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Chapter 13 Rule #7: Your Confirmation Hearing

A confirmation hearing is held about 45 days after the creditors’ meeting. It is the hearing where the Judge decides whether to approve your Chapter 13 bankruptcy plan or not.

After your 341 hearing (creditors’ meeting), any objections that the trustee or the creditors have are filed with the court and a copy is provided to the debtor and his or her attorney, if there is one. There is a very small window of time in between the creditors’ meeting and the confirmation hearing that you or your Fairview Heights, Illinois bankruptcy attorney has to fix any problems with the case and resolve any open objections.

In a Chapter 13, you are ultimately fighting over money paid in and not keeping property. It is the trustee’s job to get as much as possible. It is your St. Louis bankruptcy attorney’s job to make sure you pay as little as possible. The plan is then amended, if it needs to be, and turned back into the court for final approval.

In my experience, if you are current on your payments and all objections are resolved or overruled by the Judge, your case will be confirmed. This means all creditors must accept the terms of the plan whether they like it or not. In order to have the smooth ride, however, you must find a St. Louis Missouri bankruptcy attorney that fully understands the Judges and what kind of Chapter 13 plans they are likely to approve.

I have had the benefit of working with the same Judges in the St. Louis area for 16 years. At this point, I know what to expect and can typically predict whether a plan will be confirmed or not.

99% of the time a debtor who has hired a St. Louis bankruptcy attorney does not attend the confirmation hearing. It is the debtor’s job to stay current on their payments and the attorney’s job to hash out any other problems or concerns having to do with the trustee, the creditors, or the Judge.

As you can see, there are many difficult parts to a Missouri or Illinois Chapter 13. You can do it yourself, but I suspect it would be a lot like doing surgery on yourself—not the best idea. That must be why most people who file bankruptcy prefer to do so with an experienced and qualified St Louis, Missouri or Fairview Heights, Illinois bankruptcy attorney. Still not sure whether you should hire a bankruptcy attorney or attempt to file by yourself? Request a free copy of my Missouri and Illinois bankruptcy book, “Get Out of Debt: Secrets Your Creditors Don’t Want You to Know,” to learn which method may be best for you.

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