What do you need to file for Bankruptcy in Arizona?
If you are filing for bankruptcy in the state of Arizona you will need to provide your attorney the following documents. Our office has a streamlined process to get everything that will be needed:
1. A list of your creditors and how much you owe each one. We download a three-source credit report to pick up all your creditors you may not know about.
2. A list of your assets and what they are worth.
3. Your most recent pay stubs or other proof of income.
4. Your tax returns for the last two years.
5. A list of any major property that you have sold or given away in the past two years.
6. A list of all debts that are secured by collateral, such as a car loan or mortgage.
7. A list of any debts that are not dischargeable in bankruptcy, such as child support or alimony.
8. A copy of your driver’s license or other government-issued ID.
9. A copy of your most recent bank statement.
10. Credit counseling certificate.
How much does it cost to file bankruptcy in Arizona?
You will need to file your bankruptcy petition, schedules, and Statement of Financial Affairs with the bankruptcy court in your district. These forms can be found on the US Courts website. In addition, you will need to pay a filing fee of $338 for Chapter 7 and $313 for Chapter 13.
Credit Counseling
You will also need to complete a mandatory pre-bankruptcy credit counseling course. This can be done online or over the phone. It takes about an hour. Once you have completed the course, you will receive a certificate of completion that you will need to file with your bankruptcy petition.
If you are represented by an attorney, they will handle most of the paperwork for you. However, you will still be responsible for gathering all of the required documents and information to build your case petition.
If you are not represented by an attorney, you will need to complete and file all of the bankruptcy forms yourself. This can be a daunting task given the complexity of the forms. But most often, pro se debtors do not know what they don’t know, meaning they aren’t aware of the many traps of the bankruptcy law they can fall into by not knowing the law. Trustees love pro se filers because they get more money out of them than they otherwise would have if the debtor had proper guidance and pre-filing planning.
Stop Collections
Once you have filed your bankruptcy petition, an automatic stay will go into effect. This means that your creditors must stop all collection activity against you. If they do not, they can be held in contempt of court.
Meeting of Creditors 341 Hearing
You will then need to attend a meeting of creditors, also known as a 341 hearing. This is a meeting where your creditors can ask you questions about your bankruptcy case. After the meeting, your case will be ready for discharge in about 65 days for a Chapter 7. It’s actually fairly rare for a creditor to actually appear at one of these hearings. Mostly it is the case trustee asking you a quick standardized list of questions.
If you are planning on filing for bankruptcy in Tucson, Arizona, it is important that you understand what documents and information you will need to provide. By gathering all of the required materials before you file, you can make the process go as smoothly as possible.
If you have any questions or would like to consult with an experienced Tucson, Arizona Bankruptcy attorney call (520) 777-2198 or fill out the form.
