Inside ABI March 2026
President’s Column I’m not a big fan of cliches, but “time flies when you’re having fun” is ringing in my ears as I write what will be my penultimate President’s Column and wondering how the months have passed so quickly since I took the gavel from Christopher A. Ward
Section 305 Is Grounds for a Debtor to Dismiss a Voluntary Chapter 7 Case
If the chapter 7 debtor has paid the filing fee and is current on filings, Section 707(a) isn’t grounds for voluntary dismissal.
$1.6 Million Fee Disgorgement Upheld for Failure to Disclose Fee-Sharing
The bankruptcy judge had authority to sanction a lawyer for all misconduct in the district, not just in the cases before that judge.
In ‘13,’ a Motion to Dismiss Must Precede Entry of a Conversion Motion, Circuit Says
The Sixth Circuit majority and dissent have an intriguing debate over appellate jurisdiction.
Two BAPs Now Uphold Sanctions Alongside Voluntary Dismissals Under Section 1307(b)
The Tenth Circuit BAP holds that dismissal is not automatic and immediate when a chapter 13 debtor moves to dismiss voluntarily under Section 1307(b).
Collecting a Sanction May Be Enforced by Contempt Rather than Writ of Execution
A district court in New York affirmed Bankruptcy Judge Paek by holding that collection of a sanction for a stay violation doesn’t require a writ of execution under Federal Rule 69(a).
No Pleading Around the ‘Due Diligence’ Requirement for a Preference Complaint
Delaware’s Bankruptcy Judge Horan gives examples of preference complaints that adequately plead performance of due diligence.
Fifth Circuit Has No Bright-Line Rule Cutting Off Objections to Exemptions
When a trustee doesn’t file a notice with the adjourned date of a creditors’ meeting, equitable considerations govern when or whether the time expired for objecting to exemptions.
Inside ABI November 2025
President’s Column One of the questions that I’m always happy to hear, and one of the questions that makes me the happiest to answer, is this: “How do I get more involved with ABI?” I’ve put together a nonexclusive list of suggestions in this month’s column. Member
BAP Decision Highlights Procedural Questions Surrounding ‘Personal Injury Tort’ Claims
Even under a narrow test requiring bodily injury, a domestic abuse claim is a ‘personal injury tort claim,’ BAP says.