Can You File Chapter 7 Before 8 Years? Understand Your Options

Short answer, yes. you can file a Chapter 7 before 8 years, however, you cannot receive a discharge of debts before the eight years are up. That is an important distinction that many people may not understand.
Information in this article does not constitute legal advice, it is for informational purposes only, and may not constitute the most up-to-date information. Readers should contact their attorney for advice on any particular legal matter.

However, there are limited exceptions to this rule. Therefore, other options exist to resolve debt problems if you cannot file bankruptcy again after filing recently.

Let’s look at repeated bankruptcy filings more closely to understand better what you can do if you need to file another Chapter 7 bankruptcy case.

Table of Contents

What is a bankruptcy discharge, and how do I get one?

A bankruptcy discharge is an order from the court eliminating your legal responsibility for paying a debt. For example, if you owe ABC Credit Card Company $15,000 in credit card debt and file a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy case, include the ABC credit card debt in your bankruptcy forms and complete your Chapter 7 bankruptcy case.

ABC Credit Card Company will not object to your discharge. Therefore, when the court issues the discharge order, ABC’s debt is discharged or “erased”. In other words, ABC Credit Card Company cannot take any action to collect the discharged debt. Here are some example actions below:

  •  Turning debt over to a debt collector.
  • Sending you letters or calling you about the debt.
  • Filing a debt collection lawsuit.
  • Seizing assets or garnishing your wages.
  • Reporting the debt on your credit report as delinquent debt.

The bankruptcy discharge wipes away the debt. You do not owe ABC Credit Card Company any more money.

Most unsecured debts are dischargeable through Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Here are some examples of dischargeable debt below:

  • Credit card debts.
  • Medical bills.
  • Personal Loans.
  • Personal judgments (except DUI judgments)
  • Most payday loans.
  • Some old income tax debts.
  • Old rent and lease payments.
  • Deficiency judgments for repossessions and foreclosures. 

The purpose of filing Chapter 7 is to obtain a bankruptcy discharge. You want to get rid of your debts to recover from a financial crisis and move forward with your life without the stress of debt weighing you down.

The way to obtain a bankruptcy discharge is by filing a bankruptcy petition and completing a bankruptcy case. If you do not complete the case, the court dismisses your bankruptcy without granting a discharge. For example, if you do not complete your Debtor Education Course (the second bankruptcy course you’re mandated to take), or you do not show up for your bankruptcy hearing.

Also, a creditor or a trustee may object to the bankruptcy discharge. If so, the court could deny the discharge for a specific debt or deny a bankruptcy charge for the entire case.

The Waiting Period to File Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Again

Technically, there is no waiting period to file another Chapter 7 case. You can file a Chapter 7 bankruptcy any time you wish. However, you may or may not be eligible to receive a bankruptcy discharge.

The waiting period between bankruptcy and discharge is to become eligible for a discharge. You must wait eight years between Chapter 7 filings for another bankruptcy discharge. If you file before the end of the 8-year waiting period, you will not receive the discharge. 

If you filed for bankruptcy in the past and are looking to file again, be sure that the appropriate amount of time has passed. Before you consider filing another form of bankruptcy, you may have to wait a few years. Take a look at this table below:

Time Restriction Chapter filed earlier Chapter to be filed
2 years Chapter 13 Chapter 13
4 years Chapter 7 Chapter 13
6 years Chapter 13 Chapter 7
8 years Chapter 7 Chapter 7

It’s important to note that if you do not receive a bankruptcy discharge, you will still owe your creditors the full amount of the debts as if you never filed the bankruptcy case.

Why Would Someone Need to File Chapter 7 Before 8 Years?

It can be difficult to imagine why someone must file multiple bankruptcy cases. Let’s look at a simple situation that could happen to anyone.

Suppose you incurred a significant amount of credit card and other debts during college or in your early 20s after moving out of your parent’s home and getting a job. You struggled to pay the bills on very little income, so you used credit cards to make ends meet. For some people, running up credit card debt could result from immaturity or inexperience in managing finances.

Whatever the reason might be, you could not pay your debts. Therefore, you filed Chapter 7 to get rid of the debts. The relief of receiving your bankruptcy discharge allowed you to move on with your life, knowing that your debts were behind you.

However, six years later, you were in a tragic car accident, and you were out of work for months recovering from your injuries. You used credit cards and borrowed loans to pay your bills. However, you could not keep up with the debt payments even after returning to work. You need to file bankruptcy, but it is still two years before you can file Chapter 7.

Hundreds of scenarios like the ones above could result in multiple bankruptcy filings. Life is unpredictable, and we never know what may happen in the future.

