There were 828 Chapter 7 Bankruptcy cases filed in the Sacramento area during February 2014. That is a 16% increase from January 2014.
Chapter 7 filings are up after the slow winter holiday season. I expect this trend to continue as tax refunds come in. Tax refunds are a popular way to pay for the costs associated with bankruptcy.
Of the 828 new Chapter 7 cases, 122 were filed by pro se debtors. That works out to be about 14% of all Chapter 7 cases. “Pro se” means that they debtors filed their cases without the assistance of an attorney or law firm.
There were 219 practicing Chapter 7 Bankruptcy attorneys in Sacramento last month. The top Chapter 7 filer had 34 cases — nearly 5% of the total attorney-filed caseload. 92 of the 219 practicing Chapter 7 Bankruptcy attorneys only filed 1 Chapter 7 case during February.
I am always available to discuss Chapter 7 Bankruptcy. Please contact my office with any questions. I can be reached at (916) 333-2222.