What do we tell creditors during Chapter 7?

[looking4miracle]

We just filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and our attorney has instructed us to give his name and telephone number to each creditor that contacts us.

What do I tell them when they start asking questions - like why it's only one of us who is filing?

All our bills are in my spouse's name, so I'm not filing at all. I'm not on any of these bills at all except as an authorized user on two of them.

Should I answer all these questions or be curt (yet polite) and just give them the attorney info?

Thanks for any help on this!

[mmcconn2]

Just give them your attorneys name and number and let him field the questions, thats what you paid him for Good Luck!

[looking4miracle]

Thanks for the info. You are right - he is getting a nice piece of the money pie, isn't he?? Sometimes these creditors are so pushy and rude. One in particular asked me a ton of questions and it left me wondering what my rights are at this point. It's not like we don't already feel low enough. We tried everything so we wouldn't have to file for bankruptcy. Each credit card was willing to work with us on a hardship program to help lower our payments, but the program would be up after 12 months for all of the CCs except one. Discover card had the best program - a 5 year program til the balance was paid off. If each of our credit cards would do that, we wouldn't have had to file at all. Oh well, we tried every possible avenue that we could. I already feel like the weight of the world has been lifted off my shoulders. I actually slept peacefully last night, for the first time in probably 5 years. That alone is worth every penny of that money the attny is receiving.

[looking4miracle]

Just an update....I have been giving the creditors the attorney information and now the phone has stopped ringing! Soon, I may have the confidence to go to sleep without turning the ringer off on the phone. This is just wonderful!!

[HRx]

Just an update....I have been giving the creditors the attorney information and now the phone has stopped ringing! Soon, I may have the confidence to go to sleep without turning the ringer off on the phone. This is just wonderful!!

Congratulations!

[robivi3]

Boy do I know that feeling. It takes awhile to getting used to answering the phone again.

[Dawn1970]

Just wanted to say how much I can relate, too. I had horrible panic attacks for months due to creditor harassment. I couldn't sleep at night because I had such dread over them calling the house and even coming out to the house. (Heights Finance would do that, send a guy to bang on my door and leave a nasty note on the door when I didn't answer ). Then after I filed and my daughter and I abandoned the house and moved into our new rental place. I knew realistically that no one could make any more collection efforts, plus we had moved to our new place where they couldn't have found us anyway, but you know, I still awoke with those horrible panic attacks every morning for a while. It was just a learned response, I guess. It went away completely after it sunk in with me that they could not bother me anymore. What a feeling!

[looking4miracle]

Thanks, guys! And thanks for this forum too. When a person is scared and thinks of things they forgot to ask their attorney, or if they are just trying to figure out some things ahead of time, this is an excellent place to come. The knowledge of everyone here is wonderful and I know that I personally appreciate each and every one of you. Thanks for making this difficult time a little easier!!

[Butterfly]

Dito looking4miracle I have been soooo scared about filing and my lawyer said it would be ok. But still I have feelings of it going wrong. But the 20 minutes or so that I have been sitting here reading this forum I feel soooo much better hearing this from people that have gone through it. Wish I would have thought about googleing bk forum a long time ago. Because this has lifted so much negative thinking from me. Thanks for having this forum and making me feel better about my situation.