Table of Contents - Bankruptcy Mastery

Title	Content	Author
Still Crazy After All These Years	More than four decades after the Bankruptcy Code was enacted, we are still tripping over …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Voluntary Retirement Contributions Not Disposable Income in the 9th	Contributions to an employer-sponsored retirement plan going forward are excluded from disposable income in Chapter …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
How to Wring Out Every Last Means Test Deduction	Every extra dollar deduction you can wring out on bankruptcy’s means test is important. A …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Don’t Dismiss FRBP 7041	Quick: tell me all you know about FRBP 7041. Hint: it involves voluntary dismissals Maybe …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Navigate The Marital Debt Thicket In Bankruptcy	Love and Marriage. Fries and Catsup. Chips and Dip. Like these famous pairings, divorce and …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Bankruptcy and the “hard of hearing”	You never know just how a client hears your advice, until you hear yourself …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Re-examining The Means Test Cost of Home Ownership	The real non mortgage expenses of home ownership are nothing like the means test allowances …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Interspousal Claims Defy The Chapter 7 Discharge	Even when the contentions against a debtor-spouse sound in fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, or …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Sneak Attack On Consumer Rights	Tax code changes effective in 2018 inflicted a crippling blow to consumers who must sue …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
When Laws Collide, You Need The Right Word	As lawyers, words are our stock in trade. If we want to describe, explain, or …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Why listening is a bankruptcy lawyer’s superpower	The initial meeting with a prospective bankruptcy client is the most important work I do …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Chapter 13 NoLook Fees: Fair vs. Affordable	I’ve long campaigned for compensation of bankruptcy practitioners that recognizes the practitioner’s skill set and …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Debt Buyers Pay A Lot Post-Taggart	You know it won’t go well for the creditor in a discharge violation case when …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Sua Sponte Monetary Sanctions Against Counsel	The 9th CIr. BAP erected a high bar for the imposition of monetary sanctions against …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
What Goes Into The Liquidation Analysis	The liquidation analysis is central to every form of consumer bankruptcy. Yet too many attorneys …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Getting Started In Bankruptcy Law	Everyone new to bankruptcy needs a guide to this specialized legal realm. Just as you …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
When The Marital Community Doesn’t Get A Bankruptcy Discharge	Community property works differently in bankruptcy, especially when it comes to debts of a non-filing …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
The Weak Link In The Means Test	The bankruptcy means test, designed to keep people out of bankruptcy, has a fatal weakness. …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
The Long Reach of R. 3002.1	What are the consequences of a secured lender’s failure to comply with R. 3002.1 in …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Recover The House AFTER The Foreclosure Under New California Law	The signal changes in California foreclosure law in 2021 are bearing unexpected fruit: a bankruptcy …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Rule 41 Threatens Strike Out	I was the third attorney on this lien avoidance matter. Instead of it being “third …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Today’s AI Stands To Create Work For Consumer Lawyers	Most lawyers were torn between wincing and laughing when a lawyer filed a brief packed …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
The Neglected Non-dischargeability Provision	Hands up, everyone who has encountered a claim that a debt is non-dischargeable by reason …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Is This Corporation Really Separate From Its Owners: A Checklist	In a perfectly-executed world, clients who do business via an entity like a corporation or …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Are 401(k) Contributions Disposable Income Or Not?	For a system that is supposed to rehabilitate personal finances and set debtors back on …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Bankruptcy Law Trumps State Protection For Judgment Lien	State law insulated a recorded judgment lien from future increases in the homestead exemption. However, …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Finding the Flaws in IRS Tax Liens	Tax liens in bankruptcy sometimes don’t stand up to close scrutiny, to the delight and …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Marital Adjustment: Everything But The Kitchen Sink	Not every expenditure that benefits the debtor’s household or his family is a household expense. And, …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Brace & Beyond: Joint Tenancy & Transmutation	For Californians, the CA Supreme Court’s decision in Brace upended our understanding of joint tenancy …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Is Your Law Practice Evolving To Incorporate New Technology	When the world was forced to adjust to new routines in March 2020 due to …	Jay Fleischman
Siegel, Claim Preclusion & Me	I’ve been having nightmares about the 9th’s Circuit’s decision in Siegel for 20 years. Broad …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
How To Bankruptcy-Proof A Divorce Settlement	Chapter 13 bankruptcy can discharge non support obligations associated with a divorce that are non-dischargeable …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
The Complex World Of Interspousal Claims In Bankruptcy	Traps and grey areas abound when one spouse files bankruptcy during or after a divorce. …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Lien Avoidance In Bankruptcy: The Questions You Need To Answer	Black letter law says liens pass through bankruptcy unchanged. But the better statement adds a …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Lenders Can’t Hide From Misapplication of Mortgage Payments	Who knew 20 years ago how apparently hard it is to account for money paid …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Between the 1st and the 15th: Is Mortgage Current?	The no man’s land between the mortgage due date and late payment is a persistent …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Your Duty of Loyalty And Married Clients	Are your loyalties divided When a married couple books a bankruptcy consultation, you have an …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Taxes & Timing: Calculating Outcomes for Bankruptcy Debtors	Bankruptcy lawyers regularly evaluate the dischargeability of taxes when deciding when to file a client’s …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
All Bankruptcy Roads Pass Through Chapter 5	Regardless of the ultimate destination, all bankruptcy roads run through Chapter 5. A few bankruptcy …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Do You Know These Exceptions To Discharge Not In The Bankruptcy Code?	Not all exceptions to discharge in bankruptcy are found in the Bankruptcy Code. Inconvenient, but …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Sole Proprietorship In Chapter 7 In Trustee’s Cross Hairs	Why would a bankruptcy trustee shut down a sole proprietorship business with no value? That …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
One Trait Makes A Bankruptcy Lawyer Great	One trait makes a bankruptcy attorney stand out. Bankruptcy forms promote the view that filing a …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Rescuing A Troubled Chapter 13: The Unseen Threat	We all get sucked in, at some time, to trying to rescue a Chapter 13 …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
What Bankruptcy Counsel Forgot	How do you forget capital gains taxes? More easily than you would think, apparently. When …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Crushing Tax Change For Injured Consumers	The “Tax Cut Act” actually increased the tax on consumer recoveries. Under the new tax …	William Purdy
Delay Division of Community Property At Peril of Bankruptcy	Put off the division of community property in a marital dissolution at your peril. Hesitate …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
700 Words Yield $21K	Have I got a story for you. A rousing tale of schedules, hearings, frustrations, and …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Parker: Sweet Decision On Stay Violations	I don’t know just what makes Parker such a treat for me, but it delivers …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
List It Or Lose It: When Actual Knowledge Isn’t Enough	To actually effect abandonment of unadministered assets in a bankruptcy case, the asset in question …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Why Your Bankruptcy Client Doesn’t Understand You (And How To Fix the Problem)	Bankruptcy terminology, so familiar to lawyers, stymies clients. Even common English words seem to flumox …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Diaz & The Tax Refund	On its face, Diaz (Diaz v. Viegelahn , No. 19-50982 (5th Cir. Aug. 26, 2020)) …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Ensure You Understand Insurance In Bankruptcy	Sometimes, issues that you’ve just skimmed over burst forth in bunches, demanding attention. Lately, that …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
6 Steps to Ethical Unbundling of Bankruptcy Representation	No matter how many hoops the client dutifully jumped through, without adequate inquiry and communication, …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Reaffirmations Impose Impossible Demands On Bankruptcy Counsel	When BAPCA gutted the ipso facto clause, reaffirmation was left as the only way a …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Hearsay Exception: How Do I Get This Into Evidence?	Quick: tell me everything you know about Federal Rule of Evidence 803(17)! If you’re like …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Wrestling With The Means Test	The timeless questions asked by mankind include “why are we here“, “which came first...” and …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Unpacking The Enhanced California Homestead	On January 1, 2021, California’s homestead exemption grew from a prior low of $75,000 to …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Your Help Needed With Consumer Attorney Fee Survey	Can I assume you’d like some authority to back up your next application for fees? …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Delinquent Utilities and Disconnection Under New Bankruptcy Provision	Bankruptcy debtors with delinquent utility bills got a measure of protection from interruption in their …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Chapter 13 Discharge Expanded by COVID Relief Legislation	Chapter 13 debtors got a huge “gift” among the COVID relief provisions of the Consolidated …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Cars & Bankruptcy: What You Must Know To Get It Right	It’s time for a summary and refresher on dealing with car loans in bankruptcy. Somehow, …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
