How often do you pay with Chapter 13?

You opt to file for Chapter 13 bankruptcy. With your income, you know you can pay the debt off. You don’t want to lose any of your assets. You just need more time to pay.

You don’t have to worry about paying everyone back; as long as you make the lump-sum payments, they’ll get passed out for you. All of your debt is consolidated into a single plan. What you’re wondering is just how often you’ll have to send in those payments, which are then distributed to your creditors.

Generally speaking, the simple answer is that you pay once a month. You may need to do this for three to five years, or 36-60 months.

Keep in mind that every Chapter 13 plan is different, created specifically for your unique situation. How much you owe and how much you can afford to pay helps to determine how long your plan is going to last. One things that stays consistent, though, is that it’s factored out into monthly payments for whatever that duration may be.

It is absolutely critical that you make these payments and make them on time. They’re not optional. They don’t come after your other expenses. When you create your budget, the first item on the list should be your monthly payment, and then you can work everything else in after that.

If you have not yet filed, make sure you fully understand the process, all of the legal options that you have and exactly what obligations you’ll be taking on when you choose a Chapter 13 bankruptcy plan.

Source: The Balance, “How Much Will My Chapter 13 Plan Payment Be?,” Carron Armstrong, accessed March 14, 2018