The Marital Deduction: Returning to Common Sense and Eliminating the “Contractual Liability” Test under § 101(10A)(B)

By Kenneth Siomos, Attorney Representing Chapter 13 Trustee John H. Germeraad, Petersburg, IL

The Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act (BAPCPA) substantively changed the structure of the consumer bankruptcy system in 2005. A major part of this restructuring included implementation of the “means test” which standardized expenses for above median income individuals. The first step in determining if an individual is above median income is to determine the individual’s “current monthly income.” This is defined as the average of all of the individual’s income in the six months prior to the month of filing, excluding . . .

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