As soon as we file your petition, the Bankruptcy Court will automatically issue an Order prohibiting your creditors from pursuing any and all collection efforts against you. Please note, however, that it takes a few days for the Court to print and mail the formal notices to your creditors such that you may still be contacted in the interim period.  If this is the case, simply tell the creditor you have filed bankruptcy; provide them with your case number and our telephone number (614.223.1444); and direct all future inquiries to our office.

 

The Court will schedule a “341” Meeting of the Creditors within thirty (30) to forty-five (45) days after the petition’s filing date. For most Central Ohio residents, the hearing will be held in Suite 204 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, 170 North High Street, Columbus, Ohio. As you might expect, it is mandatory that you appear together with us at this meeting to be examined by the Trustee under oath about your case. These meetings usually take no longer than ten (10) minutes and we will assist you any way we can with questions during the examination. Though your creditors are welcome to attend the meeting to inquire about your debts and assets, they usually do not appear. Unless objections are filed or other issues arise in the case, the 341 meeting is the usually the first and last hearing the debtor must attend before obtaining a discharge, which is typically issued by the Bankruptcy Court approximately seventy (70) days after the 341 meeting.

 

If we have filed a Chapter 13 petition on your behalf, amongst other things, you must: