Austin Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Lawyer

Are you looking for a Chapter 7 bankruptcy lawyer in Austin, TX?

At Leinart Law Firm, we are trusted Chapter 7 bankruptcy lawyers serving clients across Austin for over 15 years.

If you are weighing Chapter 7 in Austin, we are here to help you. Our Austin, TX Chapter 7 bankruptcy lawyer has provided dedicated legal counsel to consumer filers since 2005. Schedule a free consultation to find out where your household falls.

Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Lawyer Austin, TX

A Chapter 7 bankruptcy lawyer confirms that a filer qualifies, prepares the petition and schedules, and represents the household through the trustee’s review to the discharge. The chapter is called liquidation, though in ordinary consumer cases nothing is sold and the filer keeps what they own.

The Western District of Texas, which hears Austin cases, recorded 8,236 bankruptcy filings in the twelve months ending December 2025, and 5,498 of those were Chapter 7. Roughly two out of every three filings in this district take the liquidation route. An Austin Chapter 7 attorney measures your income against the eligibility standard before anything else, because a case filed without that check can be dismissed or pushed into a repayment plan instead.

Types of Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Cases We Handle in Austin

Chapter 7 is built for unsecured debt, and the relief it delivers depends on what kind of obligation each balance is. We represent Austin filers across the debts this chapter was designed to clear. These are the situations we see most.

• Credit card debt. Card balances are the debt Chapter 7 discharges most reliably. Interest and late fees stop accruing against you the moment the case is filed, and the balance is gone at discharge.
• Medical debt. Treatment and hospital bills are unsecured and fully dischargeable. A single illness can produce balances that this chapter eliminates in one case.
• Personal loans. Signature and installment loans without collateral generally qualify for discharge. Payday and title borrowing falls into the same category, though a title loan carries a lien that changes the analysis. We review each agreement to confirm how it will be treated in your case.
• Collection lawsuits. A pending suit stops when the petition is filed, and discharging the underlying balance ends the litigation. Acting before a judgment is entered preserves more options.
• Deficiency balances. Where a vehicle or a home has already been sold, the shortfall the lender is still chasing is unsecured debt like any other, and this chapter clears it. Filers are often surprised that a car repossessed years ago can still be generating collection calls.
• Business bankruptcy. Sole proprietors carry personal liability for business obligations. A venture that closed leaving unpaid vendors or credit lines is a common reason for a personal filing.
• Mortgage. Filers current on a home loan usually keep the house, while those surrendering it discharge whatever the sale does not cover. We tell homeowners plainly that this chapter does not cure arrears.
• Nondischargeable debt. Recent taxes, support obligations, and most student loans survive a Chapter 7 case. Identifying these early is what keeps a filing aimed at the balances it can actually erase.

Why Choose Leinart Law Firm as my Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Lawyer in Austin, TX?

Eligibility Confirmed Before a Case Is Filed

Marcus Leinart founded Leinart Law Firm in 2005 and has spent his career on consumer filings. He has been admitted to the State Bar of Texas since 1995 and is a member of the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys. He has never acted for the lenders on the other side. Filers whose income places them outside Chapter 7 still have options worth reviewing, and the wider practice of a bankruptcy lawyer in Austin, TX covers the alternatives. The firm has taken thousands of clients through to a discharge.

What the Trustee Reviews

Chapter 7 cases depend on schedules more than on argument, and the trustee reads them closely. We prepare filings with that review in mind, which is why the great majority of our cases proceed to discharge without objection. The free consultation covers the eligibility calculation, the property you own, and the specific debts a discharge would and would not reach. You get that assessment before committing to anything.

Understanding Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Cases

Chapter 7 is the more straightforward of the two consumer chapters, which is part of why it is also the more common. Knowing who qualifies, what is protected, and what survives the case removes nearly all the uncertainty. Eligibility is addressed first, since it determines whether the rest applies.

Who Qualifies for Chapter 7 and What It Erases

Chapter 7 has strict eligibility requirements and a clearly defined result.

• Eligibility rests on the Texas means test, which compares household income to the state median for your family size.
• Exemptions shield property from the process, and the federal exemptions exist as an alternative to the Texas scheme rather than an addition to it.
• Dischargeable debt covers cards, medical bills, and unsecured loans, and the range of dischargeable debt is broader than most filers assume.
• Secured debt requires a decision, since a filer surrenders the collateral, keeps paying, or signs a reaffirmation agreement to hold onto it.
• The trade-offs are real, and weighing the pros and cons honestly is part of the advice rather than an afterthought.

What Are Important Aspects of a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Case?

• Protected accounts. Qualified retirement savings and Social Security benefits are generally shielded, which is why draining them to pay dischargeable debt is a costly mistake.
• Tax refunds. A refund owed to you at the time of filing counts as an asset of the case, and whether you lose a tax refund depends on the timing of the filing and the exemptions applied to it.
• Accurate schedules. The trustee compares what is listed against the documents you provide, and errors delay a case or, in serious situations, endanger the discharge entirely.
• What comes after. Credit recovers sooner than expected, and most filers can begin rebuilding credit within a year or two of the discharge.

What Is The Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Case Timeline?

Chapter 7 is the faster chapter, and most cases conclude within months. The Chapter 7 timeline runs through these stages.

• Credit counseling is completed before filing, usually online in one sitting.
• The petition and full schedules of income, debts, and property go to the court.
• The automatic stay takes effect immediately and ends creditor contact.
• About a month later the filer attends the meeting of creditors with the trustee.
• A debtor education course is completed, and the discharge follows, closing the case.

Most consumer cases meet no objection and move straight through. We tell filers what each stage involves so nothing arrives unannounced.

What Should You Bring to Your Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Consultation?

Accurate records let the attorney run the eligibility calculation rather than estimate it. Bring the documents you can gather without much trouble.

• Six months of pay stubs, since recent income drives the eligibility test.
• Your federal returns for the last two tax years.
• A list of your debts with statements, collection notices, and any lawsuit paperwork.
• Titles or loan paperwork covering your home and vehicles.

There is no charge for the meeting. You will know by the end whether Chapter 7 works for your household or whether another route serves you better.

Western District of Texas Bankruptcy Court and Local Resources

Austin Chapter 7 cases are filed and administered in the Western District of Texas. The resources below cover the court and the two courses every filer completes.

• The district explains the risks of filing without an attorney for anyone weighing that route.
• The same court lists approved financial management providers for the course required before discharge.
• The federal judiciary describes the credit counseling requirement that precedes a filing.
• A companion overview explains what a discharge in bankruptcy does and does not accomplish.

Reach Out to Leinart Law Firm to Schedule a Consultation

Finding out whether you qualify costs nothing and takes very little time. Our Austin Chapter 7 bankruptcy attorneys offer a free consultation to run the eligibility calculation, review your property, and explain exactly which debts a discharge would clear. We respond promptly and answer in plain terms. Contact us to arrange a time to talk.