Lots of questions... IN

[talianna]

I'm in Indiana
Due to a serious run of lousy luck with finding a stable job, I'm being forced to file bankruptcy. My creditors are closing in fast and I have to do something. I have a lot of questions, and would appreciate any advice I can get. I can't afford an attorney, so I'm filing myself.

First of all, I've only been married a little over a year, all of our outstanding debts I brought with me to the marriage (other than student loans, but that's neither here nor there) and we just can't pay them. My husband's credit is all right. Does he have to file as well? He just lost his job.

My other main question is, if I file before then, will the court seize the refunds of grant money from my college courses? We use that money to pay rent, buy food, pay for gas for school, and I took out a small student loan to pay for a course I have to take to get my degree int he spring. Will it be affected as well, or is that considered our income and left alone so we can have a roof over our heads and food?

Last of all, when listing my car's worth, what should I use? Trade-in value or private seller value or something else entirely?

Any advice is more than welcome.

 

[victoriaring]

Yes, you can file a bankruptcy petition without your husband. However, if your husband's names are on any of your debts, the creditors may come after him if you file a Chapter 7 bankruptcy petition.

No, grant money will not be taken from you if you file bankruptcy. If you use that money to live on and pay your normal day-to-day expenses, it will be included as "income" in your budget.

Finally, when obtaining the market price for your car, use the trade-in value from the Kelly Blue Book website.

I have developed a web site specifically for people in your condition. I even wrote a free ebook which is available for download from my website that answers a lot of your questions. It is provided to consumers as a pro bono effort. Also, feel free to contact me personally if I can answer any of your questions over the phone. My phone number is available from my website at www.bankruptcyparalegalservices.com