In addition to proof of income, tax returns, and bank statements, there are a number of other types of documentation that you may need to obtain to file for bankruptcy. In this post, we'd like to provide some helpful resources and guidelines to assist in obtaining this documentation prior to moving forward with considering filing a bankruptcy case.

You will need to obtain a credit report for yourself and your spouse, if you are married, as part of preparing to file for bankruptcy. You can obtain your credit report at no charge from www.annualcreditreport.com  – you will need to enter your information such as name and social security number, this report will give us information about most of the debts you currently owe.

If you owe back taxes, you will also need to obtain your tax account report from the IRS. You can order a tax return transcript online at http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/Order-a-Transcript or by phone at 1-800-908-9946, or by using IRS Form 4506T. The request can take up to two weeks to process. Please note that an “account transcript” is not the same as a “tax return transcript.” A “tax return transcript” will not have all the information your attorney needs.

If you currently owe money on traffic tickets or DUI fines you will need to provide those records to your attorney. It is important to have the original records of the traffic infractions. You can obtain these by visiting the district court of the county in which the traffic infraction occurred.

The information you provide will be utilized by your attorney to complete bankruptcy forms as required by the United States Court. You can review these forms online at https://www.uscourts.gov/forms/bankruptcy-forms. Your attorney will be looking specifically for information to complete the forms titled Schedule A/B through Schedule J.

Your attorney may also ask you to provide your medical bills to include in your bankruptcy. Often doctors will provide an online portal through which you can likely print out a listing of currently owed medical bills.

If you are seeking legal assistance with bankruptcy, debt settlement, probate, estate planning, adoption, real estate transactions, business law, or prenuptial agreements, please don't hesitate to reach out to the experienced team at Limitless Law PLLC. We're here to help.

Call 360-685-0145 or click here to learn more.