To the extent that you are seeking Bankruptcy Assistance, Meyer Law Group LLP is a Debt Relief Agency under 11 U.S.C. § 527 and we are required to provide you with certain mandatory disclosures. By accessing our website, you are hereby notified of the following mandatory disclosures. If you would like a paper copy of these disclosures or have any questions about these disclosures please call our office at (415) 765-1588.

Mandatory Disclosures Pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 342(b)

In accordance with § 342(b) of the Bankruptcy Code, this notice to individuals with primarily consumer debts: (1) Describes briefly the services available from credit counseling services; (2) Describes briefly the purposes, benefits and costs of the four types of bankruptcy proceedings you may commence; and (3) Informs you about bankruptcy crimes and notifies you that the Attorney General may examine all information you supply in connection with a bankruptcy case.

You are cautioned that bankruptcy law is complicated and not easily described. Thus, you may wish to seek the advice of an attorney to learn of your rights and responsibilities should you decide to file a petition. Court employees cannot give you legal advice.

Notices from the bankruptcy court are sent to the mailing address you list on your bankruptcy petition. In order to ensure that you receive information about events concerning your case, Bankruptcy Rule 4002 requires that you notify the court of any changes in your address. If you are filing a joint case (a single bankruptcy case for two individuals married to each other), and each spouse lists the same mailing address on the bankruptcy petition, you and your spouse will generally receive a single copy of each notice mailed from the bankruptcy court in a jointly- addressed envelope, unless you file a statement with the court requesting that each spouse receive a separate copy of all notices. 

1. Services Available from Credit Counseling Agencies

With limited exceptions, § 109(h) of the Bankruptcy Code requires that all individual debtors who file for bankruptcy relief on or after October 17, 2005, receive a briefing that outlines the available opportunities for credit counseling and provides assistance in performing a budget analysis. The briefing must be given within 180 days before the bankruptcy filing. The briefing may be provided individually or in a group (including briefings conducted by telephone or on the Internet) and must be provided by a nonprofit budget and credit counseling agency approved by the United States trustee or bankruptcy administrator. The clerk of the bankruptcy court has a list that you may consult of the approved budget and credit counseling agencies. Each debtor in a joint case must complete the briefing.

In addition, after filing a bankruptcy case, an individual debtor generally must complete a financial management instructional course before he or she can receive a discharge. The clerk also has a list of approved financial management instructional courses. Each debtor in a joint case must complete the course.

2. The Four Chapters of the Bankruptcy Code Available to Individual Consumer Debtors

Chapter 7: Liquidation 
($245 filing fee, $75 administrative fee, $15 trustee surcharge: Total fee $335)

Chapter 7 is designed for debtors in financial difficulty who do not have the ability to pay their existing debts. Debtors whose debts are primarily consumer debts are subject to a “means test” designed to determine whether the case should be permitted to proceed under chapter 7. If your income is greater than the median income for your state of residence and family size, in some cases, the United States trustee (or bankruptcy administrator), the trustee, or creditors have the right to file a motion requesting that the court dismiss your case under § 707(b) of the Code. It is up to the court to decide whether the case should be dismissed.

Under chapter 7, you may claim certain of your property as exempt under governing law. A trustee may have the right to take possession of and sell the remaining property that is not exempt and use the sale proceeds to pay your creditors.

The purpose of filing a chapter 7 case is to obtain a discharge of your existing debts. If, however, you are found to have committed certain kinds of improper conduct described in the Bankruptcy Code, the court may deny your discharge and, if it does, the purpose for which you filed the bankruptcy petition will be defeated.

Even if you receive a general discharge, some particular debts are not discharged under the law. Therefore, you may still be responsible for most taxes and student loans; debts incurred to pay nondischargeable taxes; domestic support and property settlement obligations; most fines, penalties, forfeitures, and criminal restitution obligations; certain debts which are not properly listed in your bankruptcy papers; and debts for death or personal injury caused by operating a motor vehicle, vessel, or aircraft while intoxicated from alcohol or drugs. Also, if a creditor can prove that a debt arose from fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, or theft, or from a willful and malicious injury, the bankruptcy court may determine that the debt is not discharged.

