3 Benefits Of Filing For Chapter 13 Instead Of Chapter 7
If you meet with a bankruptcy attorney and find out you do not qualify for Chapter 7, it means you will be left using Chapter 13 if you want to proceed with your bankruptcy. A lot of people prefer using Chapter 7, because it offers immediate results for debt, but there are actually a lot of benefits you could experience from using Chapter 13. Here are a few of the main benefits.
It will protect you from losing your house
If you are behind on your house payments, Chapter 13 bankruptcy is the best option you have if you want to avoid losing your house. While Chapter 7 bankruptcy might allow you to keep your house, there is a good chance you will lose it if you are behind on the payments. Chapter 13, on the other hand, is so useful that it can actually stop foreclosure proceedings that are currently in place. If you are in this position, filing for Chapter 13 might be the better choice even if you qualify for Chapter 7.
You will only repay back some of your debts
The best thing about Chapter 7 is that it will wipe away all of your unsecured debts, and credit card debts are the most common type of debt people struggle with. Chapter 13 can do the same thing; however, you may have to repay some of your unsecured debts. This will depend on your income and the amount of your bills. There are times when people will have to repay 100% of their unsecured debts in Chapter 13, but there are also times when people repay 0% of these debts.
You will be on a repayment plan to get caught up
Neither type of bankruptcy will allow you to get rid of secured debts you have, but Chapter 13 offers one key benefit that you will not find with Chapter 7. When you file Chapter 13, you will be placed on a repayment plan for three to five years. During this time, you will be able to catch up on your bills, and this includes payments for secured debts.
There are a number of benefits of each type of bankruptcy, but there may be more benefits for you through Chapter 13. If you are interested in finding out which branch of bankruptcy would be best for your situation, you should contact a bankruptcy lawyer, like Thomas A Blake, to schedule an appointment today.