It’s common for people to file multiple bankruptcy cases over their lifetime. This does not mean they are “bad” with money or “abuse” credit cards. It could merely mean they had experienced multiple situations that were not within their control which resulted in a financial crisis. We understand that life can be unpredictable and challenging.

For this reason, the Bankruptcy Code permits people to file bankruptcy again. It is designed to provide relief to those who have experienced unfortunate events that make it impossible to pay their debt more than once in a lifetime. Understanding this can provide a sense of security and knowledge.

What happens If I Need to File Chapter 7 Before 8 Years?

There could be situations where you must file Chapter 7 before eight years. If so, there could be a few options.

You Did Not Receive a Bankruptcy Discharge

The waiting period for being eligible for another Chapter 7 bankruptcy discharge is eight years. However, if your previous Chapter 7 case was dismissed without a discharge, you could be eligible to file Chapter 7 before eight years if none of the following happened within the past 180 days:

  • You failed to appear for a required court hearing, and the court dismissed your Chapter 7 case
  • The court rejected your Chapter 7 case because you disobeyed a court order
  • You voluntarily dismissed your Chapter 7 case

If you receive a Chapter 7 bankruptcy discharge, you could be eligible to file Chapter 13 if you cannot file Chapter 7 bankruptcy before eight years.

File a Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Case

The waiting period for a bankruptcy discharge between a Chapter 7 and a Chapter 13 case is four years. Therefore, if it has been at least four years since you filed Chapter 7, you might be eligible to file under Chapter 13.

Chapter 13 is a reorganization bankruptcy. You pay a Chapter 13 trustee monthly for three to five years. A few advantages of Chapter 13 over Chapter 7 include:

  • You can save your home from foreclosure in Chapter 13
  • You might be able to lower your car payments to keep your vehicle
  • In Chapter 13, you can repay non-dischargeable debts over five years, such as taxes and domestic support arrearage.
  • Chapter 13 cases can protect assets that a Chapter 7 trustee might sell

Filing Chapter 13 is generally more complicated than filing Chapter 7. You may want to speak with a bankruptcy lawyer before filing Chapter 13.

File a “Chapter 20” Bankruptcy Case

Some individuals file “Chapter 20”. “Chapter 20” is not an actual chapter of the Bankruptcy Code. Instead, it refers to filing a Chapter 13 immediately after discharging debts in a Chapter 7 case.

First, you file Chapter 7 to discharge your unsecured debts. Getting rid of these debts in full through the Chapter 7 case lowers the amount you must pay in a Chapter 13 bankruptcy case. You can then file a Chapter 13 case.

You will not receive a discharge in the Chapter 13 case because you did not wait the four years after filing Chapter 7. However, the Chapter 13 case could allow you time to pay off debts that could not be discharged in the Chapter 7 case, such as tax debts and past due domestic support payments (i.e., child support and alimony).

You may also be able to catch up on mortgage payments in the Chapter 13 case to save your home. For example, a Chapter 13 bankruptcy case might allow you to “strip” a second mortgage from your home so that you would only pay pennies on the dollar to get rid of the second mortgage. You might also be able to lower your car payments in Chapter 13 to avoid losing your vehicle.

NOTE: Filing “Chapter 20” should not be attempted without consulting a bankruptcy lawyer. Some drawbacks could make your financial situation worse. Therefore, get legal advice from a bankruptcy attorney before trying this option.

Non-Bankruptcy Alternatives to Get Rid of Debts if You Need to File Chapter 7 Before 8 Years

You could have one or more non-bankruptcy alternatives to get out of debt. At Ascend, we help you explore debt relief options free of charge.

For example, debt settlement might be an option for getting out of debt without filing for bankruptcy. Debt management is another option that can help some people avoid bankruptcy while getting rid of debts that they cannot afford to pay.

Call or text us at (310) 307-5134 or contact us online for a free case evaluation. Our caring, knowledgeable team members help you explore debt relief options. We want to help you move on with your life after a financial hardship.

More News Stories

May 25, 2024
12 Bankruptcy Misconceptions You Must Stop Believing

Bankruptcy can be a great way to get a fresh start when your debt has become unaffordable due to financial hardship. Bankruptcy is for those who have a strong desire to pay their bills, but may not have the ability to pay those bills.

Read story
May 23, 2024
What Is Considered Income For the Bankruptcy Means Test?

Trying to figure out if you can meet all the requirements for a bankruptcy discharge can be a challenge, especially if you don’t know where to start. The Bankruptcy Means Test form was created to help you navigate through to see if you qualify to file for bankruptcy discharge. The means test will look at your income to determine if you can qualify.

Read story
May 22, 2024
Can You File Bankruptcy While Unemployed With No Job? Understand the process

Yes, you can file bankruptcy while unemployed with no job, but please note that your unemployment income does count as income for the bankruptcy means test.

Read story