Can you file a new bankruptcy if you filed a prior
bankruptcy? The better question is, if you previously filed bankruptcy, how long do you have to wait to file a new
bankruptcy in order to obtain a discharge of new debt? Usually, it is pointless
to file bankruptcy if you are not going to obtain a discharge of debts at the
conclusion of the bankruptcy.
More than 8 years must have elapsed from a prior
discharged Chapter 7 filing in order to obtain a discharge in a new Chapter 7.
More than 6 years must have lapsed since a prior discharged
Chapter 13 filing in order to obtain a discharge in a new Chapter 7. Exceptions to the 6-year requirement in a
prior Chapter 13 are if you paid 100 percent of the allowed unsecured claims,
or at least 70 percent of the unsecured claims and the plan was in good faith
and the debtor’s best effort. See 11 U.S.C. §727(a)(8) and §727(a)(9).
The times are much shorter to file a Chapter 13. Only 4
years since a previously filed and discharged Chapter 7 or Chapter 11
bankruptcy are required in order to file a new Chapter 13 and obtain a
discharge. For a previously filed and discharged Chapter 13 the time is only 2
years. See 11 U.S.C. §1328(f)(1) and §1328(f)(2).
It is important to note that to qualify as an
individual debtor in a Chapter 13 the unsecured debts must be less than $419,275,
secured debts must be less than $1,257,850, and you must have regular income.
The time clock begins from the date of filing the
prior bankruptcy, not the date of discharge. So, for example if you filed a Chapter
7 on April 15, 2015, that was later discharged, you must wait until April 16, 2023,
to file another Chapter 7, if you want a discharge.
Questions? Have your financial situation considered by
an experienced bankruptcy attorney and former Trustee for the U.S. Bankruptcy
Court. Call or contact Martin Long at LONG & LONG P.C.
now at 303-832-2655, or www.denverbankruptcylawyer.net.
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