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Facing financial challenges is a part of life. But if you're one of the millions struggling financially due to a job loss, illness, or another event in Texas, bankruptcy can help. Here, you'll find an explanation of Chapters 7 and 13, checklists to help you understand the process and stay organized, and Texas's property exemption laws and filing information. Because we couldn't include everything in one article, you'll want to check out its companion, What You Need to Know to File for Bankruptcy. You'll find lots more details there.
In most respects, filing for bankruptcy in Texas isn't different from filing in another state. The bankruptcy process falls under federal law, not Texas state law, and works by unwinding the contracts between you and your creditors. That's what gives you a fresh start. But Texas's laws come into play significantly because they determine the property you can keep in your bankruptcy case. You'll also need to know other filing information, which we explain after reviewing some basics.
Most people file either Chapter 7 or Chapter 13, and you're not alone if you don't know how the two differ. The short explanation below and our handy Chapter 7 versus 13 chart will help clarify things.
Chapter 7 is often a bankruptcy filer's first choice for several reasons. It's quick, taking only a few months to complete. And it's cheap. You don't pay anything to creditors. Chapter 7 bankruptcy works well for people who own mainly the essential items needed to live and work and not much else. People with more assets could lose them in Chapter 7 because the Chapter 7 trustee, the official responsible for the case, sells unnecessary luxury items and distributes the proceeds to creditors. For instance, you might have to give up your RV, baseball card collection, or timeshare in the Bahamas, even your house or vehicle if you have more equity than you're allowed to keep. Also, unlike Chapter 13, Chapter 7 has no payment plan option for catching up on late mortgage or car payments. So you could lose your home or car if you're behind on the loan when you file.
Chapter 13 involves repaying creditors some or all of what's owed using a three- to five-year repayment plan. Chapter 13 filers keep everything they own, and the payment plan provides ways to improve sticky financial situations. For instance, you can catch up on late payments and save your home from foreclosure or your car from repossession. Also, if you need time to repay a debt you can't eliminate or "discharge" in bankruptcy, you can use Chapter 13 to force a creditor into a payment plan and repay your balance over time. Learn more about when filing for Chapter 13 is better than Chapter 7. The biggest downside to this chapter? It can be expensive. Many people can't afford the monthly payment. Also, businesses can't file a Chapter 13 case. If you're a business owner, it's a good idea to learn about the ins and outs of small business bankruptcies before choosing the bankruptcy right for you.
Not Sure What to Expect in Bankruptcy?Bankruptcy wipes out many bills, like credit card balances, overdue utility payments, medical bills, personal loans, and more. You can even get rid of a mortgage or car payment if you're willing to give up the house or car that secures the debt. (Putting property up as collateral creates a "secured debt." If you don't pay what you owe, the lender recovers the property.)
But you can't discharge all debts. You'll want to be sure that bankruptcy will discharge (get rid of) enough bills to make it worthwhile.
For instance, nondischargeable debts, like domestic support arrearages and recent tax debt, won't go away in bankruptcy. Also, student loans aren't easy to wipe out because you'd have to win a separate lawsuit (however, in 2023, steps have been taken to ease the student loan discharge process with a new student loan bankruptcy form).
You won't be surprised to learn that qualifying for bankruptcy involves meeting several requirements. Because you're only entitled to a discharge every few years, if you've filed before, you'll want to check whether enough time has passed to allow you to file again. The waiting period varies depending on the chapter previously filed and the chapter you plan to file. Learn more about multiple bankruptcy filings.
You'll also need to meet specific chapter requirements. Here are the qualification basics for Chapters 7 and 13.
You'll qualify for Chapter 7 bankruptcy if your family's gross income is lower than the median income for the same size family in your state. Add all gross income earned during the last six months and multiply it by two. Compare the figure to the income charts on the U.S. Trustee's website (select "Means Testing Information").
Want an easy way to do this online? Use the Quick Median Income Test. If you make too much, you still might qualify after taking the second part of the "means test." If, after subtracting expenses, you don't have enough remaining to pay into a Chapter 13 plan, you'll qualify for Chapter 7.
Qualifying for Chapter 13 can be expensive because the extra benefits come at a hefty price, and many people can't afford the monthly payment. To qualify, you'll pay the larger of:
Find out more about calculating a Chapter 13 bankruptcy payment.
You won't lose everything in bankruptcy. You'll use bankruptcy exemption laws to protect your property. We list the significant exemptions below, but understanding the following will help you maximize what you'll keep in your case.
