When someone files for bankruptcy, he or she is required to take 2 rounds of credit counseling – one round before the case is filed and a second round within 3 months after filing. The completion certificate for each course is filed with the bankruptcy court, and failure to take both rounds of credit counseling means the debt doesn’t get wiped out. Most people complete their credit counseling online, but some counselors do offer counseling via telephone and a few even still offer it in person.
The first course takes about an hour to complete and the second takes about 2 hours. The first Course involves reading general information about bankruptcy, creating a budget and calculating your net worth. It’s intended to evaluate whether you need to file bankruptcy and to help you understand how to improve your budget. The second course involves more educational material. A credit counseling program must be approved by the Office of the United States Trustee, and that office maintains a list of approved counselors. There are a lot of approved counselors, and the price for each round is typically between $10 and $60. WM Law has used several different counselors – and we’ll work with anyone you choose. We normally recommend a counseling company named Cricket Debt as they have great customer service and they currently only charge $24 for the first round and $20 for the second. Those fees are the same for either an individual or a couple.
For more information on credit counseling, visit our website at www.kansascitybankruptcy.com or call for a free consultation with one of our experienced bankruptcy attorneys. At W M LAW, we are “Here to Help”.
