After the bankruptcy court has closed a client’s case, we often never hear from our clients again. We’re okay with that. Not because we don’t want to serve them, but because we hope they never find themselves having to file bankruptcy again. But it’s not unusual to hear from a client after their case is closed for another reason. Maybe someone is still trying to collect a debt that was discharged. In that case, we’ll contact the creditor to make sure they understand they are prohibited from taking any collection action by the discharge injunction.
Another common reason we hear from clients is that they have a question about their credit report and what it should look like after their discharge. From time to time, we’ll hear about debts that don’t show up as being discharged. A creditor should report a debt as being discharged shortly after the bankruptcy court has issued its discharge order. The discharge order is the court’s order indicating that that person is no longer legally liable for his or her dischargeable debts. (Keep in mind that not all debts, like student loans, may be discharged in bankruptcy and won’t show up that way on your credit report.) Fortunately, this is a relatively easy thing to fix.
You should mail a copy of your creditor schedule from your bankruptcy petition (schedules D, E, and F) as well as your discharge order to the credit bureaus. Once they receive that information, they should update their reports to reflect your discharge.
We can answer all of your questions about bankruptcy, including how it will affect your credit report and credit score, at a free, no-obligation consultation with an experienced bankruptcy lawyer. You can schedule an appointment by calling 303.331.3403 or by using our online scheduling system.