Is there a way to expedite the bankruptcy process? 26 Answers as of September 01, 2011

The answer to your question first depends on what chapter of bankruptcy you filed under. If it is a Chapter 7, then, no, there are statutory time periods which must be endured prior to receiving a discharge. A chapter 7 bankruptcy, however, takes around three months from the time of filing. Under a Chapter 13, which is a payment plan you enter into and is typically 60 months (5 years), you can achieve a discharge early if your income increases greatly and you pay-off the agreed amount prior to the end of the 60 months. This is rare, however. If you are considering filing bankruptcy, or have further questions, I encourage you to contact my office for a free consultation. I wish you the best in the resolution of your issues.

A motivated person can make it happen quickly. I had a client just this last year who was able to have his petition filed within two hours of our first meeting. He had all the information together and did the credit counseling in less than half an hour. Normally it takes a couple of weeks but we can make it much shorter if necessary.

Find a good, experienced bankruptcy attorney. They should be able to file within a day or two of your payment of fees and costs. Of course, you also need to provide the attorney with all of the required documents, like your last 2 years of tax returns and the last 6 months of your pay stubs.

Normally, the time frame that gets you to the filing of your Bankruptcy Petition depends on you. After you file, the time frame is based on standards and rules.

Do you have an attorney? That's the first step. In my experience the biggest factor in getting a case filed quickly is the client. You need to do your credit counseling course before you can file. You need to give your attorney EVERY document he requests. You need to pay your fee in full. Finally, you need to meet with your attorney to review and sign your petition, schedules and statements.

You can file an emergency BK and the rest of the schedules will be due 15 days later here in WA.

The process to file bankruptcy depends on how quickly you can gather the necessary documents to file your case. Some people can do it in a day and others take a year. The speed of the process is dependent upon you.

Do you mean the process of getting your case filed, or the process after your case is filed? How long it takes to get your case filed depends primarily on how quickly you get the information to your attorney and get them paid. The process after filing is statutory and cannot be changed.

It depends a bit on what you mean by expedite. If your question is whether it is possible to file the case quickly, then the answer is yes. You can file a skeleton petition, but you will need to file all the remaining and supporting documentation necessary within 2 weeks of filing. If you go this route it is important to understand what information and documentation your attorney will need and be able to get all of the necessary documents together fairly quickly. If you are unable to put everything together in a timely fashion that your case will most likely be dismissed automatically at the end of the two week grace period. In my experience, unless there is a pending foreclosure that you need to stop, there is usually no reason to file in this manner. You should talk to an attorney about your specific situation sooner, rather than later, to determine whether there is a need to rush. Often rushing in without a solid strategy can be problematic for your case.

There are statutory time lines that must pass before a discharge can enter.