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Can you still file for a Chapter 7 bankruptcy after Congress changed the bankruptcy laws
in 2005? Hi. I’m Eric Engel, a Seattle bankruptcy attorney with the Engel Law Group here in
Seattle, Washington. The short answer is 71.8% of all bankruptcy filings are still Chapter
7. Now there’s two ways you can qualify into a Chapter 7. One is straight based on
your income. If you earn below a certain number, then you can file for Chapter 7 regardless.
Two: you can means test into it. What this means is that when the court considers all
your expenses and your income – even though it may exceed the median - if the court finds
that you spend too much money (otherwise your bills exceed your expenses), it may still
allow you to file for Chapter 7 even though your income exceeds the median income level
for the state. Why am I telling you this? I’m telling you this because you’re probably
wanting to file for Chapter 7 but you’re not sure if you qualify. We deal with this
issue every day. If you need help on whether or not you can file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy,
pick up the phone and give our firm a call. I’m Eric Engel, thank you for watching our
video.