Bankruptcy from Start to Finish: Your Fresh Start in Wyoming

From start to finish, bankruptcy requires that you follow a process that will lead to the discharge of your debt and a fresh start. Understanding the timeline, duties, expectations, and protections that comprise the bankruptcy process is essential for success.

Although the process differs depending on whether you are filing for Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy, all Wyoming bankruptcy cases will have the following steps in common:

After the attorney-client relationship is established, you may refer creditors to us. The Fair Debt Collections Practices Act requires a creditor to stop calling you after being notified that you are represented by an attorney. However, until you actually file for bankruptcy, your creditors can still sue, garnish wages or foreclose.

We need you to accurately and completely fill in and return the Client Worksheets. These are necessary to complete your bankruptcy petition that will be filed with the Wyoming Bankruptcy Court. Required documents include:

• All wage records for the 6-month period prior to filing
• Bank statements for each account for 3 months prior to filing

• 2 years of tax returns (Chapter 7) or 4 years (Chapter 13)

Before filing your petition with the bankruptcy court, you are required by law to complete a credit counseling course. The course costs approximately $12.00.

You and your attorney will meet to review, edit, and “close” your bankruptcy petition. The closing may take an hour in a simple Chapter 7 case or more than 2 hours in a Chapter 13 case. At the end, you sign the bankruptcy petition and it’s filed electronically with the Bankruptcy Court.

Your completion of the worksheets, production of documents, and participation in the closing require your best effort and full candor to ensure accurate, truthful, and complete disclosure about your financial affairs, assets, and debts. Anything less may put you at risk of not receiving a discharge or having your discharge revoked.

After your Wyoming bankruptcy petition is filed with the Clerk of Bankruptcy Court in Cheyenne, several protections and duties come into play under the provisions of the Bankruptcy Code.