Chapter 13: Repayment of All or Part of the Debts of an Individual with Regular Income 
($235 filing fee, $75 administrative fee: Total fee $310)

Chapter 13 is designed for individuals with regular income who would like to pay all or part of
their debts in installments over a period of time. You are only eligible for chapter 13 if your debts do not exceed certain dollar amounts set forth in the Bankruptcy Code.

Under chapter 13, you must file with the court a plan to repay your creditors all or part of the money that you owe them, using your future earnings. The period allowed by the court to repay your debts may be three years or five years, depending upon your income and other factors. The court must approve your plan before it can take effect.

After completing the payments under your plan, your debts are generally discharged except for domestic support obligations; most student loans; certain taxes; most criminal fines and restitution obligations; certain debts which are not properly listed in your bankruptcy papers; certain debts for acts that caused death or personal injury; and certain long term secured obligations.

Chapter 11: Reorganization 
($1,167 filing fee, $550 administrative fee: Total fee $1,717)

Chapter 11 is designed for the reorganization of a business but is also available to consumer debtors. Its provisions are quite complicated, and any decision by an individual to file a chapter 11 petition should be reviewed with an attorney.

Chapter 12: Family Farmer or Fisherman 
($200 filing fee, $75 administrative fee: Total fee $275)

Chapter 12 is designed to permit family farmers and fishermen to repay their debts over a period of time from future earnings and is similar to chapter 13. The eligibility requirements are restrictive, limiting its use to those whose income arises primarily from a family-owned farm or commercial fishing operation.

3. Bankruptcy Crimes and Availability of Bankruptcy Papers to Law Enforcement Officials

A person who knowingly and fraudulently conceals assets or makes a false oath or statement under penalty of perjury, either orally or in writing, in connection with a bankruptcy case is subject to a fine, imprisonment, or both. All information supplied by a debtor in connection with a bankruptcy case is subject to examination by the Attorney General acting through the Office of the United States Trustee, the Office of the United States Attorney, and other components and employees of the Department of Justice.

WARNING: Section 521(a)(1) of the Bankruptcy Code requires that you promptly file detailed information regarding your creditors, assets, liabilities, income, expenses and general financial condition. Your bankruptcy case may be dismissed if this information is not filed with the court within the time deadlines set by the Bankruptcy Code, the Bankruptcy Rules, and the local rules of the court. The documents and the deadlines for filing them are listed on Form B200, which is posted at http://www.uscourts.gov/bkforms/bankruptcy_forms.html.

Mandatory Disclosures Pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 527(a)(2)

You are notified that:

(1) All information that you are required to provide with a petition and thereafter during a case under the Bankruptcy Code is required to be complete, accurate, and truthful.

(2) All assets and all liabilities are required to be completely and accurately disclosed in the documents filed to commence the case.

a. Some places in the Bankruptcy Code require that you list the replacement value of each asset. This must be the replacement value of the property at the date of filing the petition, without deducting for costs of sale or marketing, established after a reasonable inquiry.

b. For property acquired for personal, family, or household use, replacement value means the price a retail merchant would charge for property of that kind, considering the age and condition of the property.

(3) The following information, which appears on Official Form 22, Statement of Current Monthly Income, is required to be stated after reasonable inquiry: current monthly income, the amounts specified in § 707(b)(2), and, in a case under Chapter 13 of the Bankruptcy Code, disposable income (determined in accordance with § 707(b)(2)).

(4) Information that you provide during your case may be audited pursuant to provisions of the Bankruptcy Code. Failure to provide such information may result in dismissal of the case under this title or other sanctions, including criminal sanctions.

Mandatory Disclosures Pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 527(b)

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT BANKRUPTCY ASSISTANCE SERVICES FROM AN ATTORNEY OR BANKRUPTCY PETITION PREPARER

If you decide to seek bankruptcy relief, you can represent yourself, you can hire an attorney to represent you, or you can get help in some localities from a bankruptcy petition preparer who is not an attorney. THE LAW REQUIRES AN ATTORNEY OR BANKRUPTCY PETITION PREPARER TO GIVE YOU A WRITTEN CONTRACT SPECIFYING WHAT THE ATTORNEY OR BANKRUPTCY PETITION PREPARER WILL DO FOR YOU AND HOW MUCH IT WILL COST. Ask to see the contract before you hire anyone.

