Here are some tips for your zoom 341 meeting:
- You can download the zoom app on your phone and click join meeting. You can also login on a computer by going to zoom.us/join. Type in the meeting id and password you received along with the hearing date information. If you do have this info, let me know so it can be resent to you.
- Login to the zoom hearing at the assigned time or 5 to 10 minutes earlier. Some offices let everyone in at the start of the assigned time, others let in cases one at a time, so it is normal to be in a waiting room until they let us in to have your zoom meeting.
- Ensure that your video and sound on the zoom are working. If you are having technical difficulties they will not wait for you to fix it. Also ensure you are somewhere quiet without people talking in the background or other backgroud noise. Some people choose to sit in their parked vehicle and use the zoom app on their phone. Others use a conference room at work, or they happened to be at home and do the hearing there. Any of these are fine.
- Questions should be answered “yes” or “no” when possible without adding or volunteering any information. If it is not a yes or no question, just answer with a few words. An example of why adding more is not recommended- I had a client where they asked who lived in her household and she replied “My daughter.” The trustee then asked how old her daughter was and my client said “19.” The trustee would have moved onto another topic, however my client then stated, “My daughter is moving out on her own next month.” The trustee did not ask this, she volunteered this info. The trustee then stated that my client would need to decrease her grocery expense, clothing and medical because her daughter (who was a dependent and therefore grocery, clothing etc paying for children would result in higher expenses) was moving out on her own. Decreasing these expenses would free up more money in the budget for the trustee to ask to increase the trustee payment. There are other examples of where clients said too much and the info was used against them. The best practice therefore is to say as little as possible.
Sample questions you may be asked:
How long have you lived in Maryland? Answer should be anything more than 2 yrs.
Have you filed for bankruptcy before?
Why are you filing for bankruptcy? Bad budgeting, foreclosure, taxes etc are fine answers, ask me if you’re not sure what to say.
Did you review and sign the paperwork prepared by your lawyer? Yes
Did you list all of your creditors? Should be yes, if a creditor is missing let me know
Did you list all of your assets? Should be yes, assets are bank accounts, vehicles, real estate etc
Who lives in your household? Only go into this if they specifically ask
Do you pay child support or alimony?
Did you read the bankruptcy information sheet? Linked here
Did you make the 1st bankruptcy payment to the trustee? tfsbillpay.com
Did you pay your mortgage/rent or car since filing the bankruptcy? You need to pay on time each month mortgage/rent and cars you are keeping
Do you have lawsuits you could file or are thinking about filing?
Do you own cryptocurrency?
If your adult kids live with you and work, do they pay you rent? Answer should usually be no, please ask me about this if your adult kids live with you.
What month and year is your vehicle paid off?