Filers can protect some home and vehicle equity, personal possessions, retirement accounts, and more. Below is a list of commonly used Texas bankruptcy exemptions.
Caution: The state exemptions have not been updated and should not be relied on but only used as a general guide. Some state exemption amounts could be higher, and your state could have changed the law by adding new or deleting old exemptions. You must verify exemption availability through independent research or by consulting with a local bankruptcy attorney.
Texas offers an unlimited homestead exemption for a residence on 10 acres or less in a city, town, or village or 100 acres or less in the country. A family can double the acreage to 200. (Tex. Prop. Code Ann. §§ 41.001, 41.002, 41.003. See also the Texas Constitution, Article 16, §§ 50, 51.) Learn more about the Texas homestead exemption in bankruptcy.
The Texas motor vehicle exemption is also generous—the law allows you to exempt the entire value of one motor vehicle per licensed household member. If you have a household member who doesn't have a license, you can still exempt that vehicle if the unlicensed person relies on someone else to operate the vehicle. (Tex. Prop. Code Ann. § 41.002(a)(9).) Find out how the motor vehicle exemption works in a Chapter 7 case.
The personal property you exempt (things other than real estate) cannot exceed $50,000 if you are a single adult without a family and $100,000 for a family. For example, if you and your family's personal property is worth $125,000, you can exempt $100,000 of it. The remaining $25,000 (or $75,000 if you're single) will be nonexempt. (Tex. Prop. Code Ann. § 42.002.)
It's essential to check the personal property you can exempt because some items are limited to specific amounts. For instance, you can have only two guns, and your jewelry can't be worth more than 25% of the exemption amount ($12,500/$25,000). However, you can have an unlimited amount of these items, and they don't count against the $50,000/$100,000 cap:
State exemption amounts are adjusted periodically and are not being updated in this article.
You can search for Texas exemption laws on the Texas Constitution and Statutes homepage or visit Texas Bankruptcy Exemptions. However, most statutes don't include updated amounts, and understanding statutory requirements can be challenging. It's best to consult a local bankruptcy lawyer.
You can file for bankruptcy in Texas after living there for over 180 days. However, you must live in Texas for at least 730 days before filing. Otherwise, you'd use the previous state's exemptions.
If you lived in multiple states during the two years before filing for bankruptcy, you'd use the exemptions of the state you lived in for most of the 180 days before the two years immediately preceding your filing. (11 U.S.C. § 522(b)(3)(A).)
Also, to claim the total value of the homestead exemption, you must have purchased and owned the property for at least 1,215 days before the bankruptcy filing. If you can't meet this requirement, your homestead exemption is limited by federal law to $189,050 for cases filed between April 1, 2022, and March 31, 2025.
Exempt your property carefully. The bankruptcy trustee, the court-appointed official assigned to manage your case, will review the exemptions. A trustee who disagrees with your exemptions will likely try to resolve the issue informally. If unsuccessful, the trustee will file an objection with the bankruptcy court, and the judge will decide whether you can keep the property.
Example. Mason owns a rare, classic car worth $15,000, but the state vehicle exemption doesn't cover it entirely. Believing that the car qualifies as art, at least in his mind, Mason exempts it using his state's unlimited artwork exemption. The trustee disagrees with Mason's characterization and files an objection with the court. The judge will likely decide the vehicle doesn't qualify as art.
Purposefully making inaccurate statements could be considered fraudulent. Bankruptcy fraud is punishable by up to $250,000, 20 years in prison, or both.
Most people find it worthwhile to get counsel. A bankruptcy attorney will help you:
You can expect creditors to call until you file. It's usually best to ignore them because telling creditors about your bankruptcy can encourage them to take more drastic collection steps before losing the right to collect altogether. However, if you hire counsel and refer creditors to your lawyer, they'll have to stop calling you.
You'll complete the steps listed below in "What Steps Are Involved in a Texas Bankruptcy?" But not everyone should file their own bankruptcy case.
The best candidate is a Chapter 7 debtor who meets qualification requirements, can eliminate all debts, and can protect all property with bankruptcy exemptions. People filing for Chapter 13 or Chapter 7 filers with complicated cases should seek representation.
Are you curious whether your case is simple enough to file yourself? Our quiz will help you identify potential complications while educating you about bankruptcy. You'll find it here: Do I Need a Lawyer to File for Bankruptcy?
All filers pay a $338 filing fee in Chapter 7 unless the court grants a fee waiver and a $313 filing fee in Chapter 13 (amounts current as of August 2023). You'll also pay approximately $50 to $75 for credit counseling and debt management courses.
