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Back to Chapter 13 Information
Understanding the Northern District of Georgia Chapter 13 Plan
The judges and standing Chapter 13 trustees in the Northern District of Georgia have drafted an approved Chapter 13 plan that should be used in Chapter 13 cases filed in this district.
A copy of this Northern District of Georgia Chapter 13 plan can be reviewed by clicking on the link.
If you previously filed a Chapter 13 in the Northern District, you may remember the old plan. Until just a few years ago, the plan used in this district was a two page document and it left the calculations up to the trustee.
Extensive Calculations Required
This has all changed. Now, the debtor and debtor’s attorney must provide a detailed breakdown of how much priority and secured creditors will be paid, applicable interest rates, pre-confirmation distribution amounts, information about domestic support obligations, identification of creditors who will be paid directly, along with other information.
Fortunately, the vendors who produce the computer programs that most lawyers use to generate bankruptcy paperwork have included plan calculation modules into the software. Most of the calculations are done within the program. This does mean that a pro se (unrepresented) debtor would have a very difficult time presenting a plan that will work.
In addition, the added complexity of the plan calculation means that the cost of Chapter 13 bankruptcy representation has gone up and that your lawyer’s level of experience and knowledge is even more crucial.
Many plans filed in the Northern District are “step plans,” meaning that the trustee payment will adjust during the course of the case. Click on the link to read more about step plans and to read a case study.
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