AACPLL FAQs > Bankruptcy

 

The following is a list of resources available in the Law Library. It is not exhaustive and is intended only to provide background information for library patrons. It should not be regarded as legal advice.

 

ASSISTANCE

 

Maryland Court Help Center  phone and online chat services

     

                    Phone: 410-260-1392

                       Chat: Maryland Court Help Center

 

 

 

Bankruptcy law is federal law. Bankruptcy falls under Title 11 of the United States Code. Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 apply to most individuals. The Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure (“Bankruptcy Rules”) is another source of federal bankruptcy law. There are some relevant Maryland laws regarding exemptions.

 

MARYLAND CODE, RULES & REGULATIONS: 

• Md. Code 
• Md. Code, Courts and Judicial Proceedings §11-504. LISTS STATE EXEMPTIONS (including, homestead, personal property, child support, retirement, wild card, insurance, damages). 

 

Exemptions are specific laws that allow you to protect certain property from your creditors, such as your car or home. For instance, when filing Chapter 7 bankruptcy, you may be able to keep items listed as protected by Maryland's bankruptcy exemptions. If filing under Chapter 13, bankruptcy exemptions play a role in how much you repay your creditors through your Chapter 13 plan. 

• Other exemptions can be found in other parts of the Maryland Code. For instance:
• Burial Plot (Burial Lots), Md. Code, Business Regulations §5-503
• Unemployment Compensation, Md. Code, Labor and Employment §8-106
• Workers’ Compensation, Md. Code, Labor and Employment §9-732 
• Proceeds of life insurance policies, annuity contracts and fraternal benefit societies, see Md. Code, Estates and Trusts § 8-115
• With respect to the exemption for benefits paid by a fraternal benefit society, see also Md. Code, Insurance § 8-431.
• With respect to the exemption for proceeds from life insurance policies and annuity contracts, see also Md. Code, Insurance § 16-111.
• Medical Insurance Benefits, Md. Code, Commercial Law §15.601.1
• Crime Victims Compensation, Md. Code, Criminal Procedure §11-816(b)
• Perpetual Care Trust Funds, Md. Code, Business Regulation §5-603(g)(3)
• Prepaid College Trust Funds, Md. Code, Education §18-1913
• Baltimore Police Death Benefits, Md. Code, Local Government § 30-108(c)
• Public Assistance to Adults, Md. Code, Human Services § 5-407 
• Pensions, Md. Code, State Employees State Personnel & Pensions, §21-502
• Partnership Property, but not individual partner's interest, Md. Code, Corporations & Associations §§9A-502, 9A-504 

 

Md. Code, Commercial Law §15-101. 

 

• COMAR / Code of Maryland Regulations type "bankruptcy" in the search box. Certain provisions apply to the liabilities of business owners, employers, insurers, landowners, and utility providers who have a change in financial status due to bankruptcy. 

 

ONLINE RESOURCES:

 

 

• THE PEOPLE'S LAW LIBRARY OF MARYLAND
• Which Type of Bankruptcy Should I File?
• Other articles on Bankruptcy (Scroll down and click "Bankruptcy.")

 

• United States Bankruptcy Court District of Maryland
• Understanding Bankruptcy
• Resources for Debtors without Attorneys
• Top 10 Filing Errors by Self-Represented Parties 

 

• United States Courts, “Bankruptcy Basics” (general information about federal bankruptcy laws and the bankruptcy process).

 

• Federal Judicial Center: Hon. William Houston Brown, "Consumer-Bankruptcy-Law-Chapters-7-13 (Federal Judicial Center 2014) ("The monograph explains how bankruptcy cases proceed, including filing, debtor duties, automatic stay, damages, the estate, exemptions, and claims.")

  

• Department of Justice Bankruptcy Information Sheet (see right column for multiple languages)

 

• NOLO's TheBankruptcySite: 
• Bankruptcy Exemptions - What Do I Keep When I File For Bankruptcy?
• NOLO.com Legal Topics: Bankruptcy

 

• Maryland Legal Aid Pamphlet

 

• Maryland State Bar Association online publication, "Should I File for Bankruptcy?"  

 

• Upsolve Bankruptcy Guide to filing 

 

 

• FORMS
• United States Bankruptcy Court, District of Maryland: Commonly Used Forms
• U.S. Courts: Official Bankruptcy Forms 
• U.S. Courts: Pending or Recent Changes in the Bankruptcy Forms 
• Bankruptcy forms require detailed financial information. For instance, filers must calculate and compare their current monthly income to Maryland's median income for a household of their size. If a filer's income is less than the median, they may be eligible for Chapter 7. This calculation is called the "means test." Federal agency statistics assist filers to fill-out this information on forms: 
• US Census Bureau Household Income
• IRS National and Local Standards

 

LIBRARY RESOURCES:

 

• How to File for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy / Stephen Elias (NOLO) (Online at the Legal Information Reference Center on library computers.) 

 

• The New Bankruptcy: Will it Work for You? / Stephen Elias & Leon Bayer (NOLO) (Online at the Legal Information Reference Center on library computers.) 

 

• Consumer Bankruptcy Law and Practice / Henry J. Sommer (National Consumer Law Center, 2020) (SELF HELP NCLC KF1527. C66 2023 and on library computers).

 

• Collier on Bankruptcy/ Alan N. Resnick, Henry J. Sommer (Bender/Lexis Nexis) (on Lexis in Law Library).  

 

• Practice Manual for the Maryland Lawyer/ Maryland State Bar Young Lawyers Section, Chapter 4. (MSBA) (KFM 1730.A65 P7) and on library computers).

 

CLINICS AND SELF-HELP RESOURCES:

 

• The Debtor Assistance Project ("DAP"): Bankruptcy clinic where self-represented debtors can schedule a free, 30-minute phone consultation with an attorney. Due to covid-19, in-person consultations have been suspended indefinitely.

 

 

http://aacpll.pbworks.com/w/page/109009789/Bankruptcy

 

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