The Means Test Allows Health Care Before Creditors	Health insurance is an allowable means test deduction, even if the debtor doesn’t currently have …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Projecting Means Test Tax Expense When Things Change	Bankruptcy means test tax projections get more complicated when the year of filing situation looks …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Juggling in Defense of the Tax Refund	As long as clients use tax withholding as a form of savings account, bankruptcy lawyers …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Tax Traps 1095 Days Out	When it comes time to discharge 2019 taxes in bankruptcy, the IRS has laid a …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
New California Homestead in Action	The California homestead just changed, for the better, but it raised questions about how the …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Reasons Not To Choose Business Bankruptcy	Bankruptcy preference avoiding powers constitute a serious reason not to choose a corporate bankruptcy to …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Tax Audit Aftermath-Did You Tell The State?	One of the bedrock requirements of the discharge of taxes in in bankruptcy is the …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Assessing the Ailing Business Post Pandemic	Long after the human patients recover from the coronavirus, small businesses will still be ailing. …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Objection: Hearsay	There you are, client on the witness stand, jury in the box, story being told …	Wayne Silver
Taxing Questions in Bankruptcy’s New Subchapter V	With the enactment of the Small Business Reorganization Act, Chapter 11 is expected to become …	Steven Walker
Analyzing The Troubled Chapter 13: 20,000 Questions Under The Surface Of The Case	After the pandemic, when the economy lurches back into motion, bankruptcy lawyers will confront a …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Coronavirus & The Law	In the face of pandemic and economic stasis, information is both vital and fleeting. I’m …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Mortgage Matters In Times Of COVID-19	Is it 2008 again? For us in the mortgage industry, we woke up this week …	Bob Schuman
Charting The Course of A Case	Planning the bankruptcy often determines whether the case succeeds or fails. To obtain good results …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Black Decision Sheds Light On Vesting Questions	Clouds of uncertainty have hovered over Chapter 13 debtors who find that they need to …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
First Principles For First Meetings	Once again, I sat in a 341 meeting where the trustee purported to deliver vital …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
PACE Loans- New Subprime Debts	Presentation November 2017 NCLC Consumer Litigation Conference 1 NCLC PACE Presentation final	Cathy Moran, Esq.
When Worlds of Bankruptcy & Family Law Collide	Bankruptcy, actual or threatened, can cause a genuine disruption in the force when divorce is …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
When The Means Test Is Meaningless	A local bankruptcy attorney stumbled over the most basic part of the means test. Just …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Win Now, Wreck Later: A Tale of Bankruptcy and Mortgage Servicing	My Google Alert popped up a lovely win for a Chapter 13 homeowner , but …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Secrets To Home Loans For Chapter 13 Debtors	Every bankruptcy debtor yearns to rebuild their credit. Whatever drove them to bankruptcy did no …	Bob Schuman
	Amid the comfortable camaraderie of the Chapter 13 bar’s holiday gathering, the trustee and I …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Rule 3002.1 And The Tangled Web of HOA Assessments	The Hadfeg decision was delivered to me in response to a standing search for bankruptcy …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Start with problem, not procedure	The new bankruptcy lawyer sent me an email. What do I file when there’s an …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
What Debts to Include in Bankruptcy	Bankruptcy lawyers know that all debts need to be scheduled. Clients think or hope that …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Filing Bankruptcy Petitions: Playing Connect the Dots	I almost took the client at her word and filed schedules that told half the …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Find Solution That Works, Bankruptcy or No	Good income, substantial priority tax debt, other debt within the limits: sounds like a Chapter …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Prompt Full Disclosure from Bankruptcy Clients	If the price of a bankruptcy discharge is full disclosure, some clients still want to …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Why The No-Look Fee In Bankruptcy Harms Us All	The no-look fee is no good in many bankruptcy cases. It harms debtors, their lawyers, …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
How To Brush Off The Means Test	There’s a way around the means test. And it’s right there in the Code. Yet …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Dig Deep In Your First Meeting With A Prospective Client	The success of a bankruptcy case is frequently determined at the first meeting between client …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
4 Reasons To Keep Time Records No One Discusses	Mention keeping time records to a bankruptcy lawyer and you’re likely met with expressions of …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
The Chasm Between Judges & Bankruptcy Attorneys Over Fees	Why is there such a gap between consumer attorneys and bankruptcy judges over attorneys fees? …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Tax Changes & Projected Expenses	At the risk of borrowing trouble, I’m looking ahead to changes to the tax …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Bankruptcy as Means to Keep the House	There’s nothing like a foreclosure to get homeowners to see a bankruptcy lawyer. They are …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Don’t Skimp On Service When Your Client’s House Is On The Line	Is the Chapter 13 trustee jeopardizing the benefits to my client of Rule 3002.1 by …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Direct Mortgage Payments: Inside, Under, Or Outside The Plan	Are post petition payments on the debtor’s mortgage “under the plan”? Not in the view …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
IRS Trick I’d Never Seen Before	The third amended IRS claim in my client’s case added entries for an excise tax …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Battle On When Bank Back Tracks On Home Loan Balance	It’s war, after all. Remember the office pool I created following the lender’s statement under …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Up Against The Wall(design)	Bankruptcy’s avoiding powers often turn otherwise unexceptional transfers on their heads. But who expected that …	Wayne Silver
Jump Start Your Bankruptcy Research	The next best thing to being a fly on the wall in the judge’s chambers …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Brace Yourself	The 9th BAP’s Brace decision blew over everything we thought we knew about community property, …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
All Dressed Up & Nowhere To Go	It’s the pits to be stood up by a Rule. Rule 3002.1 is, in my …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Beyond Racism And Self Interest: Why Blacks File And Fail At Chapter 13	ProPublica’s study of the percentage of black debtors who file bankruptcy and fail at Chapter …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
They’re Changing the Rules On Us	Come December, the Bankruptcy Rules will change again. So, I’ve got a shout out to …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
The Smart Way To Cut The IRS Out	Like so much in life, it’s all about timing I revisited an older post here …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Mortgage Servicing Under the Microscope	The judge looked closely at the creditor’s accounting records and found the usual fright. Having …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Homeowners Face Down The Mortgage Servicer Over Their Request For Information	The homeowners beat the bank in the first round of RESPA/FDCPA litigation, upholding the …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Chronicles of Bankruptcy Rule 3002.1	A homeowner should emerge from Chapter 13 knowing exactly what she owes on her mortgage; …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Cautionary Tale re Bankruptcy, Attorneys and Notice	How often has your bankruptcy client presented you with a copy of a complaint or …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Who Wants To Get Paid?	Anyone interested in attorneys fees? Are you filing adversaries and motions to collect money from …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Untangling The Converted Bankruptcy Case	Conversion to Chapter 7 from Chapter 13 usually comes amid some sort of train wreck. …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Bankruptcy & Divorce: A Disruption In The Force	When bankruptcy law and family law intersect, the result can be liberating or disruptive, depending …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Unfair Loan Modification Practices Rejected By 9th Circuit	Promising a loan modification and failing to deliver, after pocketing trial mod payments, isn’t …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Shadow Players May Have Support Claims In Bankruptcy	What we know so far about domestic support obligations in bankruptcy is that they are …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Getting Means Test Tax Projections Right	The means test tax deduction offers fertile ground for passing the means test. But mention …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
When Chapter 13 Debtors Run Amok	We’ve had a string of them…. [Hint: in a small practice, a “string” means “three. …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Proofs of Claim, Res Judicata, And A Good Night’s Sleep	Trouble shared is trouble halved. Brainy Quotes attributes that bit of wisdom to writer Dorothy …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
How Lien Stripping Differs From Lien Avoidance	The draft of a lien avoidance motion my paralegal presented me was garbled. Lien stripping …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Use All Channels to Educate Bankruptcy Debtors	The skill set of a consumer bankruptcy lawyer must include a healthy dose of the …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
The Change We Need In Consumer Bankruptcy Practice	The American Bankruptcy Institute under the leadership of retired Judge Eugene Wedoff is gathering input …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Hammered By Rule 3002.1	To my mind, Rule 3002.1 is the most powerful, most under-utilized tool in our tool …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Corporate Bankruptcy: So We Can Start Over	Thou shalt not file bankruptcy for a corporation. It’s almost a commandment from on high …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Bubble, Bubble, Toil and Trouble	I find I’m back at the Bankruptcy Mastery keyboard. Several years ago I thought I …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Picking Your Chapter 11 Teammates	Professionals in Chapter 11 have to be “disinterested“; make sure they are also capable. You …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
