In this video, our Des Moines chapter 7 bankruptcy attorneys explain how Chapter 7 bankruptcy is a filing which allows some individual persons to wipe out many debts. It is designed to eliminate most debts, while selling some assets to compensate creditors. Many assets are exempt under Iowa and federal law. A trustee will be appointed by the court to collect the debtor’s non-exempt assets and to sell them to the creditors to repay debts.

In this video, our Des Moines chapter 7 bankruptcy attorneys explain how bankruptcy means for you and how it depends on what type of debt you’re struggling with, how much you have and what you're willing to lose. You’ll have to determine what type of bankruptcy is best for your situation—this is a good conversation to have with a bankruptcy attorney—with the two main options being Chapter 7 and Chapter 13. Once you file for bankruptcy the automatic stay kicks in and most creditors will be prohibited from continuing to harass you for payment.

In this video, our Des Moines chapter 7 bankruptcy attorneys explain how involuntary bankruptcy is a legal process by which creditors can “force” an individual or business to enter into bankruptcy. The creditor must petition the courts to initiate the bankruptcy proceedings and the indebted party can file an objection to force a case. Having this option gives creditors some degree of protection against individuals or businesses who may otherwise take advantage of the business.

It’s rare that a business will petition for involuntary bankruptcy against an individual because the effort of getting enough money from one person versus the assets of a business is low, but it does still happen. The creditor may feel they won’t get any money out of the indebted party unless forcing them to enter into bankruptcy proceedings, and so the creditor must seek legal grounds in order to collect on the debt. Involuntary bankruptcy can’t be brought forward against an individual or business for any amount of money, the indebted party must have a significant amount of unmet debt. The amount of debt warranting a petition of involuntary bankruptcy is dependent on whether the debtor is an individual or business.