1st Year Done

[Soxfan04]

Nothing particularly exciting but just made the final payment for our first year in the plan. Lawyer we hired was extremely helpful and carved out a nice amount of money for us to live on each month. We bought a new car for the wife and immediately rolled that into the plan and actually lowered our overall monthly payment by $300. Not sure how but not complaining. We've been able to actually save money instead of throwing it at bills and have had minor emergencies pop up that didn't cause stress or worrying as we had money to pay right away. I know it's a marathon and not a sprint but it feels good to know that we're on the right path.

[sophieanne]

Soxfan04 thanks for the update. I’m glad to hear your plan is going well. Every filer’s situation is different so some go smoothly, like yours and some don’t. I’m glad you shared your 1st year experience as new filers need to know that not all chapter 13’s are the worst. Good luck going forward, you’ll be at the finish line before you know it.

[flashoflight]

Soxfan04
Chapter 13s can be so good that you want to send Christmas cards to your friendly neighborhood trustee. Or so bad that you want to use a picture of them on a dart board. I'm in the former camp. It's luck, learning to budget, preplanning, good recordkeeping, and your lawyer.

[shipo]

Agreed, for a Chapter 13, especially for a Chapter 13, a good attorney is worth pretty much whatever they ask.

[Barbisi]

Soxfan04, I'm glad your first year of BK13 has went so well and you are able to save money!
I tend to agree with flashoflight who expressed the opinion that luck, a great lawyer, preplanning, and a friendly neighborhood trustee are the recipe for an easy Bk13. We knew how to budget and kept good records, but weren't blessed with any of the other successful ingredients, so our first year and the next three years have been harrowing and as we round the final corner with about eight months to go, we are thoroughly exhausted and fed up , not sure if we'll be granted the fabulous afterlife so many others were.