What Keeps Me Busy	The number of new cases through my doors is down, just like it is everywhere. …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Bankruptcy Sales Free And Clear	Now that the real estate market in my area is improving, we are dusting off …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
When Just-In-Time Is Just Right	Getting things done and off your desk is usually a good modus operandi for an attorney. …	Mark Markus
Phantom Creditors In Bankruptcy	Don’t overlook in rem liability when scheduling creditors. These phantom creditors often waft through the …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Can You Tell A Lien From A Secured Claim?	The underwater second deed of trust was listed on Schedule F in the debtor’s prior …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
How To Insure The Judgment Isn’t Discharged In Bankruptcy	The settlement agreement, fully executed, provided explicitly that the obligation was not dischargeable in bankruptcy. …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Married: Assorted Bankruptcy Exemption Issues	Our series on family law and bankruptcy continues with an exploration of a mixed bag …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Mortgage Servicers In The Crosshairs	The sign on my office door should read: Armed and Dangerous Dangerous, anyway, if you …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Can Family Court Order Discharged Spouse To Indemnify The Other?	File bankruptcy before or after a divorce? It’s the classic bankruptcy family law conundrum. We …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
How To Wield Influence And Change The Rules Of The Game	Change is coming to the rules of bankruptcy that drive what we do and the …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Domestic Support Obligations: When The Rules We Know Change	As bankruptcy lawyers, we’d like to get the world trained to simply halt in their …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
The Not So Secret Rules Of Bankruptcy Service	Today’s post comes from Jay Jump, Washington bankruptcy attorney and expert on service in bankruptcy …	Jay Jump
Non Support Debts In Bankruptcy: Our Options Have Changed	Read the case annotations for Section 523(a)(15)of the Bankruptcy Code casually, and you can go …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Loss Mitigation: The Rules Have Changed	New federal rules on mortgage servicing can help homeowners avert disaster. But they …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
How Bankruptcy Courts Deal With Alimony and Support	The starting place for our exploration of bankruptcy and family law is support. Whether it’s …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Bankruptcy And Family Law : Your New Frontier	Divorce is one of the three major predictors of bankruptcy filing, along with job loss …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Readers Vote With Their Mouse	Last time, I listed my 10 favorite Bankruptcy Mastery posts from 2013. Just for fun, …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
The Best of Bankruptcy Mastery in 2013	Let’s have some retrospective before we look forward to bankruptcy lawyering in 2014. Here are …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
What Price Silence?	Read any good orders lately? I read a not-so-good order yesterday. It affirmed sanctions against …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
The Trick To Getting All Pending Actions To Bankruptcy Court	Don’t overlook the ability to keep your client and any litigation that you want or …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
BankruptcyMastery Chosen One of Best Blogs of 2013	Bankruptcy Mastery was selected one of the 100 top Blawgs of 2013 by the American …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Bankruptcy Rules And Forms Change	The only thing constant is change, we’re told. So, here are the important changes to …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
The 50 State Treasure Hunt	Joint bank accounts present one of the most vexing problems for a bankruptcy lawyer. Too …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
What You Need To Know About Conversion Of Bankruptcy Cases	Sometimes, the most challenging questions for a bankruptcy lawyer come up well after the case is …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Do You Believe in Magic Exemptions?	I commend to you 11 U.S.C. 522(c). For therein lies a magical tool even for …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
What No One Told Me About Adversary Pleading	When I learn something new about bankruptcy after 30 years of practice, I don’t know …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Keeping Watch Over Chapter 13 Claims	Do you remain on watch in your client’s Chapter 13 after confirmation? The attorney for …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Time Can Be On Your Side	Lucky us. Not. We have a new, multipage model Chapter 13 plan in several Bay Area …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Fleshing Out Incorporation Before Bankruptcy	Miss Manners As Miss Manners might say, you, Gentle Reader, have a secret fan. A …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
I Assume, Redux	If there are 50 ways to leave your lover, there must be 150 ways that …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Chapter 7 Risks Everything For Operating Business	Shut the business down, the Chapter 7 trustee told debtor’s counsel. Or get an order …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Neat Bankruptcy Skill: Severing Spouses	Every time I contemplate severing a joint bankruptcy case, the traditional Anglican wedding service echoes: …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Jazz Up Your Bankruptcy Practice	Meet me in New Orleans. That’s where the bankruptcy action will be at the end …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
The Rules Of The Game Are Changing	Change is coming- either influence it or don’t complain. The proposed changes to the rules …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Watch Your Language	Pick your words carefully. Your clients will have to live with the results of your …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
When Appearances Are Deceiving	The judgment was for $500,000. Debtor’s bankruptcy lawyer was stumped. How to schedule it? What’s …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Who Is Stupid Here?	The headline was “Are your clients really stupid?”. Wait, wait. Hear him out. The answer …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Split The Sheets, Split The Debts, Then Watch Out	The marital settlement agreement that resolves a divorce often divides the debts between the couple. …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Is The Price Right?	What’s it worth? Another round of bankruptcy newbie questions suggests it’s time to review small …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
RTFM*	I know gambling debts are non dischargeable, so we can’t convert the Chapter 13. So …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Bankruptcy For Elders: Minefield or Mother Lode?	I commend to you the money problems of the elderly as challenging and underserved. The …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Who Is The Liar Here?	The mortgage mill lawyer on the other end of the phone tried to tell me …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
The Bankruptcy Rules Of The Road	Do you need to know how much notice to give on a chapter 13 plan? …	Jill Michaux
Axe Falls On Debtor’s Counsel	Just when I think my work here is done, I have a week like last …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
When Insurance Can Be The Death Of You	Remember survey courses from college? Kinda like flying low over new territory without ever landing …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
The More We Get Together	Not a bad place for a weekend, eh? The NACBA convention was great. The two …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Why Realization Dawns Too Late	This time, I have a question for you. How do we get laymen to see …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Got These Dates?	Friday The Chapter13 trustees ‘ Academy is sponsoring a free Means Test webinar Friday, April 19, …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Projecting Tax Expense In A Life In Flux	When your client’s tax situation is changing, projecting taxes for the means test becomes more …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Business Bankruptcy and The Bingo Effect	The lives of business bankruptcy clients are peopled with a less than obvious cast of …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Tax Withholding Not Etched in Stone	Taxes are one of the means test expense items that I have labeled as a …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
On The Trail Of The Reopened Bankruptcy Case	We’re here at the trail head. Our goal is to reopen a bankruptcy case. I …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
What’s It Worth To You?	If all the children in Lake Woebegon are above average, all the small businesses our …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Hat Tip For Timeless Little Tips	It’s the little things that count. My life in the law is so much richer …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
The Savvy Move: San Diego For NACBA Convention	Sunshine, camaraderie, and CLE. Three days in San Diego for the NACBA 2013 Convention. No need …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Old Lesson From Innovation Event	The most important thing I learned at a half day spent at ReInventLaw Silicon …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Dealing With Joint Debt And Business Struggles	Early in this series on business bankruptcy issues, we focused on figuring out just who …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Double Up On Exemptions	Now’s the sweet spot for bankruptcy exemption planning: before April 15th. Up until April 15th, …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Lien Strip Cases Are Time Bombs	They are coming to get you. It’s true: I’ve now heard it from two bankruptcy …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Three Payroll Tax Issues That Can Bite The Unsuspecting	Business bankruptcy cases can lull you into inattention when no payroll tax issues are apparent …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
What Bankruptcy Lawyers Must Know About Payroll Taxes	Payroll taxes are dynamite: they are non-dischargeable in bankruptcy the taxing authorities are the Big …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Have The Last Word On New Forms	By tomorrow, the door will be locked. Public comment closes today on the draft new …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Bankruptcy Lawyer Sleepless in Silicon Valley	The“Who’s On First” problem of lien strip service haunted my weekend at the Sacramento Bankruptcy …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Have Your Say About New Bankruptcy Forms	Speak now or forever hold your peace. Or suffer in silence, is more like it. …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Sleepless In Sacramento	A really good bankruptcy law conference leaves you unable to sleep the next night. If …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Taxing Questions In Business Bankruptcy	Tax issues in a failing business can feel like a maze to the bankruptcy lawyer. …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
