Under Colorado law, people who file bankruptcy are allowed to keep certain property.  This property is “exempt” from being used by the trustee to pay the person’s debts. Colorado Revised Statute 13-54-102(1)(b) exempts “watches, jewelry, and articles of adornment of the debtor and each dependent to the extent of $2,000.00 in value.”

Under Colorado law, people who file bankruptcy are allowed to keep certain property.  This property is “exempt” from being used by the trustee to pay the person’s debts. Colorado Revised Statute 13-54-102(j) allows debtors to exempt $5,000.00 in value or equity in a vehicle.  An elderly or disabled person can exempt up to $10,000.00.

When I meet my clients for the first time, one of the things they talk about is how embarrassed they are about having to file bankruptcy.  They feel like failures.  This is easy to understand.  If you are like my clients, you were taught to be responsible and honor your debts.  That is what my…Read more

Under Colorado Revised Statute §8-80-103, unemployment benefits are “exempt from levy, execution, attachment, or any other remedy provided for the collection of debt.” That means that the bankruptcy trustee will not be able to take any benefits that you may have earned before you filed your bankruptcy. However, those funds may not be protected if…Read more

I write this blog as a way for people to learn about the bankruptcy process and consider it a service that I can provide to people who aren’t my clients.  If a comment from a client yesterday is any indication, it’s doing its job.  She told me she hired me because of all the clear…Read more

If your attorney has filed a Chapter 13 bankruptcy for you, you have an absolute right to convert the case to a Chapter 7 bankruptcy. The biggest reason that someone might convert to a Chapter 7 is because he can no longer make Chapter 13 plan payments.  This could happen if the debtor becomes unemployed…Read more

If you’re like many of my clients, the decision to file bankruptcy has been one that you have been trying to put off.  Although you’ve been struggling with your bills, you’ve been making ends meet and keeping debt collectors away.  Again, if you’re like many of my clients, one of the ways you’ve been able…Read more

Under Chapter 13 of the bankruptcy code, a debtor will make payments into a plan that pays some or all of her debts, and which is based on her income at the time the plan is confirmed by the bankruptcy court. The question that often arises from my clients is, “what happens if I can…Read more

Under the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act (BAPCPA) of 2005, bankruptcy attorneys must inform their clients of the different bankruptcy “chapters” , i.e. Chapter 7, Chapter 13, etc.  Of course, I do that in my initial consultation.  Before the end of the consultation, I usually have a good idea of whether or not…Read more