Extreme Changes are Coming Soon to California Consumer Bankruptcy Laws

4 September 2005

Bankruptcy lawyers have to learn how to practice under the extreme changes on Consumer Bankruptcy imposed by the Bankruptcy Amendments ? The Bankruptcy Abuse and Prevention Act of 2005, which became law in April 2005, and which apply to all Bankruptcy cases filed on or after October 17, 2005.

Los Angeles attorney Kathleen March, who was a Bankruptcy judge in Los Angeles for a 14 year term, and who now runs her own law firm, The Bankruptcy Law Firm, PC, in Los Angeles, is in demand to teach Bankruptcy lawyers the new Bankruptcy law changes.

The Rutter Group, one of California's most respected legal education providers, is helping Bankruptcy lawyers learn the new law in a hour seminar being presented in major California cities entitled ?2005 Bankruptcy Overhaul Has Become Law.? This three hour program teaches Bankruptcy lawyers the major changes imposed by the ?Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005.? For all Bankruptcy cases on or after October 17, 2005, the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 will make filing Bankruptcy more expensive for consumer debtors, put more requirements on consumer debtors before they can be eligible to receive a discharge, and restrict what types of debts can be discharged. The 2005 Bankruptcy Amendments also contain increased liability provisions imposing personal liability on Consumer Bankruptcy lawyers if they fail to reasonably investigate the facts before filing a Bankruptcy case for a consumer debtor client, or if the lawyer files a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy case for a client who can afford to pay back creditors through a Chapter 13 plan.

This new Bankruptcy Law makes it essential for consumers filing Bankruptcy to have an attorney who has received intensive training on the requirements of the 2005 Bankruptcy Law Amendments and is competent to represent consumer debtors under this new Bankruptcy Law.

Attorney Kathleen March wrote the ?180 Minutes of Questions and Answers? for the Rutter Group Program to teach Bankruptcy attorneys the major changes imposed by the new Bankruptcy Law, and was on the three person panel who taught the program in Los Angeles. The entire program was presented live in Los Angeles on June 28, 2005, and was video and audio taped by the Rutter Group. It is available for Bankruptcy attorneys to purchase to learn the major changes imposed by the 2005 Bankruptcy Law Amendments.

March was a Bankruptcy judge for 14 years in Los Angeles until 2002, when she completed her term and opened The Bankruptcy Law Firm, PC, where she currently practices law full time, representing individual and small business debtors, particularly in Chapters 7 and 13. The Bankruptcy Law Firm, PC, also represents creditors in all types of Bankruptcy matters.

Kathleen March will be teaching the 2005 Bankruptcy Amendments to more Bankruptcy lawyers in February 2006, for the Lorman Educational Dervices, which is an additional certified provider of continuing legal education for California attorneys. In the Lorman program, March will teach ?means testing? required under the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005. She will also teach what requirements are imposed by the 2005 Amendments provisions making consumer debtor attorneys ?Debt Relief Agencies,? and the mew requirements consumer debtors must comply with in order to be eligible to receive a discharge, including mandatory credit counseling and mandatory debtor financial education.

About Attorney Kathleen March ? California Bankruptcy Attorney and Former Bankruptcy Judge

Kathleen March is nationally dual certified by the American Board of Certification as a Consumer Bankruptcy Law Specialist and as a Business Bankruptcy Law Specialist. March has published several writings on Bankruptcy topics. She currently practices Bankruptcy law full time in Los Angeles for her own firm, The Bankruptcy Law Firm, PC.

Source: eMediaWire

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