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Interactive Guide to Bankruptcy

Are you having trouble paying your bills?

Many people fall behind on their bills at some point in their lives. Don’t worry—you won’t go to jail. Owing money is not a crime.

We created this online guide to help you learn about the bankruptcy process and what your options may be if you’re having a hard time paying your debts.

You might think bankruptcy is the answer to your problems, but it may not be. Bankruptcy is a good choice for some people, but it is not for everyone.

Are you having trouble paying your bills?

First, let’s figure out what types of debt you have.

Here are some debts that cannot be eliminated by Chapter 7 bankruptcy. That means that if you file for bankruptcy, you will still have to pay these debts:

Child support, alimony, taxes
Federally insured student loans and most private student loans
Secured debts (like a mortgage or car loan)
Drunk driving fines, criminal fines, traffic tickets

If you don’t have any of these debts, you can skip to the next section to see about debts that can be eliminated by bankruptcy.

Or click on each type of debt below to get more information about how you can handle these debts.

Alimony

Alimony is not dischargeable by Chapter 7 Bankruptcy. In this case, you may want to contact a private attorney.

Contact a Private Attorney

Most of our legal services are available only for people with very low income. If legal aid can’t help, you may want to talk to a private attorney about your legal problem. A lawyer referral service can match you up with an attorney for a small fee. Contact the lawyer referral service office in the county where you are having a legal problem. For more information: Connecticut Bar Association – Find a Lawyer.

Car Loans

Are you having trouble paying your car loan? Here are some resources that may be helpful.

What should I do if I can’t make my car payments? (consumerfinance.gov)
Debt Collection: Know Your Rights (ctlawhelp.org)

Child Support

Child support debt cannot be discharged by bankruptcy.

Here are some articles on CTLawHelp.org that might be helpful to you if you need help with child support.

How to Change Your Child Support Order
If you believe that your child support order is too low (or too high), this article may help. You can get help from the state Child Support Program or do it on your own.
Questions and Answers about Child Support
Child support is usually paid until the child graduates from high school or turns 19, whichever happens first.

Drunk Driving Fines, Criminal Fines, Traffic Tickets

Debt from drunk driving fines, criminal fines, and traffic tickets is not dischargeable by Chapter 7 Bankruptcy. In this case, you may want to contact a private attorney.

Contact a Private Attorney

Most of our legal services are available only for people with very low income. If legal aid can’t help, you may want to talk to a private attorney about your legal problem. A lawyer referral service can match you up with an attorney for a small fee. Contact the lawyer referral service office in the county where you are having a legal problem. For more information: Connecticut Bar Association – Find a Lawyer.

Mortgage Debt

Are you having trouble paying your mortgage? Here are some resources that may be helpful.

Foreclosure: Your Rights and Options (ctlawhelp.org)
Connecticut Fair Housing Center
Debt Collection: Know Your Rights (ctlawhelp.org)
Help for Homeowners and Renters (CT State Dept. of Banking)

Rent

Are you having trouble paying rent? Here are some resources that may be helpful.

EvictionHelpCT.org
Are you Facing Eviction?
Help if You Are Homeless or You Have Low or No Income

Student Loans

Most student loans are not dischargeable by Chapter 7 Bankruptcy. You can learn about:

Federal Student Aid (US Dept. of Education)
Federal Student Loan Debt Relief (studentaid.gov)
Student Loan Forgiveness (studentaid.gov)

Taxes

Tax debt is not dischargeable by Chapter 7 Bankruptcy.

Contact a Private Attorney

Most of our legal services are available only for people with very low income. If legal aid can’t help, you may want to talk to a private attorney about your legal problem. A lawyer referral service can match you up with an attorney for a small fee. Contact the lawyer referral service office in the county where you are having a legal problem. For more information: Connecticut Bar Association – Find a Lawyer.

Debts that can be eliminated by Chapter 7 bankruptcy

First, let’s figure out what types of debt you have.

