So new to this and so very confused

[SocalBroke]

Hi all,

I have an appt with a bankruptcy lawyer on Thursday. He faxed me over an intake form of sorts requesting a listing of all income and expenses, etc. I'm trying to fill out the forms to have them ready but am at a lose as to value of things such as clothing etc. Do I really have to fill out that out if the Median Means Test show I qualify for a chapter 7? Also, when looking at the IRS tables for allowable expenses, the amounts seem generous compared to my actual expenses. Am I allowed to use those figures anyways?

Couldn't sleep at all last night thinking about the chance for a fresh start but also afraid it'll all go up in smoke. I'm glad I found this place, it seems to be a fountain of information.

[StartingOver08]

As to values, use garage sale values. You do not break down the items in your petition to the extent of x blouses, y slacks etc - just lump sum your cothing. There is a thread on valuations here - just do a search. Believe me, we all think our stuff is worth more than it is actually worth.

Check your state's exemptions so you know where the end result ought to be:

https://www.legalconsumer.com

[jeb]

Socal, you fill out several "schedules", one of which has a list of all your assets - clothing, household items - everything. Real estate and vehicles are handled separately.

All the forms must be filled out and as mentioned, there is a thread about how to value things.

I, like you and everyone here, spent time trying to figure it out - then said, the heck with it and put most anything down - $50.00 for chairs, $100.00 for beds, etc. As long as the total comes in under what is exempted, I don't think anyone even looks at it.

The Trustee is looking for things they can sell - used cloths, furniture, etc. is not one of them. - jb