What Does Good Lawyering Cost?	Ms. Moran, how could this bankruptcy case have cost as much as your fee application …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Is The Debtor Lost In Space?	Business bankruptcy skills, continued. The business lease often stands at the center of the troubles …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Corporate Chapter 7: The Other Side Of The Coin	The reasons not to file a Chapter 7 for a failing corporation crowded my last …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Four Dangers In Bankrupting A Corporation	If the whole point in bankruptcy is getting a discharge of your debts, it’s obvious …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Is Your Bankruptcy Client’s Business Worth Saving?	Your client’s business is going under. What should I do? he asks of you. Return …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Who Is On The Hook For Debts?	When the person sitting in your office runs a struggling business, I proposed three initial …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Is Your Debtor Corporate or Corporeal?	Mitt Romney famously insisted that corporations are people. We can disagree about the nature and …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Get A New String To Your Bankruptcy Bow	Success in the business of bankruptcy law lies in not chasing the run of the …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Mortgage Forgiveness Tax Break Renewed	The tax break protecting homeowners from phantom income when their homes are foreclosed was reauthorized …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Mastery Favorites From 2012	Less than a week to go in 2012. Rather than float a new idea, I …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
The Best Reason To Reduce Chapter 13 Payments	When life intervenes during the course of a Chapter 13 case, we can modify the …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
When The Chapter 13 Plan Has A Flat	The Chapter 13 completion rate for confirmed plans in San Jose is 65%. Nationally, it’s …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Don’t File Bankruptcy (Now)	Timing is everything. Hitting a round ball with a cylindrical bat is a matter of …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
5 Tricks For Bankruptcy Exemptions	I’ve spent hunks of the past couple of days working exemption issues in cases we’re …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
How Did The Autopsy Go?	Bankruptcy cases in our offices have a relatively short life span and our involvement in …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Bankruptcy Attorney As Storyteller	We get so caught up in putting the right stuff in the right place on …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Whose Property Is It At Conversion?	Twenty years in, it’s still undecided. We have no uniform rule on what happens to …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Brokerage Agreement Boilerplate May Cost Client Their IRA	Talk to Chuck and lose your IRA? That’s the prospect suggested by a recent bankruptcy …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Join Me For A Day Of Online Marketing On December 8, 2012	Once upon a time, a raft of consumer bankruptcy lawyers were lost in Googleland. The …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
The Mystery Of Adequate Protection	Adequate protection in operation seems to stump new bankruptcy lawyers. How does the adequate protection …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Means Test & Chapter 13 Plan Slides	The slides from my presentations at Amelia Island last weekend can be downloaded here: https://www.bankruptcymastery.com/workshopslide/	Cathy Moran, Esq.
My Choice of Nuggets From NACBA Workshop	Wrap up from Amelia Island NACBA Workshop Anytime you spend time rubbing shoulders with other …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Bankruptcy Ethics: Candor v. Confidentiality	Crack of dawn from Amelia Island: a crackerjack program on bankruptcy ethics with Judge Thomas …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Bankruptcy Case Law Update	I can’t type fast enough to summarize Henry Sommer’s comments on the cases, but I’ll …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Changes to Bankruptcy Rules	John Rao reported on rule changes that will become effective December 1. There are only …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
From NACBA Amelia Island	Greetings from the NACBA 2012 workshop at Amelia Island. And it really does look like …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Hold Your Questions (Til Friday)	I’m packing up for NACBA’s Fall Workshop in Amelia Island, starting with the Thursday night …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Arm Yourself For Battle With Creditors	Most contests have rules. Charny wrote on medieval jousting; Hoyle on cards; Queensberry on boxing. …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Property That Has Come And Gone	Life has a way of moving on, even when the client is in a Chapter …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
The Worm In The Debt Forgiveness Offer	Letters in the client’s mailbox superficially offer great news: the junior mortgage will be forgiven! …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Does Your Intake Process Make For Happier Clients?	“My staff is spending too much time on the phone with clients: how do I …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Good Service Isn’t Automatic When The Stay Isn’t Either	Sometimes it seems that the substance of the law is easier than procedure. Adequate service …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Tax Troubles Ahead	Severe weather alert: IRS turbulence spotted The head of our local IRS insolvency section announced …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Polish Your Advocacy Mindset	Be an advocate-your client has enough opponents. It’s no accident that the word for lawyer …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
New Kid On The SoCal Bankruptcy Block	I’m deviating from the usual here to cheer on my friend and partner in the …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
On Pricing The Consumer Bankruptcy Case And Involuntary Pro Bono Work	You probably spend hours in service of your client without compensation. At least, that’s how …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
How To View Preferences Through The Lens Of A Chapter 13	Chapter 13 is often the chapter of choice when the client’s financial past includes avoidable …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Documents Be Damned	Contrary evidence can trump the pre printed form. I saw it in a case I …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Fifty Shades of Summer at Mastery	Summertime.….another Gershwin song. Maybe the living is easy, and maybe not. Bankruptcy is a challenging …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
George Gershwin Does Bankruptcy	Cases keep getting referred to my office when the clients are over the debt limits …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Best Bankruptcy CLE For Under A Buck	What bankruptcy can and cannot do for borrowers in distress is the subtitle of a …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Bankruptcy’s Three Little Words	Like waltz tempo, there’s an appeal in threes: Larry, Moe, and Curly Faith, hope, and …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Get To The Heart Of This Lien Business	When I trip over the same issue three times in a week, it’s time to …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
No Hits, No Runs, But Lots Of Errors	Their unconfirmed Chapter 13 case was dismissed and the unrepresented debtors sitting before the judge …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Win at Confirmation, Lose the House	The finality of plan confirmation was a two edged sword for the debtor’s lawyer defending …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Name Your Tune	OK, it’s summer. Our minds wander. We wish we were at the beach. So, fritter …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
What You Need To Know About Title To The House	It was community property that garnered me my first hug from Doug Jacobs. Or rather, …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Face Off With Secured Creditor	When faced with a disputed lien strip, don’t discount the possibility of compromise. I wrote …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
High Income Debtors & Money On The Table	Usually my posts here have a message or a lesson imbedded. This one doesn’t, unless …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Pot (Plan), Anyone?	What’s a Chapter 13 pot plan, you ask. Not one drafted while under the influence, …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
How Much Does My Plan Have To Pay?	When an inexperienced Chapter 13 practitioner asks how much a plan has to propose to …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Why Ask Why?	Any parent who’s lived through the terrible 2’s knows the appeal, and the annoyance, of …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Scary Peak At Loan Mod Future	Loan modifications and the relative casualness with which they are documented scare me. Given the …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Five Shortcuts To The Latest In Bankruptcy	Someone asked me the other day how I keep up on cases. I bit my …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
How To Avoid Being Thrown Under The Bankruptcy Bus	Bankruptcy lawyers find themselves thrown under the proverbial bus time and again. Clients contradict themselves, …	Jay Fleischman, Esq.
Can You Clean Up After Business Closure?	Whether it makes sense to file a Chapter 7 for a corporation is a nuanced …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Why No Look Fees Are No Good For Bankruptcy Lawyers	No look fees for bankruptcy cases are comfortable and easy for the practitioner. You can …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Here’s A Way To Rescue Your Client’s Exemptions	Do you know which ignored prefiling issue triggers the most reopened bankruptcy cases? I’ve got …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Here Are 3 Ways To Cram Down A Car In Spite Of The Hanging Paragraph	There are three labeled exits from the 910 freeway. Find one and you save your …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Top Ten Takeaways From NACBA Convention	A week after the NACBA convention, I’ve almost caught up on practice paperwork, continuing education …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
What I Learned In San Antonio, And What We Missed	After a long weekend with 900 bankruptcy colleagues, I’ve been thoroughly reminded about all that …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
NACBA San Antonio: Marketing A Bankruptcy Practice	Our presenter was Larry DePalma, an affable guy who identified himself as a marketing expert. …	Jay Fleischman, Esq.
