Effective December 1, 2015, new bankruptcy forms will take effect for individual and business debtors. According to the Bankruptcy Rules Advisory Committee and the Standing Rules Committee, the new forms would be easier for debtors to understand and complete and are designed to work with scheduled enhancements to the federal courts’ case opening and electronic case management system.
While the forms themselves, if properly followed, are less pron to errors by pro-se debtors, the number of pages has dramatically increased causing some individuals to dread the prospect of completing these forms themselves.
regardless, overall, I believe the forms will result in more accurate petitions being prepared and thereby reducing trustee and court time trying t fix post filing errors. Then again it would be helpful if the courts had indicated the amount of time an average debtor should take to properly complete the form similar to what the Internal Revenue Service does on it’s forms.
So for all adventurous individuals interested in filing their bankruptcy pro-se, go ahead and download the package and give it a shot. Do remember that the forms do not give instructions on how to protect your assets or how to qualify yourselves for chapter 7 or reduce your payments in chapter 13. for that, we suggest you contact a qualified bankruptcy attorney in your area.
