Consumer Bankruptcy

Committee Webinar: “Evolution of Consumer Bankruptcy Practice in the COVID-19 Era.”

Happy Anniversary, Taggart!

The Supreme Court’s opinion in Taggart v. Lorenzen[1] articulated an objective standard for determining whether a party should be held in civil contempt for a violation of the discharge order.[2] In light of Taggart’s recent one-year anniversary, we are revisiting the Supreme Court’s opinion and cases that have applied it.

Recap of Taggart

Consumer Bankruptcy April 2020

Committee Webinar: “The Consumer Provisions of the CARES ACT and Local Court Responses to the Pandemic”

Don’t Snooze or You’ll Lose: Denial of Relief from Stay Is Final and Appealable Within 14 Days

The automatic stay is one of the most extraordinary features of the Bankruptcy Code,[1] and the scope of the prohibition against the initiation or continuation “of a judicial, administrative, or other action or proceeding against the debtor” is extremely broad.[2] While the stay may be terminated by order of the bankruptcy court pursuant to § 362(d) of the Bankruptcy Code, the Supreme Court recently held that a bankruptcy court’s denial of relief from stay is a final, appealable order.

Consumer Bankruptcy March 2020

Can Vehicle Acquired for Non-Personal Use Within One Year of Bankruptcy Filing Be Valued in Chapter 13 Plan?

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Contact the Author

The “hanging paragraph” found at § 1325(a)(9) of the Bankruptcy Code is well known. This provision prevents the bifurcation of certain secured claims if the creditor holds a purchase money security interest (PMSI) in collateral acquired by the debtor within certain pre-petition time periods. Section 1325(a)(9) provides:

Fresh Start, Not False Start: How New Bankruptcy Student Loan Programs Are Tackling Student Loan Debt

This webinar will discuss how new Bankruptcy Student Loan Management Programs are helping debtors solve their student loan issues. The webinar will cover the issues affecting debtors and their student loans as well as the solutions and tools the courts are implementing.

Consumer Bankruptcy Year in Review 2019

Richard Cole (rcole3@gmail.com) and Jon Lieberman (jon.lieberman@sottileandbarile.com), co-chairs of the ABI Consumer Committee, would like to thank all of the committee members and leaders who have made 2019 a most productive and exciting year. Our committee officers are vital to the success of the committee throughout the year, and information about our committee leadership is listed below.

Mediation in Consumer Bankruptcy Cases: Practical & Ethical Considerations

Let’s face it: Effective consumer bankruptcy lawyers eschew litigation. Bankruptcy procedures promote compromise, and bankruptcy judges favor settlement. Many bankruptcy lawyers develop good settlement skills without ever participating in formal dispute-resolution processes. But occasionally, even effective lawyers can’t settle a case on their own. In those cases, lawyers need to know when to request the assistance of a mediator and how to successfully participate in a mediation.

The Basics