Now let’s look at debt that can be eliminated by bankruptcy.

You may want to explore bankruptcy as an option if you are having trouble paying any of these debts:

Credit card bills
Medical bills
Utility bills
Personal loans

Remember: Bankruptcy isn’t the best choice for everyone, even if you have some of these kinds of debts. And bills such as medical and utility bills that you get after filing bankruptcy will need to be paid.

Next, we can ask you some more questions and guide you through the process of understanding your rights.

Bankruptcy Questionnaire - Am I judgment proof?

Are you currently having trouble paying any of these bills? (Check any that apply.)

Child support

Alimony

Unpaid taxes

Mortgage

Car loan

Federally insured student loans

Drunk driving fines, criminal fines, traffic tickets

These bills generally CANNOT be discharged by Chapter 7 bankruptcy. If these are the only bills you have, you may not need to think about bankruptcy right now. You should always talk to a lawyer before acting.

Are you currently having trouble paying any of these bills? (Check any that apply.)

Credit card bills

Medical bills

Utility bills

Personal loans

These bills CAN be discharged by Chapter 7 bankruptcy. If you have any of these bills, you may want to look into bankruptcy.

First you should find out if your income or personal property is protected. Protected means that you don’t have money or property that a debt collector can legally take from you. You might not need to file bankruptcy if your income is very low and you don’t have a lot of valuable things. You may be able stop collection agencies from contact you by sending them a letter.

You may also hear the words collection proof, which is another way of saying this.

Click NEXT to proceed to the next page and we'll show you how to figure this out.

Remember, bankruptcy is complicated and it’s best to speak with a lawyer.

Do you work?

Yes

No

Is your income $627.69 per week or less?

My income is LESS than $627.69

My income is MORE than $627.69

Is your income from Social Security, public benefits, disability, etc.?

Yes

No

If you take home less than $627.69 (as of January, 2024) per week

-- or --

your income is from Social Security, public benefits, disability, etc.

then you might be protected.

Do you own a house?(Required)

Yes

No

Is the equity in your home less than $250,000 for an individual or $500,000 for a couple?

Yes, it is LESS than that

No, it is MORE than that

What is equity?

Equity is the value of what you own after taking away what you owe. For example, if you own a house worth $100,000 and still owe $50,000 on the mortgage, your equity in the house is $50,000.

You said you own a house that might not have much equity. This may mean you are collection-proof. You should still talk to a lawyer about bankruptcy because the laws are complicated.

You said you own a house that might have a lot of equity in it. People who have a lot of equity in their home may not be a good candidate for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy. You should still talk to a lawyer about bankruptcy because the laws are complicated.

Do you own one or two cars with a combined value of not more than $7,000?(Required)

Yes

No

You said you own a car that might have some equity in it. People who have a lot of equity in their car may not be a good candidate for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy. You should still talk to a lawyer about bankruptcy because the laws are complicated.

You said you own a car that might not have much equity. This means you may be able to keep your car if you file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. You should still talk to a lawyer about bankruptcy because the laws are complicated.

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Benefits & Social Services
Debt & Collections
Disaster Assistance
Family & Safety
Homes & Apartments
Immigration & Citizenship
LGBTQ+
Medical & Healthcare
More Legal Topics
School & Education
Seniors

What is CTLawHelp?

CTLawHelp.org was created by several nonprofit legal aid organizations whose shared mission is to improve the lives of Connecticut residents by providing free legal help to people with very low income.

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Our Network

Statewide Legal Services
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Connecticut Fair Housing Center
The Children’s Law Center
Connecticut Legal Rights Project
Lawyers for Children America
Center for Children’s Advocacy
Connecticut Veterans Legal Center

This page is for people who are having trouble paying bills. If you’re having another legal problem, you can visit ctlawhelp.org for free legal information. Or close this window to keep learning about bankruptcy.