My final question before I file chap 7.

[sunar27]

What is the name of your state? Virginia

Ok, I talked to a few lawyers and both really did not impress me. They were more or less scared of the new upcoming laws and both said my chap 7 was borderline. I owe 12k in credit cards, have a 26k dollar student loan and i make 9 bucks an hour. I can't pay my bills. My wife makes about 12 bucks an hour but she has her own bills and after we pay our expenses, we're have about 50 bucks left over. We're in budget mode so we don't really see doctors or buy much food and we don't buy any clothes or really do anything. I'm going to file pro se because these lawyers seem to only be interested in themselves.

My question is, if I do file an individual chap 7 (wife is not filing) will the trustee weigh heavily her income? I'm the one who's broke and my wife can not pay all the household expenses while I pay my debts. How realistic are these trustees? The lawyer kept saying they only consider gross pay - i don't live on gross pay, i live on net pay. I just don't understand the logic.

 

[bigun]

Well if the consider gross pay, they also will consider applicable withholding taxes as a priority payment and it is a legimate expense.6 of 1-half a dozen of the other.
They can certainly ask about your spouses income but given the $$$'s you both make, I doubt it'll be an impediment to your discharge.

Here's an expense calculator that may give you a few ideas. For things like food, use numbers that would reflect your purchasing were you not trying to economize.

http://www.ca-bankruptcy-attorneys.com/calculators/expense_calculator.html

 

[sunar27]

Well if the consider gross pay, they also will consider applicable withholding taxes as a priority payment and it is a legimate expense.6 of 1-half a dozen of the other.
They can certainly ask about your spouses income but given the $$$'s you both make, I doubt it'll be an impediment to your discharge.

Here's an expense calculator that may give you a few ideas. For things like food, use numbers that would reflect your purchasing were you not trying to economize.

http://www.ca-bankruptcy-attorneys.com/calculators/expense_calculator.html

Thanks. I'm going to put together a comprehensive expense list as if I wasn't living like a complete loser. I tried to tell the lawyers about these additional expenses but they just seem to like to hear themselves talk and nobody else.