About this item

This plain-English guide to decide if Chapter 13 is right for you and to learn how to keep valuable property and discharge your unsecured debts. Chapter 13 legal concepts, procedures, and monetary calculations can be tricky. Nolo's Chapter 13 Bankruptcy breaks down the Chapter 13 process and provides clear explanations of the law so you can: . consider alternatives to bankruptcy . decide which is better for you -- Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 . determine if you qualify for Chapter 13 . understand bankruptcy's automatic stay . learn how Chapter 13 can help avoid foreclosure . find out if you can reduce your car loan balance, or the balance on other secured debts . determine if you can strip second mortgages or home equity lines from your home . calculate (with forms and step-by-step instructions) whether you have enough income to propose a repayment plan that will meet legal requirements .



About the Author

Stephen Elias

Stephen R. Elias is an attorney and former associate publisher at Nolo, as well as the current President of National Bankruptcy Law Project. He is the author of many Nolo books, most recently Bankruptcy for Small Business Owners. Other titles include Special Needs Trusts: Protect Your Child's Financial Future, How to File for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, and Legal Research: How to Find and Understand the Law. He is also one of the original authors of Nolo's bestselling WillMaker software. Steve holds a law degree from Hastings College of Law and practiced law in California, New York, and Vermont before joining Nolo in 1980. He has been featured in such major media as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Good Morning America, 20/20, Money magazine, and more. Steve's blog on bankruptcy and foreclosure law can be found at Nolo's Bankruptcy & Foreclosure Blog.



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