Chapter 13

Under a chapter 13 bankruptcy, a debtor proposes a 3-5 year repayment plan to the creditors offering to pay off all or part of the debts from the debtor’s future income. You can use Chapter 13 to prevent a house foreclosure; make up missed car or mortgage payments; pay back taxes; stop interest from accruing on your tax debt (local, Wisconsin state, or federal); keep valuable non-exempt property (see Wisconsin exemptions); and more. If you can stick to the terms of your repayment agreement, all your remaining dischargeable debt will be released at the end of the plan (typically three to five years). The amount to be repaid is determined by several factors including the debtor’s disposable income as is usually determined as part of the Wisconsin Means Test. In addition, the total amount paid to creditors under the Chapter 13 plan must also be at least as much as creditors would have received if the debtor filed a Chapter 7 bankruptcy. To file Chapter 13 bankruptcy you must have a “regular source of income” and have some disposable income to app