Consumer Bankruptcy

This session will feature lively debates on such topics as the debtor vs. trustee in post-petition appreciation, and student loan classification in chapter 13 consolidated cases.

The panel will address developing law on exemption planning.

The pandemic taught us all how to work remotely and divide our tasks to get the job done. This panel is comprised of both virtual and in-office paralegals who understand how their role between attorney and client operates, as well as what they can bring to improve the experience for both you and your clients. Understanding the paralegal perspective provides greater insights into how you can use their knowledge and abilities to accelerate your practice and increase your bottom line.

This panel will feature a conversation on what we have learned about remote and hybrid practice, and what could use some improvement. The panelists will discuss staffing an office in a virtual environment, retaining talent, the expectation for flexibility, best practices for training new team members and maintaining office morale.

This panel will discuss the integration of student loans into your chapter 13 practice, particularly how to approach student loans with a consideration of potential litigation occurring during or as part of the chapter 13 process, and language that should be included within your chapter 13 plans to better assist your clients.

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act play increasingly critical roles. This panel will introduce and explain the most important features of the FDCPA and RESPA.

The global pandemic has had an incredible impact on mortgage issues in consumer bankruptcies and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. From the CARES Act forbearances, to resolving those forbearances through a waterfall of options including partial-claim mortgages, deferral agreements and modifications, to HAF funds, potential sales and other loss-mitigation options, this panel will discuss the pandemic's effects on consumer bankruptcies and the various issues that creditor and debtor attorneys will have to navigate.