I am continuing to try to educate myself so that I am at least somewhat knowledgeable before meeting with an attorney. I was reading about the means test for Illinois and I am shocked!!Operating costs of 2 vehicles was only $366 - we pay at least $600 for gas to get to work!! We live in a very small town and all the jobs are anywhere between 30-80 miles away - DH drives an hour away. Then, I was reading about the mortgage/rent allowable living expenses and it was only $563 for a family of four - we pay $835 - which I knew was ridiculous, but that is a HUGE difference! I didn't find any more information about anything else as far as allowable expenses. I did read that if we file Ch 7 we can only keep our vehicle if it has no more equity than $1200 - we just bought a 1999 jeep cherokee that I believe is worth $4,000 (?) - so we have to give that up or pay the difference?? Also, we can only keep $2,000 worth of personal property? We don't have a lot, but I do have about $1,000 worth of photography equipment, an old computer, a bed that we still owe $1,000 on - I am just still confused on what we are going to have to give up? Stoves, refrigerators, what? The only item we are still paying on is the bed (purchased 3 years ago?) We have basically been living off of convenience checks - is it 90 days or 6 months before we can file? I am hearing so many different things!
ETA: the thing I am most worried about - if we stop paying (or pay just a little bit, below the min though) are they going to harass me at work? I can't have this happen and neither can DH. I answer a crisis hotline and will be in huge trouble if creditors tie up the line
ETA: the thing I am most worried about - if we stop paying (or pay just a little bit, below the min though) are they going to harass me at work? I can't have this happen and neither can DH. I answer a crisis hotline and will be in huge trouble if creditors tie up the line
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