No CLE

This panel will provide updates on the law and suggest the necessary tools for your consumer tax toolbox, in particular chapter 7 vs. chapter 13, what happens to IRS claims after discharge, offers in compromise, when creditors can send a 1099, whether a debtor can ask a creditor not to send 1099 as part of a settlement; and other thorny tax issues frequently facing consumer bankruptcy lawyers.

This two-part panel will cover a potpourri of current hot topics being litigated in chapter 7 and 13 cases, with a special focus on LVNV v. Crawford and related litigation, consumer protection (including the basics of credit reporting and regulatory actions), mortgage modifications and post-discharge actions, and the UST’s enforcement activities.

Domestic-support obligations, the impact of the automatic stay in domestic-relations cases, discharge litigation in chapter 13s, the retention of domestic-relations counsel in bankruptcy, same-sex spouses in bankruptcy cases in states where same-sex marriage is not recognized, and other “cheerful issues” frequently confronted in cases that involve both financial distress and domestic problems. This panel will provide an update on these and other important legal topics in this dark area of bankruptcy law.

Many consumers feel the mortgage and credit industry has been nipping at their heels for a long time without any rhyme or reason. The CFPB was enacted as the watchdog to protect the consumer through education, enforcement of the law and through studying the behavior of the creditor industry. This Panel will introduce you to the benefits and services of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

The unique nature of partnerships and limited liability companies causes great uncertainty when a debtor owns a part of them. The bankruptcy code has almost nothing explicitly to say about these entities, leaving practitioners and courts to work out the details. Our panel will cover the fundamental nature of these entities, how that nature affects what a trustee or debtor can do with them, and problems that arise for the entity when a part owner files bankruptcy.

Graduates and individuals who attended college or trade school are struggling with their student loan debt. This panel will explore the current trends in student loan litigation in bankruptcy, as well as administrative options for restructuring and settling student loan debt.