new husband does not inherrit your credit "baggage" once you are married.  Each of you have your own credit history, and unless you make joint purchases it will not effect him at all.\n\nYour husband's good credit can actually help you rebuild your own credit.  He can co-sign on some credit for you, and by making prompt payments you can re-establish yourself. \n\nI'm speaking from first hand experience here.....\n\nWhen my wife got divorced, her ex was supposed to pay a portion of the debts.  He didn't, so the collectors starting calling her up.  They started threatening her, even saying they was going to jail if she didn't pay.  She was so afraid she fled from Florida and came to Michigan, where her family lived.\n\nThen we got married....and the creditors got here new address.  I came home from work and found her crying and scared to death!  She got a collection notice in the mail!\n\nThen she got mad cause I was laughing!\n\nYou see.....what these guys didn't know was....I WAS ARMED!  I knew the law!  And now I was pissed!  In a very short time I had these guys off her case, no more calls or letters. \n\nIn a couple years her credit was spotless, she purchased her own car and had 2 credit cards.  \n\nYou need to just live off your husband's credit for a while.  You are in good shape, everything will work out fine.\n\nJust get ARMED!  Read the links below.
534617
You are probably too late to file personal bankruptcy now that the law has changed anyway.  I don't believe there is an exemption for life insurance, but you need to see a lawyer.  Or maybe work out a plan with your creditors whereby you will give them the money you owe them back over time.  Sell your car (take the bus), sell your television, learn how to budget.  Sell the children (no, wait, not such a good idea!)\n\nGood luck.  Get some help to get out of this mess and to stop you from doing it again!
792921
You can file yourself.  You can find documents online.  There's also a kit you can buy a "no fault divorce kit" but that does cost money, like $35.00.\n\nYou will also have to pay to file at the courthouse.  You might talk to DHS or something in your state to find out if they have some sort of community action project that helps with these kinds of things. \n\nIf there isn't community property then it should be easier than if you share cars/house/kids etc...\n\nUnfortunately if they don't have some sort of community action thing in your state, you might be up a creek and you will have to shell out a few dollars.  It should be less than $100 though.
733694
Good question!!! \n\nYou need to wait until after you are discharged to really do anything. \n\nOnce the bankruptcy is discharged, you need to do the following: \n\n1. Pay your bills on time \n\n2. Dont incur any unecessary debt\n\n3. Open sucured credit cards that report to the credit bureaus.\n\n4. Wait 6 months after discharge, then dispute the BK with the 3 bureaus. After 6 months the BK filing is stored in the Federal Archives and rearely will it be verified, so it falls off!!! 100% true\n\n5. Continually build your credit by gradually opening low limit cards, like Eufora, Orchard, 1st Premier..... and asking for higher spending limits every 6 months. \n\n6. Open secured loans that report to the credit bureaus. \n\n7. Finance furniture (buy here pay here) that reports to the bureaus! \n\n8. Piggyback other peoples good credit accounts (BEST SECRET IN THE BIZ!!! follow this link: http://www.expert-credit-advice.com/building_credit.htm)   \n\n9. Dont file bankruptcy again! \n\nThere are the facts from a credit expert. \n\nYou have the right proactive attitude. Keep your head up, put in the effort, do the right thing and eventually you will look back on this bankruptcy and laugh. \n\nWishing you the best of luck!
881806
I filed for bankruptcy 4 years ago. I made payments to my lawyer. I couldn't really afford one payment. Some of them will offer a payment plan.check into it
210430
Please check the links I have listed below. They will help you sooooooo much on your journey to reestablish credit. There is a listing for bankruptcy friendly creditors as well as a fantastic group of ppl that have been in your shoes to help you with each step of the way.\nFirst I recommend you get copies of your credit reports and check them over for accuracy. You want to have a good idea of what's on your reports since bankruptcy so you know where to go from here. Good Luck!
35403
If you are still living together you will have to file MFS (married filing seperately).  There are no tax advantages to doing it this way unless he owes back taxes, child support, or cheats on his taxes.  I would suggest keeping on your husband and filing together.  You cannot file single since you are married.  \n\nYou could file HOH if you have been seperated for more than six months and are caring 50 % or more for the children.
797962
Is the car worth $8000 now or is that what you paid for it?\nAlso do you still owe anything on it.  There are a lot of variables.  I filed last year in California and our attorney who handled it answered a lot of the questions for us.  That is what you pay them for.  Most of the time you can also low-ball the value.\n\n  Our attorney looked up the lowest blue book and then asked if there were problems with transmission or if tires were due to be replaced etc and kept deducting values until it fit.  \n\nAlso if you have an active account you don't always have to include it in the bankruptcy.  Especially if it is your only car and you need it for transportation to work/doctors, etc.  My husband and I had both lost out jobs within 2 weeks of each other which prompted our bankruptcy.  But my son has chronic health issues so we were able to extend what assets we kept.\nGood luck.\n\nAdded noted:  in reference to below, personal property.  They will ask you to list the value of your wardrobe, any jewelry, appliances, electronics, furniture, even kitchenware... as to what you might get out of them if you sold them to try to pay back your debts.  Fortunately they will usually go by 'Yard Sale' values.  Just keep that in mind when you try to determine what they determine as your total value.
985459
First, before filing Chapter 7, ask you attorney to work with your creditors to see if they can reduce the debt owed by paying a certain percent of the debt owed (i.e. $.25 on the dollar) with a monthly payment plan in place.  If it is in your budget to do so, this is your best avenue.\n\nIf this is not an option and you do have to file, it will take a little while to rebuild your credit.  BE PATIENT.  You will not be able to buy a house or car (without paying outrageous interest rates or exorbitant fees) right out of the gate and will more than likely end up in the same position once again.\n\nYou will be bombarded by credit card companies to "help re-establish your credit".  It would not hurt to get ONE credit card with a very low line of credit ($500).  Use this only in case of emergencies and pay off as quickly as possible.  \n\nMost important is to be patient and not get yourself into the same boat again.  Within a few years (3 or so), you should be able to pursue home ownership or car purchases.
340115
The whole Chapter 7 bankruptcy process takes about four to six months, costs $200 in filing and administrative fees without an attorney, and commonly requires only one trip to the courthouse. \n\nTo file for bankruptcy, you fill out a two-page petition and several other forms. Then you file the petition and forms with the bankruptcy court in your area. Basically, the forms ask you to describe: \n\n \n\nyour property \nyour current income and its sources \nyour current monthly living expenses \nyour debts \nproperty you claim the law allows you to keep through the bankruptcy process (for example most states let you keep clothing, household furnishings, Social Security payments you haven't spent and other basic items) \nproperty you owned and money you spent during the previous two years, and \nproperty you sold or gave away during the previous two years. \nFiling for bankruptcy puts into effect something called the "automatic stay." The automatic stay immediately stops your creditors from trying to collect what you owe them. So, at least temporarily, creditors cannot legally grab (garnish) your wages, empty your bank account, go after your car, house or other property, or cut off your utility service or welfare benefits. \n\nUntil your bankruptcy case ends, your financial problems are in the hands of the bankruptcy court. It assumes legal control of the property you own (except your exempt property, which is yours to keep) and the debts you owe as of the date you file. Nothing can be sold or paid without the court's consent. You have control, however, with a few exceptions, of property and income you acquire after you file for bankruptcy. \n\nThe court exercises its control through a court-appointed person called a "bankruptcy trustee." The trustee is mostly interested in what you own and what property you claim as exempt. This is because the trustee's primary duty is to see that your creditors are paid as much as possible on what you owe them. And the more assets the trustee recovers for creditors, the more the trustee is paid. \n\nThe trustee goes through the papers you file and asks you questions at a short hearing, called the "creditors' meeting," which you must attend. This meeting is not likely to last more than five minutes. Creditors may attend, too, but rarely do. \n\nAfter this meeting, the trustee collects the property that can be taken from you (your nonexempt property) to be sold to pay your creditors. You can surrender the property to the trustee, pay the trustee its fair market value or, if the trustee agrees, swap some exempt property of equal value for the nonexempt property. If the property isn't worth very much or would be cumbersome for the trustee to sell, the trustee can "abandon" the property-which means that you get to keep it. Very few people actually lose property in bankruptcy. \n\nIf you've pledged property as collateral for a loan, the loan is called a secured debt. The most common examples of collateral are houses and motor vehicles. In most cases, you'll either have to surrender the collateral to the creditor or make arrangements to pay for it during or after bankruptcy. If a creditor has recorded a lien against your property, that debt is also secured. You may be able to wipe out the lien in bankruptcy. \n\nIf, after you file for bankruptcy, you change your mind, you can ask the court to dismiss your case. As a general rule, a court will dismiss a Chapter 7 bankruptcy case as long as the dismissal won't harm the creditors. Usually, you can file again if you want to, although you may have to wait 180 days. \n\nAt the end of the bankruptcy process, most of your debts are wiped out (discharged) by the court. You no longer legally owe your creditors. You can't file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy again for another six years from the date of your filing.