Evidence Rules In Mortgage Litigation	Judge Pamela Pepper convened a “hearing” on related disputes involving a debtor’s mortgage, the creditor’s …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Remember the Big Stuff: Protecting Retirement and Business Assets	Hon. Susan Kelley, U.S. Bankruptcy Court (Milwaukee, WI) Behrooz Vida, Esq. (Bedford, TX) Retirements asset …	Jay Fleischman, Esq.
Whoa! Watch Out For Preferences	Elaine Dowling, Esq. (Oklahoma, OK) Hon. Margaret Mahoney, U.S. Bankruptcy Court (Mobile, AL) For the …	Jay Fleischman, Esq.
Low Down On AG Mortgage Settlement	A last minute addition to the program for Saturday was a presentation on the nation …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Stripping in San Antonio	John Rao, NACBA Vice President, and Judge Leif Clark presented the program on lien stripping. …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Struggling to Surrender	Here’s what I would have blogged live if the interest in our live blogging hadn’t …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Washington, Rules & NCBRC	Here’s what I would have blogged for the second session on Friday’s NACBA Convention. It …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
NACBA Live Blog: Caselaw Update	Welcome to the 20th annual NACBA convention, here in San Antonio, TX. We’ll be live …	Jay Fleischman, Esq.
Bankruptcy Mastery Will Provide Live Coverage Of NACBA San Antonio Convention	I hate taking notes during conventions. I know I should, but I don’t do it …	Jay Fleischman, Esq.
Revisiting Those Things I Just “Know”	One of the stock lines in my sermon to clients about the importance of telling …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Can I Have Those Words Back, Please?	It was one of those occasions when in retrospect, you’re certain there is no neural …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Why Courtroom Rules Work In Your Conference Room	“Objection: calls for a legal conclusion.” That’s a perfectly good courtroom objection to a question …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
The Business Lease: Who’s On First?	A business lease often looms as one of the biggest claims in a bankruptcy case …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
A Dozen Nuggets Hidden In The Tax Return	Read any interesting tax returns lately? As bankruptcy lawyers, we’re required to collect them …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Buried Treasures Your Clients Don’t Disclose	I had spent at least six hours with the clients over several months, strategizing …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Can You Afford To Help Your Competitors?	Why should I help my competitors? That was the query of a highly experienced bankruptcy …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Prove It!	Kismet, def. fate or destiny, seemed to be in play this weekend. Or maybe it’s …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Maybe You Already Knew…	I learned something new last week and it took the ***!#### means test to teach …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Stop Wrestling With Lien Stripping	If there’s a bright spot in the midst of this recession, it’s the thrill …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
It’s Not Smart To Overpay	Some mistakes the Chapter 13 trustee will call you on; others go unremarked. …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
A New Wrinkle With Client Age	This seems to have been my season for issues driven by testamentary, or pseudo testamentary …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
When Bankruptcy Attorneys Put Their Clients In Default	The Chapter 13 Trustee almost snarled from the counsel table at last week’s …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
A Call To Action To All Bankruptcy Lawyers	My call to the inept bankruptcy practitioners to get better or get out …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
How Can I Help?	After I unloaded on the incompetence I saw in the courtroom last week, it’s only …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Get Better Or Get Out	I spent a painful day in court watching two contested Chapter 13 confirmation calendars. It …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Battling Uncle Sam In The Bankruptcy Court	It’s rare when you can get Uncle Sam to funnel clients in your door of …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
The Lift Stay Motion And The Accidental Litigator	It’s ironic that lots of us chose bankruptcy as a specialty because we didn’t want …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
The Chapter 13 Arsenal Is Incomplete Without This Unsung Hero	I beat the Chapter 13 trustee on what’s necessary to get a hardship discharge the …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Why You Need To Know The Three Musketeers Of Bankruptcy	In literature, the three musketeers answered to Athos, Porthos, and Aramis. In the world of …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Need A Bankruptcy Form or Local Rule For A Mortgage Case?	The National Consumer Law Center once again takes on a gargantuan task at the …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Divorce and Bankruptcy: Frequent & Discordant Pairing	I hadn’t hit the steps of my office on the way back from a speaking …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Go Back, Says Mortgage Law Expert	Pamela Simmons is one of the towering figures in the field of mortgage law, …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Get Your Client Out Of The Means Test Jail	As much as the means test is a pain in the neck, why don’t more …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
You Can’t Tell The Players Without A Scorecard	The business bankruptcy version of “who’s on first” is the inquiry: who is …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Humpty Dumpty and Statutory Interpretation	After all the time I spend cajoling, suggesting, demanding that bankruptcy lawyer READ THE …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Chapter 13 Trustee Makes A Christmas List	OK, so I’m behind. Christmas was three weeks ago. I’m just getting around to sharing …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Do You Know Bankruptcy’s Three Little Words?	They’re not “I love you” or even “I am sorry”. They’re bequest, devise, and …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Name That Exemption	OK, readers. It’s time for a pop quiz. How many non bankruptcy, federal exemptions can …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
New Year’s Resolutions: What Challenges Me	I asked you last week to identify the challenges in your practice. I heard cries …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
What Did The Lawyer Miss?	Something was missing: the brief on behalf of a creditor with a lien argued vigorously …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
What’s Your Next Challenge?	Ever feel like the practice of consumer bankruptcy law resembles crossing the chasm on a …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Friday Freebie	Budget flat? Business slow? How about a federal practice manual, on line, for free? …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Avoid Probate: Lose The Property In Bankruptcy Instead	Whether it’s fear of the cost of lawyers or joinder in probate-phobia, the public’s do-it-yourself …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
When The Means Test Is Not So Mean	It isn’t often that the newspaper provides ideas for this site, whose focus is …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Wait, Wait, Don’t File	Three weeks til the New Year and I’m starting to look at each Chapter 13 …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Bankruptcy Advice Lost In Translation	How do you misunderstand me…let me count the ways. A year into a confirmed Chapter …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Two Free Treasures For Bankruptcy Lawyers	Howdy, nice of you to drop in. Now, I’ve got two reasons for you to …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Finding Exemption Gold In The Probate Code	Would you expect to find an exemption applicable in bankruptcy in the probate code? But …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Expect The World, New Bankruptcy Lawyers!	The New York Times challenges us to “Expect The World.” For the new bankruptcy lawyer, …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
How Long Can Underwater Lien Hold Its Breath?	What happens to an underwater mortgage after a Chapter 7? That was the sorta metaphysical …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Consumer Is A Bad Word	I’m not usually at a loss for words, but I’m certainly less than excited about …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
What Are We Worth As Bankruptcy Lawyers?	I sat with a new client discussing his bankruptcy options, puzzling how to price a …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Tell Them Apart: Exempt and Exclude	New and not so new bankruptcy lawyers muddle the difference between “exempt” and “exclude“. It …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Unfinished Business Of Learning The Law	Every legal seminar needs an extra day, in solitude, to internalize what you’ve “learned”. …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
NACBA Workshops A Real High For Bankruptcy Lawyers	The content and the company at NACBA’s fall workshops has me flying. I’ve come off …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Why you should want your competition to become better bankruptcy lawyers	Sounds counter intuitive, doesn’t it? It should be easier to be a stand out if …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Did You Forget Bankruptcy’s Magic Words?	We have an incantation that, uttered when you file the bankruptcy schedules, protects us from …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Courtroom Journal: Hardship Discharge & Rotten Economy	Is the current rotten economy and marginal job skills a circumstance for which a Chapter …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Two Things To Do When The Phone Has Stopped Ringing	If you are lonely as the Maytag repairman in this lull in bankruptcy filings, add …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
How To Cope With The Slowdown In Bankruptcy Filings	When you’re really, really busy in the bankruptcy business, you long for some quiet. Fewer …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
My Favorite Things About Being A Bankruptcy Lawyer	Lawyers consistently ask me why I became a bankruptcy lawyer. If you’re thinking of diving …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
11/11/11 – The Next Big Thing	If you’re interested in improving your practice and profitability then you’ll likely be interested in …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
10 Ways The Practice Of Bankruptcy Law Has Changed In 30 Years	Doesn’t every elder’s story about the past begin, “When I was your age…”? It’s not …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Are You The Calculating Type?	I get a surprising number of questions about objecting to claims in a bankruptcy case: …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Labor Day Feel Like New Years?	Over at MoneyHealthCentral, where Jay and I write for consumers about money , I did …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Lien Stripping in Chapter 20	A debtor’s right to strip off a wholly unsecured lien is not dependent on …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Family, Friends And Chapter 13	The drafters of the 1978 Bankruptcy Code knew something about the lives of real people …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Include Me Not	Proposed: the word “included” shall be stricken from the vocabulary of any bankruptcy lawyer. A …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
