Background

• Congress signed the Bankruptcy Code into law in 1978. The Bankruptcy Code has been modified several times since its enactment. The most recent amendment took place in 2005 under President George W. Bush. The Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 widened the waiting period between bankruptcy filings and introduced new pre-bankruptcy and post-bankruptcy requirements.
  
  

Pre-Bankruptcy Requirements

• You must complete a government-approved credit counseling class six months before your expected filing date. The U.S. Trustee Program publishes an alphabetical listing of government-approved credit counseling agencies located across the country. Obtain a certificate of completion after the program is over and file it with your bankruptcy case.
  
  

Post-Bankruptcy Requirements

• After the bankruptcy proceedings end and before your debt is discharged by a federal judge, you must complete a debt education class. It is against the Bankruptcy Code to complete this class before your bankruptcy case is filed. Obtain a certificate of completion and file it with your bankruptcy case to receive a final bankruptcy discharge, which will arrive in the mail.
  
  

Waiting Period

• While you can file for bankruptcy as many times as you like, you have to wait eight years from the discharge date of a previous Chapter 7 bankruptcy to file another petition. You must wait six years between Chapter 13 filings. As of 2011, the cost to file a Chapter 7 bankruptcy case in Kentucky is $299. If you cannot afford to make a lump-sum payment, pay in installments. The cost to file a Chapter 13 bankruptcy case is $274. Installment payments are allowed.