? about the credit counseling thing

[kl030505]

I know my attorney told us, but I can't remember since it has been so long since our initital meeting and you all are here, so...

My spouse and I are filing a joint bk. Do we individually have to do the credit counseling, or can we do it together?

[BKTango]

You BOTH will have to receive an individual certificate. So if you take the counseling session together or seperately doesn't matter. You both will have to get the counseling.

[woeisme]

My husband and I filed jointly. We havent' done our post bk counseling yet, but when we did our pre-bk counseling, we did it together on-line and then via telephone, so only had to pay one fee, but got two certificates. Actually, I did all the on-line stuff myself because my husband kept dragging his feet, and my husband was there and said about 2 sentences during the phone conversation, but that counted as his counseling too. But as the other poster said, you need to both have certificates.

[JasonK94Z]

Wow! Glad I read this post! My wife didn't get her certificate, only one with my name on it. Oops. I'm on the phone now!

[lrprn]

I know my attorney told us, but I can't remember since it has been so long since our initital meeting and you all are here, so...

My spouse and I are filing a joint bk. Do we individually have to do the credit counseling, or can we do it together?

Most of the approved pre-filing credit counseling agencies - http://www.usdoj.gov/ust/eo/bapcpa/ccde/cc_approved.htm - make it so a couple can do the required course at the same time.

That's what we did - we used Hummingbird http://www.hummingbirdcreditcounseling.org/ . When we were done with the online course and the 5-minute toll-free counselor phone call afterwards, we had two certificates - one for each of us - and it cost us less than if we had each done the course on our own.

Same thing holds true for the required after filing/before discharge debt management course - the approved agencies by state for that are here - http://www.usdoj.gov/ust/eo/bapcpa/ccde/de_approved.htm

Just be sure that both the pre-filing and post-filing courses you take are on the approved list for your state!

[kl030505]

THANKS! I found an approved place for MA and started the process (just entered the demographic info). My husband and I can complete it tonight. AND it was only $36! I had budgeted $50

[truckerswife]

That's great! Hubby and I took it online and had to pay $50 each. We both sat through that thing twice.

[Chicago]

Just went to the DOJ site and clicked on Illinois and hit "GO!" and came back with "page not found." Anyone have another list?

I was going to do one tonight that someone else mentioned in another thread - http://www.cricketdebt.com/client_create.php - but I guess I should make sure it's approved for Illinois first. Any ideas?

[SinkingFast]

Just went to the DOJ site and clicked on Illinois and hit "GO!" and came back with "page not found." Anyone have another list?

I went to the DOJ website and then to the list of approved pre BK agencies for IL. Here's a link to the website:

http://www.usdoj.gov/ust/eo/bapcpa/c...c_illinois.htm

Hope it works for you.

[Chicago]

Thanks! That worked and Cricket Debt is on the list for Northern Illinos. I guess that DOJ page doesn't like Safari since I still can't access it on my own. Oh well.

I went to the DOJ website and then to the list of approved pre BK agencies for IL. Here's a link to the website:

http://www.usdoj.gov/ust/eo/bapcpa/c...c_illinois.htm

Hope it works for you.

[PaKettle]

Hi Chicago. We did cricketdebt. If you haven't done it yet, I can tell you that when you do the listing of your debts, and it says to estimate the minimum payments and interest rates, ESTIMATE it. It really does not require detailed accurate info. It's just a requirement and mostly they just want to see an estimate of where you stand. This info does not even go to the Trustee or anything, other than to see that you did take the counseling, no one looks at the details.

So we spent like over an hour listing each debt's interest rate and minimum payment accurately, which I found out later was totally a waste of time. We should have just guesstimated it all.

Also, when you read through the learning materials, don't think you are going to have to answer questions, you aren't. During the 5 min. call afterwards they will ask you something like "Did you understand something about how you got into debt?" and you say "Yes, I see that my income isn't as much as my expenses..." blah blah blah - it's just kind of silly. They don't ask you any "test" questions at all. So just zip through it and get it done. Even my attorney said it's just a waste of time, a dumb government bureaucratic requirement that serves practically no purpose whatsoever and cricketdebt knows that.