The Chapter 13 Plan Light Bulb Moment	Do I have to cure the arrears on the car loan and pay off the …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
How To Learn The Truth Behind The Asset	When credit is a commodity, family are friends, and creditors are not, strange things …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Four Ways Around The Chapter 13 Debt Limit	Bankruptcy needs a higher debt limit, too. My topic at the Bar Association of San …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Bankruptcy Relief And Something For Nothing	This rant is for clients, and for bankruptcy lawyers who have to “adjust” the expectations …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
A Bankruptcy Lawyer’s Work Is Never Done	Your job isn’t done at confirmation of a Chapter 13 plan. Our clients’ lives keep …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Good Bankruptcy Lawyers Let It All Hang Out	Which bankruptcy schedule does this go on? Can’t tell you how many questions I field …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Lien Stripping And Dueling Appraisers	When the appraisals clash, and the fate of a junior lien of thousands of dollars …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Is There A Shortcut To Learning Bankruptcy Law?	Got a shingle and a hankering to be a bankruptcy lawyer? Need to eat regularly? …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Why Choose Bankruptcy For a Judgment Proof Elder?	Preserving exempt property for the next generation may justify a bankruptcy filing for a judgment …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Bankruptcy Attorney’s Guide To Post Dated Checks	Remember the medieval maps that warned “there be dragons”? In the bankruptcy world, those dragons …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Lessons For Bankruptcy Lawyers In Casey Anthony Trial	There’s only one lesson here: it all turns on the evidence. It is widely believed …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Are You A Potted Plant?	Brendan Sullivan famously explained his role as an attorney in the Iran-Contra hearings by …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Eyes and Ears In The Courtroom	His matter had been called and disposed of earlier in the Chapter 13 calendar. Yet …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Can The McCourts Dodge A Bullet In Dodger Bankruptcy?	The Dodgers’ bankruptcy filing is titillating, involving big time sports, a feud between team …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Cash Collateral Can Crater Bankruptcy Cases And Careers	Want to make a bankruptcy judge go ballistic? It’s easy: demonstrate ignorance or indifference to …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Ring Around Bankruptcy Law: Don’t Fall Down	I read it on the Internet: it must be so. Or not. I found another …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Watch Out For The Ripple Effects of Bankruptcy	No man, and the rare bankruptcy debtor, is an island. He or she comes with …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Beware Predatory Lenders In Sheep’s Clothing	Just when you thought mortgage lender behavior couldn’t get more odious or indifferent, they prove …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Get The Tools You Need	You filed the case. If you’re asking, ” Now, what do I do?“, join me …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
The Electronic Shortcut To Perdition	Didn’t someone wise say that the road to hell is paved with good intentions? So, …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Pick Bankruptcy, Take Care of The Tax	The rule that Uncle Sam comes first, in bankruptcy, can be a life saver, even …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Five Reasons To Break Up Couples	Consider that your job as a bankruptcy attorney may be to separate married couples. Huh, …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Are You Throwing Your Bankruptcy Client To The Predators?	Behind every IRS tax audit lurks the state taxing authority. Fail to give the state …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
The Bankruptcy Thigh Bone Is Connected To The Hip Bone	The entire mass of information in the bankruptcy schedules is interconnected in ways our clients …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
What To Say When You Have No Answer	What do you do when you don’t know the answer to a bankruptcy client’s questions? …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Think Beyond The Means Test	It started as a means test question: could emergency medical expenses be deemed non consumer …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Bankruptcy Cases And Making Change Happen	The axiom that the only thing constant is change certainly applies in the practice of …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Know the Rules of Debt, Divorce & Discharge	Today let’s combine the themes of my last two posts here and talk about the …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Are You Playing Chapter 7 With A Full Deck Of Cards?	If unscheduled assets are discovered by the trustee, can you dismiss a Chapter 7 case? …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Bankruptcy & Divorce: Property Settlements	One change brought by BAPCPA made the choice of chapter in bankruptcy much clearer: the …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Beware The Trustee Carrying Tax Losses	A tax loss carryforward in the hands of a bankruptcy trustee can have results as …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Bankruptcy’s Short Tax Year: Gem Hidden In Plain Sight	Double your tax returns, double your fun? Well, maybe taxes aren’t fun, but they are …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Looking To Be Sued?	Making a special appearance for a colleague has the potential to embroil you in a …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
More Tax Refund Tweaks to Thwart Trustees	Checking the client’s prior tax return and grilling the client allowed my partner to find …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
What You Need To Know About Converted Cases	“No, Mr. Trustee, you can’t have my client’s tax refund.” Honestly, those have to be …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Getting The Fundamentals	It’s a romantic notion that we can dive into the deep end of the pool …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
When It’s Good To Be Abandoned	Quick: what’s § 554? It’s the section that allows any party to move for an …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
7 Rules For The 341 Balancing Act	What do you do when a hostile creditor shows up at a 341 meeting, and …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Is Good Service A Vanishing Commodity?	The lack of good service in bankruptcy courts drove Judge Weissbrodt (ND CA) to post …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Heavy Hitters Recommend	Include the terms of an agreed loan modification in the Chapter 13 plan, John Rao …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
“I Didn’t Know That” Gem From The Convention	A hardship discharge is available to debtors who are not current on their post petition …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
When A Form 1099 Is Fiction	The 1099 form is so well recognized and imbued with authority that it is used …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
The Means Test: The Clunker Allowance	As if the means test wasn’t illogical and opaque enough, consider the unwritten provision for …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Know The First Rule For Bankruptcy Forms	Now retired Judge Jaroslavsky popped this question on a room full of new bankruptcy lawyers: …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
The Means Test: Where The Blind Lead The Sighted	The people who sit in judgment on the adequacy of your b-22 and your means …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
The $1000 Word	Word choice in a fee application cost a Chapter 13 lawyer $1000 yesterday. We all …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Beware The Taxes That Follow Foreclosure	Who cares about stopping the foreclosure, it’s stopping the tax that results from foreclosure. It’s …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
The Real Truth About Bankruptcy Lawyers & Clients	We live in two different worlds, the client and the bankruptcy attorney. “Creditors”, for debtors, …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
End Run On Chapter 7 Trustee	I found one more reason to file 13 when there MAY be non exempt equity. …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
The Price Is Not Right	Value, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. The value of the debtor’s …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Automate Yourself Straight To Bankruptcy Malpractice	The debtor’s attorney had him input the schedules through a subscription “bankruptcy interview” website, printed …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
4 Ways To Know If You’ve Got A Bankruptcy Preference Problem	When should the debtor care about preferences? When it was family or they are filing …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
How Much Of Your Client Are You Exposing?	Do you meekly send your client’s tax return to creditors at their request? Two different …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Here’s How To Charge More For A “Simple” Bankruptcy Case	Client buy- in and time records saved a Florida bankruptcy attorney from disgorging fees twice …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Why A Successful Fee Application Needs A Story	Newly appointed to the bench, the young judge considering a calendar of fee applications complained …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Perils Of The Courtroom	The judge approved my fee application for another $8,000 in a Chapter 13 that was …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
When It Doesn’t Add Up	It wasn’t a week after my friend Fredrick’s presentation on due diligence for bankruptcy lawyers …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Five Steps To Due Diligence	Our professional well being and the successful outcome of the client’s case may well depend …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
A Tax Reminder for Chapter 13 Debtors	Don’t let your client forget to look at the Chapter 13 trustee’s disbursements in the …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
10 Clues in The Debtor’s Tax Return	Vital information lurks in the debtor’s tax return. Are you flushing that information out and …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Don’t Take The Client At His Word	Given all the energy bankruptcy lawyers spend extracting information from clients, it’s discordant to point …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Get Exemption Claims Under The Limit	The rookie bankruptcy lawyer was clearly proficient at math, but forgot the bankruptcy administration end …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