If you hire a bankruptcy lawyer to represent you, you can expect to pay from $1,500 to $2,500 upfront for most Chapter 7 cases, although the price will depend on the going rates in your area and case complexity. Chapter 13 legal fees run about $1,000 to $1,500 more, but you can pay them in installments through the Chapter 13 payment plan.
We all know that seeing the forest helps us recognize the trees. Similarly, understanding the significant steps you'll take during your bankruptcy journey. will help you understand the bankruptcy process. Think of this checklist as a roadmap, but you can also use it to track your progress.
learn about Chapters 7 and 13
check whether bankruptcy will erase debt
find out if you can keep property
determine whether you qualify
consider hiring a bankruptcy lawyer
stop paying qualifying debts
gather necessary financial documents
take a credit counseling course
fill out and file paperwork
turn over financial documents
attend the 341 creditor's meeting
attend the confirmation hearing and make plan payments (Chapter 13 only)
file a debtor's education course certificate
receive your debt discharge
Once you decide to file, the fun begins! Well, not really. You'll start by gathering your financial information, which can take time. But our bankruptcy document checklist should help you organize what you or your attorney will need.
Tax returns, unless you're exempt:
Two years for Chapter 7 bankruptcy (You'll need both years to complete the paperwork and the most recent year for the bankruptcy trustee.)
Four years for Chapter 13 bankruptcy
Tax transcripts (Order transcripts from https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript if you don't have copies of your returns)
Six months of the following:
Proof of Income From Employer (paycheck stubs)
Other Proof of Income (unemployment benefits stubs, proof of alimony or maintenance payments, income from any other source)
Bank Statements (The bankruptcy trustee will want the most recent two months.)
Investment and Retirement Statements (The bankruptcy trustee will want the most recent two months.)
Copies of the following (take original to court):
Driver's License, I.D. Card, Government I.D., or Passport (The name on the petition should match your identification exactly.)
Social Security Card or proof of Social Security number
Things the trustee might ask for (current):
Mortgage and Car Loan Statements (The trustee will check the balance owed.)
Home Valuation (Realtor.com; Zillow)
Car Valuation (Nada.com; Kelley Blue Book)
Valuation of Antiques and Unusual Items (eBay)
Photographs of Rare, Antique, and Collectable Items
Photographs of Damaged Property
Repair Estimates for Damaged Property
If you own a business, the trustee will likely want:
Twelve monthly profit and loss statements
Two yearly profit and loss statements
Copies of any liability insurance policies
Things you'll need to prepare your bankruptcy petition:
Household Property List With Values (Group small items together, such as clothing, cookware, and bedding.)
Credit Card and Other Billing Statements
Credit Report (Get a free copy at annualcreditreport.com)
Credit Counseling Completion Certificate
More things you might need at the creditors' meeting:
Bank statements showing the balance on the filing date (You'll need to have exempted the entire balance.)
Other Documents Reasonably Related to Your Financial Affairs
After the creditors' meeting:
Debtor's Education Course Completion Certificate
Texas is a large state and has four federal judicial districts, each with its own bankruptcy website and multiple divisions (19 in all—more than any other state). Go to the Federal Court Finder page, select "Bankruptcy" in the drop-down box, and enter your location.
You'll also find the court's local rules and instructions for filing your paperwork on each district bankruptcy website. Click the link above and select the following from each site's nav bar.
Filing available at Lubbock, Abilene (hearings only)
Beaumont, Plano, Tyler, (Lufkin, Texarkana, Sherman hearings only)
Brownsville, McAllen, Laredo, Corpus Christi, Victoria, Galveston, Houston
Austin, El Paso, San Antonio, Waco, Midland (unstaffed)
Your creditors will stop bothering you soon after you file. It takes a few days because the court mails your creditors notice of the "automatic stay" order that prevents most creditors from continuing to ask you to pay them. Here's what will happen next:
These things must happen before you get a Chapter 7 bankruptcy discharge. Chapter 13 filers will also attend a repayment plan confirmation hearing and complete the three- to five-year payment plan.
Did you know Nolo has made the law accessible for over fifty years? It's true, and we want to ensure you find what you need. Below, you'll find more articles explaining how bankruptcy works. And don't forget that our bankruptcy homepage is the best place to start if you have other questions!
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We wholeheartedly encourage research and learning, but online articles can't address all bankruptcy issues or the facts of your case. The best way to protect your assets in bankruptcy is by hiring a local bankruptcy lawyer .