CHICAGO, IL — (Marketwire) — 03/27/12 — When Congress passed the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act (BAPCPA) in 2005, it became mandatory for anyone entering bankruptcy to complete a credit counseling session at least 180 days prior to filing.
In order for the credit counseling to be valid in bankruptcy court it must meet certain qualifications. As one of the nation-s most experience bankruptcy law firms, wishes to inform consumers of those qualifications in an effort to smooth out the bankruptcy process.
As stated previously, credit counseling must be completed 180 days prior to filing for bankruptcy, which is about six months in advance. If the debtor fails to meet that requirement there is a good chance the bankruptcy petition will be thrown out.
Also, it is crucial that anyone entering credit counseling do so only through a credit counseling agency that has been approved by the U.S Department of Justice-s Trustee Program. In order to be approved, the agency must hold a non-profit status and its counseling services must meet the Trustee-s requirements to provide education and help in sorting out debtor financial problems.
Macey Bankruptcy Law-s attorneys say that to find a qualified credit counselor, consumers need only visit The U.S. Department of Justice Trustee Program-s website, which can easily be found online.
Counseling sessions typically take an hour to an hour and a half and may be completed face-to-face, over the phone, or online. Most credit counselors charge for their services, but if the debtor can prove an inability to pay, the counseling agency must provide the service for free.
Although credit counseling may sometimes help prevent bankruptcy, it is not always the easy way out of debt. Macey Bankruptcy Law advises anyone considering bankruptcy to always seek legal advice when before going through the process to ensure the best possible outcome.
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Macey Bankruptcy Law is a service of Macey & Aleman and has been representing consumer debtors in bankruptcy cases since 1994. Through tireless hard work, dedication to customer service, and commitment to fair and reasonable fees, Macey Bankruptcy law has been able to help thousands of hardworking Americans get the debt relief they need.