Ethical Issues in Bankruptcy Cases – Part II • NACTT Academy

Ethical Issues in Bankruptcy Cases – Part II

By Paul W. Bonapfel, United States Bankruptcy Judge, Northern District of Georgia1

Conflicts of Interest**

Because of the duty of loyalty that a lawyer owes the client, a lawyer is not permitted to represent a client if representation of the client conflicts with the lawyer’s own interests, the interests of other clients, or the lawyer’s responsibilities to third parties, unless the affected client’s . . .

It looks like you are not signed in or registered! This content is only available to members.

Or Sign In Below:

No Author Biography has been linked to this Article.

ABI Commission on Consumer Bankruptcy – Post-Petition Changes in Value

July 14, 2019

By Henry E. Hildebrand, III, Chapter 13 Standing Trustee (Nashville, TN) One of the issues raised at the public hearings of the Commission concerned Chapter 7 trustees that would not take prompt action to abandon exempt or partially exempt assets but, would retain assets in the hope that there might be equity in the future to sell the asset for...

Members

Critical Case Comment – Fee Wars: The Battle Over Debtor Attorney Compensation

Henry E. Hildebrand, III

March 31, 2024

Debtors’ attorney’s fees can be calculated as a percentage of the presumptively reasonable “no-look” fee for cases involuntarily dismissed prior to confirmation and is an allowed administrative claim which can be paid under § 1326(a)(2).

Members

Critical Case Comment – Objection to Entire Housing Allowance Overruled

Henry E. Hildebrand, III

March 3, 2024

This is a potential BIGGIE . . . Where a Chapter 13 debtor incurs one relatively small expense covered by the IRS Local Standards, the debtor is entitled to deduct from CMI the entire allowance to calculate Projected Disposable Income.

Members

Critical Case Comment – Debtor Bears Burden of Proof to Be Ones Own Disbursing Agent

Henry E. Hildebrand, III

January 21, 2024

There is a presumption that the trustee will make disbursements under a confirmed Chapter 13 plan and the debtor bears the burden of demonstrating sufficient grounds to justify acting as her own disbursing agent.

Members

Assumption of Auto Lease in Chapter 7 Requires No Court Approval Says the 9th Circuit: In re Bobka

May 9, 2021

By Matthew D. Resnik, Resnik Hayes Moradi, LLP (Encino, CA) In Bobka v. Toyota Motor Credit Corporation (In re Bobka), 968 F.3d 946 (9th Cir. August, 2020), the chapter 7 debtor wanted to retain her leased Toyota. Toyota sent her an "assumption agreement" which she signed and returned to Toyota the day before she received her discharge. By then she...

Members

Critical Case Comment – Post-Petition 401(k) Contributions ARE Disposable Income

Henry E. Hildebrand, III

July 23, 2023

Post-petition voluntary contributions to a 401(k) are not reasonably necessary expenses and are thus included in disposable income in calculating a debtor’s Chapter 13 plan. (Freeman) In re Saldana, 2023 WL 3483241 (N.D. Cal. May 15, 2023) Case Summary In April of 2022, Jorden Marie Saldana filed a voluntary petition under Chapter 13. Ms. Saldana was single with no dependents...

Members

From 5 Divisions to 4 Grandchildren, 3+ pets, 2 Hobbies and 1 Private Practice: The “Retirement” of Robert Wilson

Katherine L. Davis

March 20, 2022

“The trouble with retirement is that you never get a day off!” [Abe Lemons] There is no better way to describe Robert Wilson in his career as an attorney, as a trustee, in his life thus far, and surely in his retirement! He has filled and will continue to fill every second of every day with meaning and purpose and...

When The Marital Community Doesn’t Get a Bankruptcy Discharge

Cathy Moran

November 13, 2022

Community property works differently in bankruptcy. I probably don’t have to tell you that. On the issue of assets and debts, community property is pretty straightforward. All of the community property comes into the estate upon the commencement of a bankruptcy case, even when only one spouse files. §541(a)(2). Every creditor with a right to be paid from the community...

Members

The Effect of “Success” (or the Lack of It) on Attorneys’ Fees – Part 1: Judicial and Legislative Background

Lawrence R. Ahern, III

September 18, 2022

Introduction In In re Village Apothecary, Inc.,1 the Sixth Circuit last month reduced an attorney's fees by half, where the professional's services were not "successful." The results obtained (or, actually, the lack of results) justified cutting the fees of attorneys for a Chapter 7 trustee by 50%. Why It Matters to Chapter 13 People This analysis of the implications of...

Members

From the Editor – Dismissal

August 2, 2020

By The Honorable William Houston Brown (Retired) Undistributed funds returned to debtor upon dismissal. Under § 1327(b)’s vesting requirement, unless a confirmed plan provides otherwise, any undistributed funds held by the trustee at dismissal of the case must be returned to the debtor. Although not necessary to rely on § 347(b)(3), the conclusion on effect of vesting at confirmation was...

Members