On December 1, 2015, a major overhaul of the Federal Bankruptcy forms was completed, and use of these new forms became mandatory for all future Bankruptcy filings. The old forms were substantially revised, reformatted, and renumbered completely. 

The new updates are part of a forms modernization project that was begun by the Advisory Committee on Bankruptcy Rules in 2008. The revised forms were believed to make it easier for debtors to understand and complete, and were designed to work with scheduled enhancements to the federal courts’ case opening and electronic case management system. According to the U.S. Courts, “The revision process drew on the services of a professional forms-design expert, and surveys of bankruptcy petitioners, software vendors, bankruptcy judges and clerks, as well as other members of the bankruptcy community.”

However, even though the thought process behind this massive overhaul was to help individuals file solely on their own without the aid of an attorney, the reality is that this creates a greater opportunity for individuals to make mistakes.

While the new forms are designed to help illicit more complete and accurate responses,  the truth is that these responses make it easier for Bankruptcy Trustees to reach an individual debtor’s property. Many of the questions on the forms now require an individual to answer affirmatively to property questions, helping to make the Bankruptcy estate’s for even the smallest individuals seem bigger. Therefore, the repercussions of failing to disclose an individual’s assets have become greater than ever before. Failing to disclose assets can result in significant penalties, including a denial of a discharge.

Do not let the Bankruptcy process get the better of you. Akman and Associates attorneys are prepared to help you throughout the Bankruptcy process, and get you the discharge that you need. Our firm is prepared to represent individuals in Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 Bankruptcy filings. Our offices service individuals across both Maryland and Pennsylvania.

For more information or for representation, please use the following contact information:

Maryland Locations:

• For our Baltimore, Maryland area offices, please call (410) 337-9400 or toll free (800) 638-7700. We can also be contacted via email: info@akmanlegal.com.
• For our Salisbury office, please call (410) 746-6118, or email sjland@akmanlegal.com.

Pennsylvania Locations:

• For our Southpointe/Canonsburg, Pennsylvania office, please call (800) 982-4078 or email jlbricker@akmanlegal.com.

Additionally, for a complete list of the new laws affecting Maryland area drivers, please click here.