How To Enforce The Discharge Injunction	Every once in a while, courts tell us explicitly how to do things. The 9th …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
What The Bankruptcy Trustee Hopes You Forget	Remember the float? Your client’s check book balance may not be the funds on hand …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
2010 Tax Return Imperative in Chapter 13	Got to file the 2010 tax return to get your Chapter 13 plan confirmed is …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Find The Avoidable Transfers Before Trustee Does	Remember “Where’s Waldo”? As a bankruptcy lawyer, can you pick the transfer out of the …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Roadmap To Car Value	When the judge’s response to a dispute about a vehicle’s value is to hold an …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
The Best MCLE Hour Ever	I’ve been admitted to the bar in California for 33 years and for most of …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Use The Real Tax Due Date For Means Test	Californians: did you know property taxes were due earlier this week? Huh? you say. Property …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Differing Dollars In Chapter 13 Plan vs. Claim	Who wins when the mortgage arrearages in the Chapter 13 plan are less than the …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
On The Trail of The Involuntary Lien	If you just ask the client for a bill from each creditor, you stand to …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Case of the Naked Client	The bankruptcy petition came to my desk for review with no entry for “clothing and …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Business Partners: Another Phantom Creditor	After the discharge, the debtor wondered how her agreement with a former business partner to …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Case Closed: Too Soon	Do I have to wait til the bankruptcy discharge is entered to avoid a lien …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Writer’s Block And The Bankruptcy Schedules	Comes the plaintive call on the phone: how do I list this? Faced with a …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
What Goes In The Chapter 13 Pot	The rookie bankruptcy lawyer called up to ask if the Chapter 13 plan had to …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Small Business Can Be Big Trouble	The newbies in my neighborhood have had a vigorous online debate about the risks in …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Welcome New Year	It’s 6:30 am and I’m anxious to get to my office to implement the improvements …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Resolutions	It’s time to start considering resolutions for the New Year. I find I’m not very …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Why Earmark Tax Payments	Did you know that a taxpayer making a voluntary payment to the IRS can designate …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Flush Out Client Misinformation	After you’ve gasped and giggled at the misleading bankruptcy information spotlighted here earlier, there is …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Blog Heaven	On the off chance you want to read something other than this blog <g>, may …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Produce Real Evidence In Bankruptcy Disputes	More lawyering for faster confirmation of Chapter 13 cases was the advice. The newest judge …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Near Sighted Leading the Blind	When a trainer of bankruptcy paralegals writes about clients failing the Chapter 13 means test, …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Amended Bankruptcy Rule Provides More Time	One of the traps for debtors instituted with BAPCPA is the provision that an individual’s …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Ask “Why Me?” When It’s Chapter 11	Young bankruptcy attorney was approached to file a Chapter 11 for an LLC developing a …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Household Size Vanishes From Means Test Form	Drafters of the official bankruptcy forms have excised “household size” from the B-22 where we …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Rich Personal Finance Resource For Clients	Introduce your clients to Money Health Central, a sound source of ideas and tools for …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Swimming Upstream Against The Current of Client Optimism	Inflated value provided by client in bankruptcy schedules comes back to bite debtor when Chapter …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Taxes, Bankruptcy & The New Year	Consider delaying the filing of Chapter 13 cases where the debtor expects to owe taxes …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Where Are The Answers For The Consumer Bankruptcy Lawyer?	Tell me what to read if my client has Issue A, and what to read …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
The Rules Change	December 1, the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure change. If you can’t tell the players …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Thanks Be	Professionally, what am I thankful for? I’m thankful for experience and a skill set useful …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Consumer Debt Label Matters in 13	Consumer debt? Non consumer debt? Have mostly non consumer debt and you get a pass …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
What’s Hardest Part Of Being New To Bankruptcy?	How about we reverse the flow of information here and you tell me what the …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Number One Reason to Avoid Taking a Chapter 11	Put aside inexperience: the most important reason not to take on a Chapter 11 is …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Really Subtle Trick For Discharging Taxes	While the IRS shows the early withdrawal penalty for taking money from an IRA as …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Meet Me in Puerto Rico	Dateline: San Francisco International Airport I’m leaving on a jet plane, to coin a phrase<g>, …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Twelve Ways to Tweak Schedule J	When the debtor’s Schedules J shows a significant number on the bottom line, that “excess income” …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
New Bankruptcy Lawyers – Beware Strangers With Candy	Concern for bankruptcy clients who weren’t well represented by brand new bankruptcy lawyers got me …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
The Mystery Of The Disappearing Means Test Deduction	Just when you thought you figured out the means test, a debtor throws you a …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Means Test: Mean and Meaningless	Years after BAPCPA became law, I’m still grinding my teeth about the inanity of the …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Means Test: Getting Business Income Correct	I expect clients to conflate themselves and their wholly owned business corporation; I didn’t expect …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Means Test & The Exemption See-Saw	What can my client do with non exempt cash or readily saleable items not protected …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Means Test Income And The Annual Bonus	The means test can be seen as a simple form in your bankruptcy petition preparation …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Clients, Competence & Perjury	The schedules are signed under penalty of perjury. Just for certainty, let me say it …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Counting to 90	This week I have apparently discovered bankruptcy lawyers who can’t count to 90. Amazing, isn’t …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Primer on Reaffirmation Agreements	Every Chapter 7 case with a car loan presents a reaffirmation dilemma. Should the client …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Means Test: Encouraged to Screw Up	With the influx of new personnel at the trustee’s office, I’m seeing more flat wrong …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Four Means Test Mistakes: Taxes	Are you guilty of any of these means test mistakes dealing with taxes? Using the …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Means Test: Good Enough Isn’t Good Enough	Early in the life of BAPCPA, I sat down to review a means test with …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Maximizing the Initial Client Interview	The first meeting with a bankruptcy prospect is the best and hardest work I do. …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Newbie Summer Reading: Rake v. Wade	One more case before summer’s over: Rake v. Wade. This one is interesting because it …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Bankruptcy and Offers in Compromise	This one is for Lex and Gail and follows up on Peeling the Onion, about …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Breaking Up Earlier Rather Than Later	I ended up representing a crazy because I had an attorney/client relationship with him when …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Newbie Summer Reading: How Lamie	Bankruptcy cases you need to know by name include Lamie, the Supreme Court’s 2004 pronouncement …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Solo Attorney’s How To Guide	Learn how to evaluate a case in 15 minutes; how to decide whether to give …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Get Your General Ed Credits, Too	Rookie bankruptcy lawyers could do worse than go the California State Bar Convention for a …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
I Flunked Mindreading	For six months, I’ve been writing this blog for newish bankruptcy lawyers, trying to imagine …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Client as Onion: Peeling Down To The Core	When we finally got there, the client’s reluctance to wait 8 weeks to file bankruptcy …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Bankruptcy Cases One At A Time	Have you encountered the St. Johns University Law School bankruptcy case blog? On line, free, …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Financial Information for Financially Stressed	Five friends and I launched a new personal finance site today Money Health Central where …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
The Many Hats of a Bankruptcy Lawyer	Lee Rosen, a well known family lawyer, described the demands of his practice thus: …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Bankruptcy Lawyer’s Weapon of Choice	How do you make your first assault on a contested matter in bankruptcy? Pick up …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Newbie Summer Reading: Rash	Is the value of the secured creditor’s claim in a Chapter 13 cramdown what the …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