791217
I have personal experience in this, I wet through a horrible divorce in Jan 1996 and had to file Chp 7 which erased $65K then I remarried a great gal with some bill problems of her own which we tried to juggle for several years but we became overwhelmed we put everything in her name and she filed Chp 7 in 2002, the judge asked why I wasn't listed on bankruptcy and my wife answered that I had gone through Chp 7 in 1996 before we were married and you can only go through it once every 7 years.  So she had her debts discharged and included some medical bills of mine that her insurance covered without question. Now we are financially stable have bought a house. its been 10 years since i filed so it doesn't show on credit report, everything is okay. it would have been okay if it weren't for vindictive ex-wife but that's another story. don't stress, you'll be okay.
512681
Well, in one way I don't blame you but in another way, I disagree.\n\nI was married to my 1st. hubby, we were planning to get divorced, we paid off all the debt prior, well except the mortgage which I would get since I was keeping the house. So we both walked away without major debt and a good credit rating.\n\nWell due to a few issues I had no control over, my credit became badly bruised. My issues were the fact that my 1st. husband died of cancer, there were children involved, which meant loss of child support. My 2nd. husband could not keep a job due to his mental & substance abuse issues, I was unaware of his issues until after marriage & baby. He was good at hiding stuff. My 2nd. husband had horrible credit, another thing I was unaware of until after marriage. He owed thousands and thousands in back child support & back taxes and he took bill money from the bank account whenever we faught, he was really immature. We (I) was forced to file bankruptcy chap. 13 to rearrange my debt then at a later date had no choice but to convert to a chap. 7 and simply eliminate the debt. I was supporting a family of 5 on my own with a hugh bankruptcy payment each & every single month.\n\nMy 2nd. husband is now also deceased, he comitted suicide and left me to figure it out on my own. \n\nSo now, I have a bankruptcy on my credit but I have great monthly income, I make more than many well educated people do & my income is solid.\n\nSo that is where I can agree with you. Had I been more careful about my choice in 2nd. husband, I am sure things would have been much different financially.\n\nBut now I am involved with a wonderful man that has awesome credit and a strong steady work history, almost 29 years with the same employer. I was up front about my financial situation when we started to really get serious and make bigger plans in life. Thankfully my man does not hold my past issues against me and he is in deed willing to build a life with me which will soon include marriage and the purchase of our first home together. But, I will tell ya, I did insist on seeing my new mans' credit report once we were getting serious. I will never allow myself to put in another financial situation like I was in before!! He was actually perfectly fine with it too.
163927
If you use your credit cards after bankruptcy, be prepared to pay everything you charge on them.  \n\nYou should cut up your credit cards.  That's what got you into bankruptcy in the first place.
1039914
You're looking for the FASTEST way?  Sounds like you want to rebuild or maintain your credit rating which filing bankruptcy would greatly damage.\n\nThis will take a combination of methods!\n1) Credit Counseling.\n2) Really frugal living.\n3) aggressive payments.\n\n1) I recommend calling one of the non-profit credit counseling outfits...you choose one.  They will do what it takes to get your payments to a minimum.  These no longer damage your credit appreciably (they used to).  I guess the credit scoring agencies (transunion, equifax and experian) appreciate the fact that you're not declaring bankruptcy!\n\n2) The really frugal living means not only tearing up your credit cards, not incurring or increasing new debt, etc. but ALSO cutting out what you do have that you don't need to survive *right now*.  Drop non-essential services like cable, broadband, cellphone, daily paper, etc. if you don't need them for work.  The reason for this is that it will allow you to do step number 3 better...\n\n3) Make _REALLY_ aggressive payments... big enough to hurt a little.  When you do this after the credit counseling folks get your payments down you can really do some serious disaster recovery to your finances.  If you have something to sell (that isn't  lien property or mortgaged) you might want to consider some quick cash to get the debt reduced fast.\n\nIf you have a financed car, you might want to sell it (even for less than you owe) in order to buy and own a used vehicle (you still have to get to work!!) that would do just as well  (you'll save on insurance too).\n\nTo help preserve your credit, contact all the agencies that you owe and tell them of your problem and let them know that you have overextended yourself and you're going to continue payments on the lowest of your bills and can they see about them getting their payments lower before you inevitably file for bankruptcy?\n\nGet a part-time job (if it makes sense)  This creates extra money to pay bills and leaves less time to spend it.  It doesn't make sense if you have to hire a sitter that costs almost as much as you can make part-time or if you have to drive so far that you spend your paycheck on gas just to show up.\n\nOnce you get into the swing of doing this, your debt will disappear...once it's gone...keep doing it for a little while and build up your savings.  Hang on to your savings (which will become your investments) and then start reading books by Suze Orman.  She's a really no-nonsense person with solid ideas (albeit overly opinionated) on how to get and keep your finances together.\n\nBest of luck.  You're embarking on a most worthy endeavor!