Consumer Point/Counterpoint

Should Courts Use the Separate-Filings Rule to Allocate Tax Refunds Among Spouses? By James C. Lanik When spouses file a joint chapter 7 petition, two estates are created, 1 although those estates are typically jointly administered. 2 The allocation of joint tax refunds

The Separate-Filings Rule Is Neither Practical nor Equitable for Debtors or the Estate By Edward Boltz The separate-filings rule is often described as the most technically precise approach to allocating joint tax refunds between spouses in bankruptcy — yet precision is

To Tell or Not to Tell Isn’t Really a Question: A Debtor’s Duty to Disclose By Hon. Elizabeth L. Gunn and Nisha R. Patel 1 The filing of a bankruptcy petition creates an estate comprised of “virtually all the debtor’s assets,” 2 or, more specifically, “all legal or

“What Happens Post-Petition Stays Post-Petition!”: A Debtor Is Not Required to Disclose Assets Acquired Beyond the Subset of § 541(a)(5) Property Within 180 Days of the Petition By David Cox At the outset, it is important to clarify the issue that this article addresses

Good-Faith Conversion Results in Retention of Post-Petition Appreciation By Michelle H. Bass Chapter 7 trustees in the Eighth and Ninth Circuits currently benefit from the holdings in Castleman 1 and Goetz. 2 These opinions permit the recovery and administration of post

In a Chapter 7 Conversion, Where the Debtor Resides Determines Who Keeps an Asset’s Appreciation By Nauni Manty A debtor under a confirmed chapter 13 plan has been making regular plan payments for several months, or perhaps a few years. For some reason or other, the

Lawyer Math, Jointly Owned Property and Judicial Liens, Oh My! Section 522(f) and Co-Owned Property By Hon. Elizabeth L. Gunn 1 and Evanthea Hammer Exemptions are one of the key elements to an individual debtor’s fresh start provided by the Bankruptcy Code. For real

Late-Allowed Vehicle Claims and the Importance of Finality By Linda B. Gore Editor’s Note: Unlike past articles in this column, the authors mostly agree on the viewpoint, but this article outlines the basis for those trustees/courts that take a different position. Most

Late-Allowed Vehicle Claims and the Importance of Finality By Linda B. Gore Editor’s Note: Unlike past articles in this column, the authors mostly agree on the viewpoint, but this article outlines the basis for those trustees/courts that take a different position. Most