How many months of bank statements did you need to provide?

[kathy4530050]

I would really appreciate it if those of you who have already filed will be willing to answer 2 simple questions:

1. How many months of bank statements did your lawyer tell you needed to provide?

2. What what was your employment status at the time of filing: employed, unemployed, or self-employed?

I plan on filing Oct. 1 and I can make sure that my bank statements between now and then are fine and normal. However, if I need to go back a year, woe to the person who has to make sense of my banking mess. I have banked with three separate institutions in the past year, (only one for the 10 years prior), have had business and personal accounts with all three, and it is really unlikely that I could piece together the whole horrible and messy story from my own statements. I am concerned that because I'm self-employed, I may have to provide more than 6 months and if I do . . . . major, major headache.

[dingdong]

I filed Pro Se Chapter 7 in Nov

I was asked by the Trustee to provide a copy of my last year's (2007) tax return and bring an ID and proof of SSN.

My 341 interrogation lasted about 3 minutes.

I was not asked to provide anything else.

My income was pretty pitiful for 2007 ( for once a good thing!)

I am employed with two jobs, one a day job, one at night.

My last day for objections recently passed, checked PACER today and no objections were filed.

Monday night I should know for sure and they were updating PACER this weekend.

I am a no asset chapter 7.

So far a piece of cake ( knock wood) except for my little run in with a dismissal, which I had fixed by motioning the court ( forgot a document within the 15 days of filing petition).

I must say I am pretty happy with my pro se self, considering I saved about 2000,00 on an attorney-but,..., I don't own a home, or a car ( I drive my ex's,) have no assets( literally!) except my furnishings for my home, so filing pro se wasn't a huge risk, there wasn't much they could take if I did screw up.

I felt I was a good candidate for a Pro Se filing, no assets, small income, well under median, not a lot of CC debt ( under 6000.00) , mostly medical ( large debt) due to no health insurance and I felt pretty comfortable with my understanding of the process and not afraid to go to court as I had recently fought an unlawful detainer from a weenie landlord that rented me a house in foreclosure then tried to evict me when he wanted to move his son in to try and collect a possible CFK offer. I succesfully demurred to his complaint and won, case dismissed! Gave me the huevos to file BK on my own.

[kathy4530050]

GOOD FOR YOU! It sounds like you're Ch 7 is well on it's way! I would be terrified to go into this without a lawyer, but am happy that it's worked out well for you. Here's something to make you feel even better that you've decided to file pro se: I hired a lawyer, paid is entire fee, lost confidence in him, and am now looking for another. Lots of $$ down the drain . . .

[Tromploi]

Bummer about the lawyer Kathy!

1. We had to provide 6 months only. The only way I can verify income for us IS bank statements. But that's all he asked for. It took us a bit longer to file than we thought so we had to provide the additional 2 months right before filing.

2. We are both self employed.

[kathy4530050]

Bummer about the lawyer Kathy!

1. We had to provide 6 months only. The only way I can verify income for us IS bank statements. But that's all he asked for. It took us a bit longer to file than we thought so we had to provide the additional 2 months right before filing.

2. We are both self employed.

Thanks. That's reassuring--you're both self-employed and still only needed 6 months. If I only have to provide 6 months, I won't have a problem. Yeah, the lawyer thing is a bummer, but I realize now that the lawyer I hired doesn't know much about small business and bankruptcy and could have really jeopardized the whole thing for me. Even if I have to pay a few thousand $$ more, if it all works out in the end, it will have been worth it

[jennordhavn]

1. I filed pro se but the Trustee did not ask for bank statements.

2. I am (and was at the time of filing) employed full time.

[kathy4530050]

Thanks a bunch to those of you who responded. NOW, here is what another lawyer just told me this morning:

He says I am only obligated to provide the bank statements, not provide a detailed narrative which explains my banking history. He said that the more messed up and confusing the statements look, the less likely it is that anyone is going to bother to make sense of the them. He says that if I am honest and cooperative, I have done my part. All good . . . !

[2live]

I will be filing in the next few weeks but I've had to give my lawyer 6 months of bank and credit card statements, but I had to wait for "stuff" to fall off before filing as well. I last worked in August and have been living off short term disab. which has just now run out. So lawyer saw all coming this on the first consult which is why he said we would wait till late march or early april to file.

[NeedNewStart]

When you are talking about "stuff" to fall off.... how long do you have to wait?

I ask because I closed my bank account at the end of December in order to stop my automatic mortgages payments. I had $5000 left in the account at the time. When I did this, I had not idea that I would be thinking about bankruptcy because I didn't know a thing about it. I don't have any debt besides my terrible mortgages!!!

The reason I'm going down the BK path is because of my house that will soon go into foreclosure. I thought that I would just loose the house but now I've learned that because it will likely sell for only half of what I owe... my second mortgage can chase me for up to 6 years! So.. BK is now my savior.

Anyway, when I closed the account I gave the $5000 to my fiancee. We want to use the money for our wedding. I opened a new account on 12/29/08 without that $5000.

In my state there is no exemption for money. Would I get in trouble for having given him the money? I just pulled it out in cash and he put the cash in his account.

I don't want to get in trouble for fraud or anything like that. I can get the money back and use it on a car that would be exempt.... but I'd rather save it for our wedding.

Any input???

[DebtStinks]

NeedNewStart, the look back on a transfer of money to a family member is 1 year min. and greater in some states. You will have to list that transfer in your schedules and if you don't list it could be looked at as fraud and your case dismissed. The trustee can sue to get assests back and then distribute those fund to your creditors. I'd talk to a good lawyer to find out what your options are. You'd be better off using the money for something that be covered by an exemption.

[NeedNewStart]

Thanks DebtStinks,
That's what I thought. So I have two options.

1. Get the money back from him and and use it on a car and file sometime this year.

2. Wait until next January to file, so he can keep the money. I'll check with the lawyer on this.

[goingcrazy]

I only had to supply 3 months of bank statements and my accounts were a bit screwy, too. I had my own checking, was on checking with my sister, also on one with my mom, and I had a small savings account. I would surely think 6 months of statements would be plenty.