But She’s Not a Creditor!	An unliquidated tort cause of action is just as much a “claim” for bankruptcy purposes …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Newbie Summer Reading: Johnson v. Home State Bank	After a Chapter 7 discharge, is there anything left of a mortgage to reorganize in …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Lien on Phantom Property Upsets Debt Totals	Merely having a lien doesn’t make a lender a secured creditor for Chapter 13 eligibility …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Clients to avoid: those with bankruptcy-adverse spouses	Do you scope out the world view of your prospect’s non filing spouse? I didn’t …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
A Bankruptcy Exemption Planning Basic	The most elemental exemption planning tool is to save exempt assets while consuming non exempt …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Who Needs To Learn More Bankruptcy Law?	Since the Fundamentals of Bankruptcy course came out, I’ve talked with a number of new …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Bankruptcy Lawyers Needn’t Predict The Future	Do you feel exposed when bankruptcy clients ask about how filing will impact their ability …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Client Horror Story Contains An Asset Of The Bankruptcy Estate	Do you recognize your client’s tale of woe with prior professionals or not-so-professionals as signs …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Having “The Talk” With Bankruptcy Clients	Are you prepared to boldly go where no outsider has gone before and challenge the …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
What, Me Worry?	Do you think I worry about these issues too much? the rookie bankruptcy lawyer asked …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Newbie Summer Reading: Dewsnup	Ever wonder why we can’t strip off unsecured consensual liens in Chapter 7? Meet Mrs. …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Bankruptcy Estate & The Realtor’s Open Escrow	How can bankruptcy trustee’s demand the debtor’s real estate commission from escrows open when the …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
When Delaying The Discharge May Benefit The Debtor	Ever read, much less used, FRBP 4004(c)(2)? Have to say I’d done neither until Judge …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Means Test Double Checks	How do the means test health care numbers relate to the same expenses on I …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
The Unrecoverable Bankruptcy Mistake	Which of the blunders by prior counsel in Chapter 13 threaten a problem for which …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Do I Have To Read All The Code First?	Following the announcement of a class I was to teach on bankruptcy fundamentals, a reader called …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Lien Stripping & Service On The Bank	By the end of the afternoon, the judge was pretty tired of turning down lien …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
The Evolution Of A Bankruptcy Lawyer	Every contrivance of man, every tool, every instrument, every utensil, every article designed for use, …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Self Education: Risky Stuff for Rookie Bankruptcy Lawyer	The usual road to a good education is to seek out the best teacher or …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Warning Signs Of A Complex Bankruptcy Case Exposed In The Consultation	Is an initial consultation an opportunity to prevent problems later on in the case? Should …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Learning Bankruptcy On The Job Victimizes Clients	I admit, up front , that I’m steamed. The clients in my office have a …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Learn Bankruptcy Shorthand: Till	Part of the lingo of bankruptcy practitioners are the names of notable bankruptcy cases that …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Don’t Fall for Excluding the Business Credit Card	Business owners facing bankruptcy are often firmly convinced that only their business is liable for …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Bankruptcy Debtors: Beware the Bank	Do you ask your prospective bankruptcy clients where they bank? It matters, you know, if …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Bankruptcy Planning & The Means Test	The rookie bankruptcy lawyer reported her client had borrowed from his 401(k) and proposed to …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
6 Basic Points About Tax Liens in Bankruptcy	Everywhere I’ve looked this week, new bankruptcy lawyers are struggling with client tax liens. Here’s …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Bankruptcy Checklist: Social Security Numbers	Do you check the client’s proffered Social Security number against the number on their …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Bankruptcy Notice: Scream or Die	Add to your bankruptcy phrase book: ” notice on a scream or die basis.” This …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Bankruptcy Abuse & Schedule J	The debtor passed the means test but lost a motion to dismiss for abuse of …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Bankruptcy Schedules Call For Payoff Balance	Bankruptcy debtors hear something different when their lawyer asks, “What do you owe on your …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Bankruptcy’s 3 Year Rule for Taxes	Taxes are dischargeable in bankruptcy once they meet the 3 year rule. Don’t get swept …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Learn the Bankruptcy Lingo: Pots & Percentages	While we’re learning to “walk the walk”, we might as well learn to “talk the …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Bankruptcy Exemption Mistakes Feed Trustee Coffers	Bankruptcy lawyers who mess up claims of exemptions were the other target of the trustee’s …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
New Bankruptcy Lawyers Targeted by Trustee	Chapter 7 trustees plan to sue debtor’s lawyers for undisclosed assets, I was told yesterday. …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Bankruptcy Contested Matters: Won by Showing Up	Sometimes bankruptcy litigation is won by simple persistence. As Woody Allen says “80% of …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Bankruptcy Exemptions: 10 Ways to Deal with Excess Cash	Bankruptcy lawyers occasionally are confronted with the client with more cash, or other marketable assets, …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Bankruptcy’s Means Test Doesn’t Apply to All	New bankruptcy lawyers sometimes forget in the flurry over getting the means test right that …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Assets in Bankruptcy Pose Valuation Issues	A bankruptcy lawyer seems to often have the unpleasant task of telling a debtor that …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Bankruptcy Procedure Question? Ask a Clerk	The bankruptcy judge ordered me to get the signature of an absent party on the …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Develop a Bankruptcy Filing Checklist	As bankruptcy lawyers, we don’t usually face the life and death situations that doctors do, …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Discharging Taxes in Bankruptcy: This Year’s Trap	Income taxes are dischargeable in bankruptcy if they meet the three year rule; the two …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Alternative to Bankruptcy: Do Nothing	Bankruptcy lawyers sometimes forget: not everyone worried about debt actually needs to file bankruptcy. The …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Taxes Owed from Day One of New Year	April 15th is so ingrained in our thinking as Tax Day that it’s easy to …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Beware the Emergency Bankruptcy Filing	Real danger for client and lawyer lurks in the emergency bankruptcy petition: File without all …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Do Your Bankruptcy Schedules Tell the Client’s Story?	The last check before you file your client’s bankruptcy schedules should be a step back …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Exemption Choices for the Recently Mobile	Old and new consumer bankruptcy lawyers have a treasure in John Bates’ masterpiece on the …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Means Test & Creditors Claims: Enough is Enough	When the means test projected disposable income number is greater than 100% of the unsecured …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
When To File Bankruptcy	When to file bankruptcy turns out to be just as important as whether to file. …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Getting the Most from the Means Test	When the means test look-back period for a well paid individual includes the end of …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Fixing the Omission from the Schedules	Twice yesterday new bankruptcy practitioners asked about how to deal with debts or assets not …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Head Start on Bankruptcy Research	Have you found Judge Randall Newsome’s bankruptcy research binder on the Northern District Bankruptcy Court’s …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Bankruptcy Schedules Look Forward and Backward	New bankruptcy lawyers are often frustrated by the internal inconsistencies required by the “reformed” Bankruptcy …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Answer to Every Question Starts in the Code	If Jews, Muslims, and Christians are People of the Book, we, as bankruptcy lawyers, are, …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Exemptions & Property of the Estate	Sometimes, as an inexperienced bankruptcy lawyer, it’s hard to get your head around the idea …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Track Down All The Client’s Creditors	While a new client may seek out a bankruptcy lawyer when they are served with …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Convert, Don’t Dismiss, That Bankruptcy Case	Young lawyers just learning bankruptcy practice seem to have missed the portions of the Bankruptcy …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Bankruptcy Cases Not Predictably Simple	I’ve been aghast at the willingness of lawyers brand new to bankruptcy practice to take …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Surrendering Property in Bankruptcy	Apart from Selling your home in a stress-free manner, many things are revolving around properties …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
New Bankruptcy Lawyers, Google On	Lawyers setting up a new bankruptcy practice often want to know which of the legal …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Beyond The Client’s Preconceptions	The clients were in my office considering bankruptcy because of nasty litigation approaching trial. While …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Attorney as added-value at 341 meeting	The lawyer’s presence at the 341 meeting often seems superfluous. A good 341 meeting is …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Struggling with “adequate protection”	The bankruptcy code seems strangely inarticulate about adequate protection: what are we protecting and how …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Notice Key to Bankruptcy Success	Who should I give notice to, the young bankruptcy lawyer asked, the creditor who had …	Cathy Moran, Esq.
Fine Time to be a New Bankruptcy Lawyer	The internet has transformed the learning curve for lawyers new to bankruptcy. Bankruptcy is a …	Cathy Moran, Esq.