The following information helps you understand what must be done in a routine bankruptcy case to help you evaluate how much service you need. Although bankruptcy can be complex, many cases are routine.

Before filing a bankruptcy case, either you or your attorney should analyze your eligibility for different forms of debt relief available under the Bankruptcy Code and which form of relief is most likely to be beneficial for you. Be sure you understand the relief you can obtain and its limitations. To file a bankruptcy case, documents called a Petition, Schedules and Statement of Financial Affairs, as well as in some cases a Statement of Intention need to be prepared correctly and filed with the bankruptcy court. You will have to pay a filing fee to the bankruptcy court. Once your case starts, you will have to attend the required first meeting of creditors where you may be questioned by a court official called a ‘trustee’ and by creditors.

If you choose to file a chapter 7 case, you may be asked by a creditor to reaffirm a debt. You may want help deciding whether to do so. A creditor is not permitted to coerce you into reaffirming your debts.

If you choose to file a chapter 13 case in which you repay your creditors what you can afford over 3 to 5 years, you may also want help with preparing your chapter 13 plan and with the confirmation hearing on your plan which will be before a bankruptcy judge.

If you select another type of relief under the Bankruptcy Code other than chapter 7 or chapter 13, you will want to find out what should be done from someone familiar with that type of relief.

Your bankruptcy case may also involve litigation. You are generally permitted to represent yourself in litigation in bankruptcy court, but only attorneys, not bankruptcy petition preparers, can give you legal advice.

Mandatory Disclosures Pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 527(c)

(1) How to Value Assets at Replacement Value. Replacement value under 11 U.S.C. § 506(a)(2) means the value determined based on the replacement value of such property as of the date of the filing of the petition without deduction for costs of sale or marketing. With respect to property acquired for personal, family or household purposes, replacement value shall mean the price a retail merchant would charge for property of that kind considering the age and condition of the property at the time value is determined.

(2) How to Determine Current Monthly Income. Your current monthly income includes all income you have received from any source in the last 6 months. This includes wages, salary, tips, bonuses, overtime, commissions, income from operation of a business, profession or farm, rents and real property income, interest, dividends, royalties, unemployment, pension and retirement income. Income also includes regular contributions to your household expenses, including from a child, roommate or spouse. Income includes income from any other source not listed above.

(3) The Amounts Specified in § 707(b)(2). You will be required to complete a “means test” to determine the bankruptcy chapter you can file. This test will be applied based upon your monthly income as explained herein. This test will also be applied based upon monthly expenses. Some of these expenses will be based upon applicable monthly expense amounts specified under National Standards and Local Standards, and some on your actual monthly expenses. Your actual monthly expenses include your average monthly expenses for payments to secured creditors on your automobile, amounts actually incurred for taxes, mandatory payroll deductions, life insurance premiums, money required to be paid by court order, including spousal or child support, education expenses required for work, child care, health care not otherwise reimbursed and the amount you pay for telecommunication services.

(4) In a Chapter 13 Case, How to Determine Disposable Income in Accordance with § 707(b)(2) and Related Calculations. In a Chapter 13 case, your income and expenses also include Chapter 13 administrative expenses of up to 10% of your required plan payment.

(5) How to Complete the List of Creditors, Including How to Determine What Amount is Owed and What Address for the Creditor Should be Shown. You will be required to provide a list of all your creditors. This list must include the name and address of the creditor as well as your account number with this creditor. If, within 90 days before you file bankruptcy, a creditor supplies to you in at least 2 communications the account number and an address that the creditor request to received correspondence, you must use this address and account number. The creditor may also file with the court a notice of address to be used to provide notice to such creditor.

(6) How to Determine what Property is Exempt and How to Value Exempt Property as Replacement Value as Defined in § 506. You can exempt certain property from property of your bankruptcy estate. You may use the exemptions available under California Law if you have lived in California for 730 days prior to the bankruptcy filing. If you have not lived in California for the last 730 days, you will have to use the exemption laws under the state that you lived in prior to California, if you lived there for at least 180 days. If you did not live in that state for 180 days, you will have to use the Federal Exemptions available under 11 U.S.C. § 522. You value your exempt property under the replacement value that is listed previously herein.