Chapter 7 is also called liquidation bankruptcy. All non-exempt assets are sold off and the money used to pay the debtor’s unsecured commercial creditors. The Debtor's obligations are then considered paid off. The debtor may choose whether they want to reaffirm their mortgage and car loans, in which case those assets are not included in the bankruptcy estate. Not every debt may be discharged under Chapter 7. Those debts that are not dischargeable under Chapter 7 are:
Chapter 13 is also called wage-earner's bankruptcy. This is essentially a court ordered debt management program where the court appointed trustee creates a budget that will allow the debtor to pay back all of their debt within 5 years. The basic principle acting behind a Chapter 13 Bankruptcy is that the debtor then makes their payments to their creditors through the trustee until all of their debts have been repaid.
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