When your credit card bills and the servicing of your other debt meet or exceed your income, this can lead to a hopeless feeling. Many may think that they will never be able to get out of debt or live the type of life that they envisioned. The simple fact of the matter is that life is rarely as clean or neat as we envision in our heads. People get sick and incur large medical bills. Cars, trucks, household fixtures, and goods break. Often, you simply can’t wait on repairing your engine or transmission because doing so could mean the loss of your job and even greater financial difficulties. Many individuals who have found themselves in significant amounts of debt often wish there was a way to protect their assets such as a home, vehicle, and other valuable property while simultaneously eliminating their debt. Thankfully, the federal Bankruptcy Code and California state law provides this opportunity to many hard working individuals who have fallen behind on their bills. Depending on your situation, bankruptcy exemptions can allow you to keep all or most your property while also eliminating liabilities. If you are considering filing bankruptcy, an experienced and dedicated Sacramento Bankruptcy attorney of The Bankruptcy Group can explain how the process can eliminate most or all of your debt, and discuss the property you can keep.
How Do Bankruptcy Exemptions Work?
Generally speaking, bankruptcy exemptions refer to the property that you are able to keep. The reason why bankruptcy allows filers to protect some of their property is because bankruptcy is intended to provide a fresh start. If a Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing, for instance, meant that you lost everything and were simply put out on the street, it would be of extremely limited usefulness. And in reality, few people would make use of such a system.
Bankruptcy exemptions are dependent on both federal and state law. While some states allow individuals to select from either the federal exemptions or the particular state exemptions available in the jurisdiction, California does not. California law requires a person with domicile in the state to use the state exemptions. Luckily, the state does provide its own set of bankruptcy exemptions that can protect the property of bankruptcy filers. California provides filers with the choice of two separate systems of bankruptcy exemptions: System 1 and System 2. Depending on the individual’s assets, one system likely provides a more complete protection of property, and therefore is a better choice.
What Is the Difference Between California’s Exemption Systems?
Potential filers with significant home equity will usually prefer the System 1 bankruptcy exemptions. People considering or filing bankruptcy with significant savings, liquid assets, or valuable person items find the second set of exemptions more favorable. The current exemption values were set on April 1, 2013. The next update to exemption values is expected on April 1, 2016.
The main reason System 1 is more favorable for people with home equity is because of its relatively generous homesteads exemption. Under System 1 a bankruptcy filer is able to exempt the property they live in up to:
- $75,000 if the filer is single and not disabled
- $100,000 for most families
- $175,000 for seniors over age 65 and disabled individuals
- $175,000 is creditors are seeking to force the liquidation of the home and certain other conditions are met
For individuals lacking equity in their home who will not use California’s Homestead Exemption, System 2 allows the bankruptcy filer to apply their homestead exemption to the wild card category. This means that a bankruptcy filer can protect property of any type not otherwise covered up to $26,925 in total. Both systems also provide exemptions of varying amounts for:
- Cars, trucks, and other motor vehicles.
- Personal property such as household items, jewelry, health aids , and other personal effects
- Retirement accounts
- Pensions
- Public benefits
- Tools of a particular trade
- Insurance
There are significant potential differences between the systems that can greatly affect the type and amount of property you are able to keep. Consulting with an experienced bankruptcy attorney is essential before you file.
Work with an Experienced Sacramento Bankruptcy Lawyer
To discuss how bankruptcy can work for you call The Bankruptcy Group at 888-710-4334 or contact us online. Schedule a free and confidential consultation today.