During Covid-19 it is in Everyones Best Interest to Stay Home

Video Transcribed:  Bankruptcy Attorney Edward Kelley with 888debtline. This impact, I’m going to continue with this emergency series on coronavirus and how it impacts you filing bankruptcy. We’ve already talked about how your income, counterintuitively perhaps, may be at its best for filing a seven or 13.

We’ve talked about how if you’re on the line, might make too much for a seven, either through your actuals from your downturn in income or projections of your income based on what’s going on, you may only now qualify for that seven when this blows over, which I hope is soon, and your income goes back up, you may be out of reach again.

And also in a 13, which is based on your disposable income, if your income has gone down, you can lock in a lower payment for up to the next five years and save considerable amounts of money.

So I want to expand. I did mention this earlier. So why am I in a baseball cap? Being able to tell you all this and continuing to work, and I am working from home as are many people right now, but the bankruptcy process continues unabated. So there are measures already in place. Everything on bankruptcy is e-File anyway.

I gather your documents, scan them in and email them in, or upload them would be a better term. And that process is not impacted at all, and does not require any social contact, obviously. If you’ve got a scanner or a home fax or a means to send documents to me or to your attorney, there is no reason this can’t proceed.

The only thing you need are original signatures on a couple of parts of your bankruptcy, and to review the materials once we prepared them before filing.

But all that can be done other than the original signatures being shot out in the mail, which hopefully you can do by sticking them in your mailbox without any contact.

So again, for all the economic reasons, this may be the best time to do it. And also the nature of the bankruptcy process is way ahead of most court filings.

I’ve already eliminated most in-person contact, so it’s a uniquely suited to continue during this crisis. So again, due to the already established remote procedures for most of bankruptcy, there’s no need not to file right now if you’re ready.

And as I mentioned, there’s one meeting generally in a bankruptcy, 13 or seven, the 341 creditor meeting. And those are continuing, and being held telephonically. So again, you don’t need to leave your house to complete that part of the process. So this may be your time. As always, you can reach me at 888-DEBTLINE, edward@wirthlawoffice.com, and on Facebook at Oklahomans for Debt Relief.