Bankruptcy, Divorce and The Former Spouse: A Marriage of Inconvenience[1]

Bankruptcy, Divorce and The Former Spouse: A Marriage of Inconvenience[1] – Part 1 of 2

By The Honorable Robert D. Berger

During the last fiscal year (the 12-month period ending September 30, 2014), there were 963,739 bankruptcies filed in the United States. 2 Since many bankruptcy cases are joint filings by a husband and wife, well over 1 million individuals filed bankruptcy during that period. Bankruptcy frequently intersects with other areas of the law, and one of the most prominent areas is family law. Of course, family law frequently includes divorce proceedings. In this article, we focus on debts for a domestic support obligation (“DSO”)—i.e . . .

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Three Last Things Trustees Should Know About the Small Business Reorganization Act of 2019 – Part V

November 17, 2019

By Lawrence R. Ahern, III, Brown & Ahern (Nashville, TN) Introduction This series focuses on four bankruptcy-related bills that were enacted during the 116th Congress and signed into law on August 23, 2019.1 One bill, the Small Business Reorganization Act of 2019 (SBRA),2 appears in its entirety in Appendix B to this series and was summarized in

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13 documents by Independence Software – Encrypted and Scans for PII

December 6, 2020

13 documents by Independence Software – Identity theft is a real and constant threat when transmitting information through the Internet. For Trusteeships, using e-mail to receive documents from the debtor bar is insecure, placing sensitive debtor information at risk. Founded in 2011, 13 Documents is unlike other filing systems — it is a complete document management solution for your Trusteeship...

From the Editor – Discharge Injunction

May 31, 2020

By The Honorable William Houston Brown (Retired) Only bankruptcy court issuing discharge order can enforce injunction. The Fifth Circuit held that only the bankruptcy court issuing a discharge order has authority to enforce the discharge injunction. The opinion reviews pre-2005 Code provisions and current 28 U.S.C. § 1963, citing other Circuits that “have insisted on a return to the bankruptcy...

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Taking Care of Business: Recordkeeping for Small Businesses

May 12, 2019

Small business owners should keep good records. This applies to all businesses, whether they have a couple dozen employees or just a few. Whether they install software or make soft-serve. Whether they cut hair or cut lawns. Keeping good records is an important part of running a successful business. Here are some questions and answers to help business owners understand...

From the Editor – Claims

February 9, 2020

By The Honorable William Houston Brown (Retired) Unreasonable fees for proof of claim. $4,000 fee for private mortgagee’s proof of claim and objection to proposed plan was unreasonable, and creditor was denied recovery of $7,500 attorney fee for responding to debtor’s objection to proof of claim. The Court considered Fannie Mae’s guidelines for maximum fees related to proof of claim...

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We Love You Dan (“Stingray”) Brunner!!

October 1, 2023

Dan grew up in Spokane, Washington, and graduated from Gonzaga University in 1966 with a BA in political science. After finishing his undergraduate degree, Dan entered active duty in the United States Army. He was stationed in Korea from 1967 to 1968 where he commanded a HAWK missile battery. Dan retired from the United States Army in 1994 with the...

United Student Aid Funds, Inc. v. Espinosa Ten Years After

May 3, 2020

By Hon. Brian Lynch, United States Bankruptcy Judge, Western District of Washington, Tacoma Division When the Supreme Court issued United Student Aid Funds, Inc. v. Espinosa1 on March 23, 2010, commentators were perplexed.2 On the one hand, the Court upheld the 9th Circuit’s ruling allowing a hardship discharge of student loans in a chapter 13 plan. The Court held that...

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A Look at Setoff and Recoupment as Fourth Circuit Permits IRS to Grab Exempt Overpayment Refund

July 19, 2020

By Lawrence R. Ahern III, Brown & Ahern (Nashville, TN) Introduction In Copley v. United States,1 Chapter 7 debtors attempted to exempt under Virginia law their right to a prepetition federal income tax overpayment refund. After the bankruptcy filing, the IRS set off the overpaid funds to satisfy the debtors' tax liabilities under 26 U.S.C. § 6402. In a matter...

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Postpetition Borrowing by a Consumer Debtor in Chapter 13 – Part 2 of 2

May 12, 2019

By Judge Michael A. Fagone & Career Law Clerk Ciera S. Dye III. Policy Considerations Where the statute does not provide definitive guidance, courts often turn to policy considerations. How do those considerations weigh out here? One answer is that policy considerations cut against imposing any sort of requirement of preapproval for postpetition borrowing by a consumer debtor. Several reasons...

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Escrow 102 – Part 2 of 4

October 3, 2021

By Michael J. McCormick, Esq., McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce, LLC (Roswell, GA) Escrow 101 - Part 1 Escrow 101 - Part 2 Escrow 101 - Part 3 Escrow 102 - Part 1

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