Child Support and Filing Bankruptcy

As a parent in Arizona, it’s the responsibility of yours to provide for your children.  Therefore, this includes paying the child support of yours on time. Arizona doesn’t take this responsibility lightly and also have numerous punishments at the disposal of theirs, which includes incarcerating parents that fail paying their support orders.

Additionally, if parents have child support arrearages, declaring chapter seven or even chapter thirteen bankruptcy won’t discharge the debt of child support.  Nevertheless, filing for chapter 13 bankruptcy in Glendale might put you in a position to enable you to get caught up on the payment of yours that you owe for child support.  Let’s take a further look at child support and the various chapters of bankruptcy and your options.

Child Support and Filing Bankruptcy

Child Support when filing Chapter 7 Bankruptcy

When you file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, there’s an automatic stay which stops anyone from pursuing claims against you. The Automatic Stay doesn’t stop collection actions for unpaid child support. Nonetheless, along with a party looking for back child support from you is permitted to proceed regardless of the simple fact you filed a Chapter seven bankruptcy.

Any revenue you get once you file for bankruptcy isn’t considered a part of your bankruptcy estate in a Chapter seven bankruptcy, and may be looked at in determining child support responsibilities and utilized to pay support arrearages. In a Chapter thirteen bankruptcy, nonetheless, any income earned is a part of the bankruptcy estate along with a party seeking to enforce a support obligation should request help from the stay to do it. If an individual that filed for Chapter thirteen bankruptcy is currently governed by a support order and additionally fails to produce support payments, the Bankruptcy Trustee will often raise the stay so the assistance could be recovered.

                                                                                        QUESTION:

My ex spouse has declared bankruptcy, and now she claims she does not need to pay child support. Is that accurate?

                                                                                          ANSWER:

Child support payments generally can’t be discharged in bankruptcy. Thus,your wife is completely incorrect. Which means that a parent that owes child support can’t escape this particular responsibility by filing for bankruptcy. Whereas, bankruptcies don’t serve as a stay, or maintain, on measures in order to establish paternity or to change child support obligations.
If your co parent has stopped paying kid support, the court and state department that administers support could use various techniques to try to enforce those aforementioned support obligations. The relationship between bankruptcy and child support is complicated.  Therefore, you might require the assistance of an Arizona lawyer acquainted with bankruptcy law.

Will Filing a Chapter 13 Get Rid of my Child Support?

In a chapter thirteen bankruptcy in Arizona, child support obligations are as essential in the Federal Bankruptcy Court as they’re in the Arizona Family Court. In a chapter 13, child support is considered a priority debt.  Child support arrearages must be paid through your chapter thirteen payment plan.  A chapter 13  repayment plan lasts 3-5 years and is based on what the filer is able to repay.  However, if there is child support, that must be figured into the plan.

The substantial difference between a chapter seven and a thirteen is usually that a chapter thirteen stops collection activity for support obligations. A chapter 7 bankruptcy does not stop collection efforts on back child support.  Support collections might be kept because the Bankruptcy Code considers the debtors earnings as home of the estate.

Arrearage Child Support Put Into the Chapter 13 Repayment Plan

Thankfully, after these payments are stopped, a Chapter thirteen repayment program permits a debtor to manage the debts of theirs, and also by paying child support debt a debtor will lessen the amount he or maybe she would usually spend to satisfy their general creditors. Sometimes debtors are able to minimize just how much they pay to various other creditors by the total amount of support debt they owe through a Chapter 13 filing.

Paying back child support should be considered a positive.  Whereas, many debtors usually prefer pay for the needs of their children by paying the owed child support versus paying their arbitrary creditors. Nevertheless, one important part would be that the debtor should stay current by continuing paying their support obligations.  Failure to do so means they won’t get their chapter thirteen discharge.  At the end of the Chapter 13 repayment plan, not only will the filer receive a discharge from their chapter 13 bankruptcy but the filer will also be current on their Arizona child support payments.  One can not happen without the other.

Child Support is a Priority Debt

As the benefits of providing for minor kids is recognized throughout federal court systems and state, in both Chapter seven and Chapter thirteen bankruptcies, Child support debt is deemed a priority debt which isn’t dischargeable in bankruptcy. As a result, any ordered child support debt won’t be forgiven in case you file for bankruptcy and you’ll be forced to make up the overdue payments.

Additionally, child support debt is paid first over other priority debts including tax obligations and also before unsecured obligations. In case you filed a Chapter 13, any support debt must to be paid off entirely through part of your respective repayment program for you to get a discharge from the debts of yours.  Making all of your Chapter 13 repayment plans in conjunction will satisfy your child support and arrearages.  An experienced Arizona BK Lawyer will make sure this happens through a Chapter 13 bankruptcy.

If you are considering filing for bankruptcy and are currently paying child support or have child support arrearages, you should seek the assistance of experienced Arizona attorneys.  The professionals at My AZ Lawyers represent clients in Arizona in both bankruptcy law and Arizona family law.  You may get in touch with us by calling (480) 833-8000 or Contact us on-line.

Arizona Offices:

Mesa Location:
1731 West Baseline Rd., Suite #100
Mesa, AZ 85202

Office: (480) 448-9800
Email: info@myazlawyers.com
Website: https://myazlawyers.com/

Glendale Location:
20325 N 51st Avenue Suite #134, Building 5
Glendale, AZ 85308

Office: (602) 509-0955

Tucson Location:
2 East Congress St., Suite #900-6A
Tucson, AZ 85701

Office: (520) 441-1450

Avondale Location:
12725 W. Indian School Rd., Ste E, #101
Avondale, AZ 85392

Office: (623) 469-6603