Bankruptcy Law -

     Understanding federal bankruptcy law and the law pertaining to your state of residence is imperative. Bankruptcy law is a specialized area of the law, and can be, at best, challenging to you as an individual as well as to your attorney.

Title 11 of the United States Code

     Bankruptcy law is federal in nature. Its cases are therefore all carried out in federal courts, as opposed to the courts of the distinct states and territories of the U.S. The law itself is codified in Title 11 of the United States Code ("the Bankruptcy Code"), with the jurisdictional underpinnings being found in Title 28 of the U.S. Code. The operating and procedural rules for bankruptcy cases are set forth in the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure, commonly known as the Bankruptcy Rules. These rules also set forth the Official Forms which are required to be used in bankruptcy cases.

Article I, Section 8

     Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution authorizes Congress to "establish ....uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States." Congress used this constitutional mandate in enacting the Bankruptcy Act of 1898. In 1978, after years of study, Congress prepared a wholesale revision of the bankruptcy laws, the Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1978. The new law completely replaced the old law became applicable to all cases filed on and after October 1, 1979. The new cases were called "Code" cases, to distinguish them from the prior "Act" cases. Under the Code, it became easier for a debtor to discharge his or her debts.

Modifications to the Code

     Thereafter, in 1984 and 1994, there were some major modifications to the Code. In 1984, Congress clarified the jurisdictional basis for the bankruptcy court, and made union collective bargaining agreements subject to being rejected (canceled) as executory contracts under Section 365 of the Code. In 1994, Congress enacted some new requirements in Chapter 11 cases. It shortened the time allowed for a debtor in what it termed a "single-asset real estate case" to propose a reorganization plan, and also allowed a debtor to make a "small business election" to streamline the plan confirmation process.

Types of Bankruptcy Cases

     There are six basic types of bankruptcy cases under the Bankruptcy Code, identified by their respective chapter designations in Title 11 of the U.S. Code. The most common are Chapter 7, 11 and 13. Less utilized are Chapters 9, 12, and 15. Selection of the proper chapter in bankruptcy law should be made only after a thorough analysis by competent counsel of the debtor's financial condition and goals.